The relationship between self-efficacy, resilience, and job burnout in pediatric residents: a cross-sectional study in Western China

Abstract Background Burnout is prevalent among pediatric residents. Self-efficacy and resilience, as concepts of positive psychology, may be protective factors for burnout. However, no current data demonstrates the mechanism of their interaction. Objectives To investigate the pediatric residents’ status of self-efficacy, resilience, and job burnout in a university-affiliated hospital in western China. To explore relationships among them, especially the mediating effects of resilience. Methods The study was conducted with 190 pediatric residents from an A-Class women’s and children’s hospital in western China. Data included demographic characteristics, status of pediatric residents, measures of burnout (using the Physicians’ Career Burnout Questionnaire), self-efficacy (using the General Self-Efficacy Scale) and resilience (using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale). Multiple regression analysis and mediation analysis with bootstrapping were used to identify whether resilience mediates the relationship between self-efficacy and burnout. Results Female pediatric residents exhibited significantly lower self-efficacy (t = 2.53, p