[Depression and self-efficacy in medical residents].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the status of depression and to determine the association between depression and self-efficacy in medical residents.
 Methods: Self-made questionnaire of general situation, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and general self-efficacy scale were applied to 223 new residents from a hospital in Hunan Province to evaluate the general situation, the status of depression, level of self-efficacy sense and the influential factors. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple stepwise regression analysis were performed to assess the association between depression and self-efficacy, and the influential factors of residents, respectively.
 Results: Among the 223 new residents, 68 (30.5%) of them showed depressive symptoms: 115 (51.6%) with light depression, 29 (13.0%) with moderate depression, 7 (3.1%) with moderate and severe depression, and 4 (1.8%) with severe depression. Positive detection rate for depression was 69.5%. The scores of general self-efficacy were not significant difference between the male and female residents (28.11±5.37 vs 26.19±4.86; P<0.05). Correlation analysis showed that depression was negatively correlated with self-efficacy. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that self-efficacy was one of the main influential factors for depression among residents. Other influential factors for depression included whether the management system was reasonable and whether they had confidence in their own development. Gender, age, emotional state, education, certificate of medical practitioner, monthly income was not associated with depression.
 Conclusion: The residents with high levels of depressive symptoms in the observed individuals are high-risk groups of depression. Self-efficacy may be an important influential factor for residents'depression.