Objective: The field of anesthesiology and reanimation is particularly suited for investigating the relationship between work-related stress and anxiety due to the high demands it places on managing these psychological states. For residents newly exposed to the rigorous working conditions of anesthesiology, the clinical environment can be psychologically challenging. This study was designed based on the hypothesis that anesthesia and reanimation residents, due to their higher exposure to emergency situations and more intense workloads, may exhibit higher levels of stress, anxiety, and distress compared to internal medicine residents.
Materials and
Methods: Between April 21 and July 6, 2025, a total of 50 medical residents were enrolled in this study from the Departments of Anesthesiology and Reanimation and Internal Medicine at a tertiary education and research hospital. Each participant completed the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I and STAI-II), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) during a 24-hour shift. Residents with known cardiovascular or psychiatric disorders were excluded from the study.

Results: Regarding psychological assessments, no significant differences were found between the groups for PSS-10 scores. Similarly, PSWQ scores did not differ significantly. VAS scores for anxiety measured before and after shifts showed no significant difference between groups. There was no statistically significant correlation between years of residency and scores on the PSS-10, PSWQ, STAI-I, STAI-II, pre-shift VAS, and post-shift VAS scales. The observed correlation coefficients were weak and negative in direction. The strongest negative correlation was found between years of residency and the PSS-10 score, though this was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that as residency seniority increases, there is no notable change in levels of stress, worry, or anxiety.

Conclusion: This study highlights that both anesthesiology and internal medicine residents experience high levels of anxiety, stress, and pathological worry associated with 24-hour shift work, regardless of differences in specialty or seniority.