Impact of different anesthesia subspecialties on anxiety levels and sleep quality among anesthesiologists: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Anesthesiologists face high risks of occupational burnout, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Significant subspecialization within the field suggests different specialties may constitute distinct stressors, but whether this leads to systematic variations in mental health outcomes remains unclear.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate the association between different anesthesia subspecialties and the levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality among anesthesiologists.

METHODS

A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted. Eighty-five anesthesiologists from four tertiary Grade A general hospitals completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires. Retrospective work data were extracted from departmental systems. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA, Tukey's Honest Significant Difference (HSD) post-hoc tests, and multiple linear regression controlling for key covariates.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found in GAD-7 (F = 4.32, p < 0.01), PHQ-9 (F = 4.98, p < 0.001), and PSQI (F = 5.18, p < 0.001) scores across subspecialties. Multiple linear regression, adjusting for weekly overtime, monthly night shifts, age, experience, and gender, confirmed that the primary subspecialty was independently associated with anxiety (β = 0.35, p = 0.003), depression (β = 0.38, p = 0.001), and poor sleep quality (β = 0.41, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The anesthesia subspecialties in which an anesthesiologist works is independently associated with the risk of anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. These findings suggest that targeted support strategies should be considered for anesthesiologists in high-stress subspecialties such as cardiothoracic and pediatric anesthesia.