---
title: "Baseline Psychological Factors That Predict Stress in ICU Residents During a 3-Week Rotation"
id: "pubmed-42708450"
canonical_url: "https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pubmed-42708450"
content_type: "clinical_feed_article"
specialty: "Critical Care"
source_name: "PubMed / NCBI"
source_url: "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/"
doi: "10.1080/24725838.2026.2722972"
published_at: "2026-09-08T00:00:00.000Z"
evidence_level: "Journal Article"
license: "CC-BY-NC-4.0 / Informational Use"
---
# Baseline Psychological Factors That Predict Stress in ICU Residents During a 3-Week Rotation
## Provenance & Clinical Metadata
- **Canonical URL:** https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/pubmed-42708450
- **Specialty:** [Critical Care](https://medichelpline.com/clinical-feed/critical-care.md)
- **Primary Source:** PubMed / NCBI
- **Source URL:** [Original Journal Publication](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/)
- **DOI:** [10.1080/24725838.2026.2722972](https://doi.org/10.1080%2F24725838.2026.2722972)
- **Published At:** 2026-09-08T00:00:00.000Z
- **Evidence Rating:** Journal Article
## Executive GIST (TL;DR)
- ICU residents work in environments with high clinical uncertainty and critically ill patients, exposing them to substantial occupational stress that can affect performance and patient outcomes. - This secondary analysis examined 54 residents across a three-week ICU rotation, with stress measured twice daily and baseline psychological and personal characteristics assessed before the rotation. - Baseline measures included validated instruments for **stress**, **burnout**, affect, **depression**, **anxiety**, personality traits, social support, and conflict. - Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to model associations between baseline variables and stress trajectories across the rotation. - Year of training mattered: PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents reported lower daily stress across the rotation compared with PGY-1s. - Higher **trait anxiety** and higher **negative affect** at baseline predicted higher stress during the rotation. - Personality traits showed differential associations: higher **agreeableness** predicted lower stress, whereas higher **conscientiousness** predicted higher stress. - Baseline **burnout** due to exhaustion was unexpectedly associated with lower reported stress during the rotation; burnout due to disengagement was not significantly associated with stress. - Other baseline factors — including depression, social support, and conflict — were not significantly associated with stress in this sample. - The authors conclude that baseline psychological profiles shape residents’ stress experiences during ICU rotations and suggest that identifying at-risk individuals before training could inform targeted support and well-being initiatives to protect both physician well-being and patient safety.
## Clinical Analysis & Structured Key Points
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Online ahead of print. # Understanding Stress Levels in ICU Residents: The Role of Baseline Psychological State and Personal Characteristics [Ilse Super](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Super+I&cauthor_id=42708450)[ 1 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/#full-view-affiliation-1 "Department of Systems Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA."), [Linghan Zhang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Zhang+L&cauthor_id=42708450)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/#full-view-affiliation-2 "Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands."), [Bijun Wang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Wang+B&cauthor_id=42708450)[ 3 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/#full-view-affiliation-3 "Industrial Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA."), [Onur Asan](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Asan+O&cauthor_id=42708450)[ 1 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/#full-view-affiliation-1 "Department of Systems Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA.") Affiliations Expand ### Affiliations * 1 Department of Systems Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. * 2 Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. * 3 Industrial Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA. * PMID: **42708450** * DOI: [ 10.1080/24725838.2026.2722972 ](https://doi.org/10.1080/24725838.2026.2722972) Item in Clipboard # Understanding Stress Levels in ICU Residents: The Role of Baseline Psychological State and Personal Characteristics Ilse Super et al. IISE Trans Occup Ergon Hum Factors. 2026. Show details Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID IISE Trans Occup Ergon Hum Factors Actions * [ Search in PubMed ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22IISE+Trans+Occup+Ergon+Hum+Factors%22%5Bjour%5D&sort=date&sort_order=desc) * [ Search in NLM Catalog ](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog?term=%22IISE+Trans+Occup+Ergon+Hum+Factors%22%5BTitle+Abbreviation%5D) * [ Add to Search ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/) . 2026 Sep 8:1-11. doi: 10.1080/24725838.2026.2722972. Online ahead of print. ### Authors [Ilse Super](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Super+I&cauthor_id=42708450)[ 1 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/#short-view-affiliation-1 "Department of Systems Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA."), [Linghan Zhang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Zhang+L&cauthor_id=42708450)[ 2 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/#short-view-affiliation-2 "Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands."), [Bijun Wang](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Wang+B&cauthor_id=42708450)[ 3 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/#short-view-affiliation-3 "Industrial Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA."), [Onur Asan](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=Asan+O&cauthor_id=42708450)[ 1 ](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42708450/#short-view-affiliation-1 "Department of Systems Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA.") ### Affiliations * 1 Department of Systems Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA. * 2 Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. * 3 Industrial Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA. * PMID: **42708450** * DOI: [ 10.1080/24725838.2026.2722972 ](https://doi.org/10.1080/24725838.2026.2722972) Item in Clipboard Cite Display options Display options Format Abstract PubMed PMID ## Abstract **Background:** Intensive care unit (ICU) residents work in highly stressful environments characterized by clinical uncertainty and critically ill patients. During residency, physicians need to adapt to demanding workplace conditions while also navigating stressors related to their stage of life. How residents respond to stress depends on multiple personal and psychological factors, including coping mechanisms. Excessive stress may impair performance and negatively affect patient outcomes, underscoring the need to better understand its determinants. **Purpose:** This study aimed to identify baseline psychological factors and personal characteristics measured prior to ICU residency that influence stress levels across a three-week rotation. **Methods:** We analyzed a secondary dataset from 54 ICU residents during a three-week clinical rotation. Before the rotation, participants completed validated measures of stress, burnout, affect, depression, anxiety, personality traits, social support, and conflict. Stress was assessed twice daily across the rotation. Associations between baseline factors and stress trajectories were estimated using generalized estimating equations (GEE). **Results:** Compared with PGY-1 residents, PGY-2 and PGY-3 residents reported lower daily across the rotation. Higher trait anxiety and higher negative affect at baseline predicted higher stress, whereas higher agreeableness predicted lower stress, and higher conscientiousness predicted higher stress. Burnout due to exhaustion at baseline was counterintuitively associated with lower reported stress during the rotation. Other baseline factors, including burnout due to disengagement, depression, social support, and conflict, were not significantly associated with stress. **Conclusions:** Baseline psychological profiles meaningfully shape how residents experience stress during ICU rotations. Identifying these factors prior to clinical training may help target interventions to support residents at higher risk of stress, thereby enhancing both physician well-being and patient safety. **Keywords:** ICU residents; Mental Health; occupational stress. ## Plain language summary This study identified several resident characteristics that were associated with perceived stress levels during a 3-week ICU rotation, including year of residency, psychological factors, trait anxiety, negative affect and burnout due to exhaustion, and personality traits, agreeableness and conscientiousness. These findings contribute to a better understanding of factors associated with stress experiences during ICU training and may help residency programs consider how residents’ individual characteristics relate to their experiences during demanding clinical rotations. Awareness of these associations may support the development of broadly accessible well-being initiatives, such as mentorship programs, resilience training, and opportunities for psychological support. In addition, recognizing that residents may experience and respond to stress differently may help supervisors foster supportive learning environments and promote open discussions regarding well-being during ICU rotations. 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