Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38645505›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in surgery2024

Hard shell, soft core? Multi-disciplinary and multi-national insights into mental toughness among surgeons.

Leonard Knoedler, Jillian Dean, Samuel Knoedler, Martin Kauke-Navarro, Katharina Hollmann, Michael Alfertshofer, Sabrina Helm, Lukas Prantl, Rainer Schliermann

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in surgery, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
2.5field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Surgeon Burnout and Relationships: A Missing Component in the Ongoing Conversation.HSS journal : the musculoskeletal journal of Hospital for Special Surgery · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Leonard KnoedlerDivision of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
Jillian DeanUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
Samuel KnoedlerDivision of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
Martin Kauke-NavarroDivision of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
Katharina HollmannDivision of Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
Michael AlfertshoferDivision of Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
Sabrina HelmDivision of Hand, Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.
Lukas PrantlDepartment of Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
Rainer SchliermannFaculty of Social and Health Care Sciences, Regensburg University of Applied Sciences, Regensburg, Germany.
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München · DEYale University · USRegensburg University of Applied Sciences · DEUniversity Hospital Regensburg · DEUniversity of Pittsburgh · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: With the prevalence of burnout among surgeons posing a significant threat to healthcare outcomes, the mental toughness of medical professionals has come to the fore. Mental toughness is pivotal for surgical performance and patient safety, yet research into its dynamics within a global and multi-specialty context remains scarce. This study aims to elucidate the factors contributing to mental toughness among surgeons and to understand how it correlates with surgical outcomes and personal well-being. Methods: Utilizing a cross-sectional design, this study surveyed 104 surgeons from English and German-speaking countries using the Mental Toughness Questionnaire (MTQ-18) along with additional queries about their surgical practice and general life satisfaction. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were applied to investigate the variations in mental toughness across different surgical domains and its correlation with professional and personal factors. Results: The study found a statistically significant higher level of mental toughness in micro-surgeons compared to macro-surgeons and a positive correlation between mental toughness and surgeons' intent to continue their careers. A strong association was also observed between general life satisfaction and mental toughness. No significant correlations were found between the application of psychological skills and mental toughness. Conclusion: Mental toughness varies significantly among surgeons from different specialties and is influenced by professional dedication and personal life satisfaction. These findings suggest the need for targeted interventions to foster mental toughness in the surgical community, potentially enhancing surgical performance and reducing burnout. Future research should continue to explore these correlations, with an emphasis on longitudinal data and the development of resilience-building programs.

Indexed as

mental healthmental toughnesspsychologyresiliencerobustnesssurgery

Identifiers

PMID38645505
PMCPMC11027567
OpenAlexW4393993046

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.