Abstract
Objectives:The present study aimed to explore the prevalence of burnout syndrome and to find the association of burnout symptoms with sociodemographic factors in medical students.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2019 to January 2021 at Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad. A total of 284 medical students from the first year to the fifth year participated in this cross-sectional study. After taking informed consent, students were asked to record responses on the Burnout Clinical Subtype Questionnaire BCSQ-12. In addition, a structured questionnaire was developed to obtain information about the sociodemographic status.Results:Prevalence of burnout was observed among day scholars, females, and students having a relatively sedentary lifestyle. Low family income showed a significant association of burnout in medical students (p=0.025). A significant association was found in the mean scores of neglect subtype of burnout with low family household income (p = 0.010). The mean scores of the overload subtype of burnout and daily duration of sleep also showed a significant association (p = 0.039).Conclusion:The prevalence of burnout was associated with low household income and sleep deprivation. Gender, academic year and physical activity did not have a significant association with burnout syndrome. The high prevalence of burnout syndrome necessitates appropriate interventions to identify and reduce the prevalence of burnout in medical students.
Highlights
Undergraduate medical education is a highly challenging and demanding path that may predispose many students to an increased risk of developing burnout and stress
These findings are in agreement with a study conducted by Shah et al, according to which the prevalence of stress was significantly higher in females and in students who reported difficulty in sleeping; this study did not show a significant association of stress with low household income which is in contrast to our findings.[11]
Another study by Altannir et al conducted in Saudi Arabia reported that the prevalence of overall burnout was more common in female medical students; this study further reported that female students suffered from a low sense of personal progression, emotional exhaustion and depersonalization in comparison to male students and the prevalence of burnout reduced as the students progressed to higher classes.[1]
Summary
Undergraduate medical education is a highly challenging and demanding path that may predispose many students to an increased risk of developing burnout and stress. Burnout syndrome may significantly affect the learning capabilities of medical students which may cause physical and psychological disturbances.[1]. The term burnout is described as the loss of motivation or incentive in situations when desired results are not achieved despite devotion to a goal.[2]. Burnout induced chronic stress leads to physical and emotional tiredness, feeling of indifference and lack of achievements in individuals working in stressful conditions.[3]. Pak J Med Sci March - April 2022 (Part-II) Vol 38 No 4 www.pjms.org.pk 801 and anxiety due to little room for negligence in health care delivery. The mental health of medical students is of utmost importance to manage the burden of medical education in a high-stress environment.[4,5]
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