Relationship between burnout and life satisfaction of university students in the health field

Abstract

Aim: The objective of the study is to identify the correlation between life satisfaction and burnout levels of senior students attending health-related departments of universities. Methods: The sample of the descriptive study is composed of 204 senior students attending health-related departments of universities. The required data were collected with The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) and Maslach Burnout Inventory–Student Form (MBI-SF). Data were evaluated with percentage distributions, t tests, Pearson correlation analyses, Kruskal-Wallis tests, Tukey tests and ANOVA tests. Results: The average age of the students was 22.63±1.29 and the average SWLS score was 20.72±6.54. On the other hand, their exhaustion, depersonalisation and accomplishment scores which are sub-factors of MBI-SF were 13.91±4.50, 9.69±3.77 and 11.15±3.16 respectively. In the study, significant negative correlation was determined between life satisfaction and scores of exhaustion (r= −.327; p = .000), depersonalisation (r= −.283; p=.000) and accomplishment (r= −.291; p= .000) which are subfactors of MBI–SF. And it was concluded that the higher the exhaustion scores; the lower the life satisfaction. Conclusion: A significant negative correlation was determined between life satisfaction and burnout levels of students. As a result, their life satisfaction decreases as their burnout levels rise.