Factors Associated with Burnout Syndrome among Clinical Medical Students at Chonburi Hospital, Thailand

Abstract

Objective: Burnout syndrome causes chronic fatigue, loss of motivation, despair, decreased work performance, and depression. Clinical medical students risk developing burnout syndrome due to long-term learning pressure, responsibilities for patient care and night shifts. This study aimed to examine the factors associated with burnout syndrome among clinical medical students at Chonburi Hospital. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2022 and January 2023. Data were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey among 106 medical students. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, ANOVA, and the independent t-test were used to investigate the association among variables. Results: Severe burnout syndrome was not found among clinical medical students. High emotional exhaustion was the most common burnout symptom among these medical students (53.8%). While 27.3% had high depersonalization, no medical students had low personal accomplishment. The factor related to high emotional exhaustion was 4th-year medical students. At the same time, the factors associated with high depersonalization were fourth-year medical students, males, and low accumulated grade point averages (GPAX). Conclusion: The prevalence of severe burnout was not found among clinical medical students at Chonburi Hospital. However, males, fourth-year medical students, and low GPAX were risk factors for burnout symptoms. Therefore, screening, monitoring, and providing help to these at-risk medical students to reduce their chances of severe burnout should be encouraged.