PREVALENCE OF BURNOUT AND ITS EFFECT ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG HEALTHCARE STUDENTS.

Abstract

Background: Burnout is a prevalent psychological disorder among students resulting from demanding educational curriculum and prolonged study durations. As a result, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and severity of burnout, as well as its effect on academic performance among healthcare students. Purpose: The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of BO among healthcare students at Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions, Georgia State University. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with participants from four healthcare programs. Data were collected utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (S) (MBI-GS(S)), in addition to questions regarding sociodemographic factors. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29 was utilized for data analysis. Results: The study surveyed a total of 327 healthcare students. The majority of participants were female, with 273 participants (83.5%), while 54 participants (16.5%) were male. The majority group of participants were Respiratory Therapy students (n=90, 27.5%), followed by Physical Therapy students (n=81, 24.8%), Nursing students (n=79, 24.2%), and Occupational Therapy students (n=77, 23.5%). The participants' ages in the study ranged from 19 to 49 years, with a mean of 24.1 years (SD±4.55). The findings indicated that healthcare students exhibited a high level of Emotional Exhaustion (EE) with a mean score of 3.6, a moderate level of Cynicism (CY) with a mean score of 2.0, and a high level of Professional Efficacy (PE) with a mean score of 4.4. The participants' major, educational level, program level, GPA, and work status were associated with BO. Furthermore, participants’ GPA, and working hours were positively correlated with BO. Conclusion: burnout was prevalent among healthcare students. This study found that healthcare students exhibited high emotional fatigue (EE), professional efficacy (PE), and moderate cynicism. Academic performance was associated to burnout. Occupational therapy students, first-year students, employed students, clinical doctorate students, and high GPA students were associated with burnout. Therefore, this study helps educational institutions and stakeholders develop coping techniques and interventions to improve students' mental health and academic performance.