Factors Associated with Burnout in Medical Students

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this literature review was to conduct a critical appraisal of the factors associated with medical students' burnout (BO). Specifically, we described associations between burnout and 1) sociodemographics (age, race/ethnicity, year in medical school, biological sex, etc.), 2) stress, sleep, spirituality, and social support, and 3) protective factors (factors that reduce burnout or the progression of it). Methods: English-language, peer-reviewed articles (published between 1997 and 2016) that examined burnout in medical students were identified through PubMed and PsyInfo. Searches included various combinations of the following terms: "medical students," "burnout," "associated factors," "spirituality," "social support," "medical school," and "depression." Remaining articles were pulled from the reference lists of the searched articles. Thirty-five articles were selected and relevant information was extracted. Results: For sociodemographics, burnout was: not associated with age, and positively associated with non-minority status, higher year in medical school, and being female. Burnout was associated positively with stress and inversely with sleep, spirituality and social support. Protective factors included: coping mechanisms, spirituality, social support, and adequate sleep. Conclusions: There are multi-level and multi-factorial associations with burnout. It is important to identify protective factors for early intervention to reduce burnout in medical students and the associated negative effects.