# Factors associated with burnout among the Belgrade University medical students

## TL;DR

This study found that nearly 35% of Belgrade University medical students experience burnout, linked to higher anxiety and lower study engagement.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific factors like GPA, anxiety, and study engagement associated with burnout in Serbian medical students.

## Key findings

- Burnout prevalence among students was 35.3%, with study-related burnout at 36.9%.
- Higher anxiety scores and GPA were positively linked to burnout, while study engagement was inversely linked.
- The study suggests implementing mental health support programs in medical schools to address burnout.

## Abstract

Although the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases defines burnout as an occupational syndrome, research has investigated it extensively in medical students. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of burnout among fifth-year medical students in Serbia along with the social, lifestyle, and health status characteristics associated with it. The study included 431 Belgrade University students attending classes in social medicine and took place in the last week of November 2024. According to the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), the mean score was 43.67±15.81 and overall burnout prevalence 35.3 %. The prevalence of personal burnout was 35 %, of study-related burnout 36.9 %, and of faculty-related burnout 29 %. The multivariate logistic regression analysis of overall burnout showed positive association with the grade point average (OR: 4.02; 95 % CI: 2.12–7.64) and Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale score (OR: 1.14; 95 % CI: 1.06–1.22) and a negative association with the study engagement score (OR: 0.86; 95 % CI: 0.81–0.92). Our findings identify variables that need addressing to lower burnout prevalence among students. One is anxiety, which was significantly associated with burnout, and the other is study engagement, which was inversely associated with burnout. We believe that medical schools should provide mental health support programmes to address these and other potential issues.