Prevalence of academic burnout and its association with the big five personality traits and social support among preclinical medical students at a University, Faculty of Medicine in Thailand

Abstract

Background: Academic burnout is a mental health problem that adversely affects learning and quality of life among medical students, particularly during the preclinical years when students face intensive coursework, high academic demands, and persistent stress. Although academic burnout has been extensively investigated, evidence regarding the roles of the Big Five personality traits and social support among Thai medical students remains limited.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of academic burnout and to identify the factors associated with and predictive of academic burnout among preclinical medical students at a faculty of medicine in Bangkok, Thailand.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among 340 preclinical medical students during May–June 2024. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires, including a personal information questionnaire, the Thai version of the Big Five Personality Inventory, a social support questionnaire, and the Maslach Burnout In ventory–Student Survey (MBI-SS). Associations between potential factors and academic burnout were examined using the Chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test. Predictive factors were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Results: Among the 340 participants, 56.4% exhibited a high level of academic burnout in at least one burnout dimension. High burnout in one, two, and three dimensions was observed in 32.6%, 17.1%, and 7.1% of participants, respectively. Using the predefined criterion of high scores in all three dimensions—emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced academic efficacy—the prevalence of academic burnout was 7.1%. Factors significantly associated with academic burnout included age > 21 years, being in the second or third year of study, psychiatric disorders, neutral to low satisfaction with medical education, infrequent or no regular exercise, preference for listening to music, sleep problems, sleeping pill use, low extraversion, low openness to experience, low conscientiousness, low emotional social support, and low overall social support. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified infrequent or no regular exercise and low openness to experience as significant predictors of academic burnout (P < 0.05), whereas neutral to low satisfaction with medical education, low extraversion, low conscientiousness, and low emotional social support showed stronger associations with academic burnout (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Academic burnout was common among preclinical medical students. Behavioral factors, personality traits, and social support were important contributors to burnout. These findings highlight the importance of promoting regular physical activity, strengthening emotional support, and developing personality-tailored interventions to prevent academic burnout and enhance psychological well-being among medical students.