Evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece: a cross-sectional study
IntroductionBurnout syndrome was first evaluated in the working environment of pilots and air-traffic controllers in 1973 and was officially described in scientific terms by the psychologist Christina Maslach. Recent research proves that the syndrome is currently present among healthcare professiona...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1538393/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850139172552048640 |
|---|---|
| author | Konstantinos Angelopoulos Georgia-Nektaria Porfyri Angelos Ntikos Ioanna Chioti Chrysovalantis Fagogenis Vasiliki Tarantili Anastasia Konsta |
| author_facet | Konstantinos Angelopoulos Georgia-Nektaria Porfyri Angelos Ntikos Ioanna Chioti Chrysovalantis Fagogenis Vasiliki Tarantili Anastasia Konsta |
| author_sort | Konstantinos Angelopoulos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionBurnout syndrome was first evaluated in the working environment of pilots and air-traffic controllers in 1973 and was officially described in scientific terms by the psychologist Christina Maslach. Recent research proves that the syndrome is currently present among healthcare professionals worldwide. Thus, we investigated whether it is also present in the medical student community, which faces the main characteristics of the syndrome from the beginning of their educational career.Materials and methodsThe research was conducted on a sample of 400 Greek medical students at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, using the Maslach Basic Inventory questionnaire with three sections: exhaustion, depersonalization, and low satisfaction with personal achievements. The sample was analyzed based on the parameters of gender and the year of study of each individual participant.ResultsIn total, 33.5% of the participants were found to have a high risk or tendency for burnout syndrome, 11.75% of whom were at high risk and suffered from the syndrome. Moreover, 21.75% of the participants had a tendency toward suffering the syndrome. No remarkable correlation was discovered for the gender variable, whereas, for the year of study, there was an important correlation between the more senior years (5th and 6th) and higher risk.DiscussionThe syndrome’s prevalence from the survey is scientifically important, urging the academic community to examine whether, instead of shaping healthy doctors, in reality, the education system produces patients with the syndrome. Protective measures include cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, the six-stage adult learning technique, periodical screening of the syndrome, as well as encouragement for higher personal achievements. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e732a43e0fde491aba73cc8858a78537 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-e732a43e0fde491aba73cc8858a785372025-08-20T02:30:23ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-05-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15383931538393Evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece: a cross-sectional studyKonstantinos Angelopoulos0Georgia-Nektaria Porfyri1Angelos Ntikos2Ioanna Chioti3Chrysovalantis Fagogenis4Vasiliki Tarantili5Anastasia Konsta6Primary Medical Service, Medical Corps, Hellenic Army, Symi, GreeceGlobal Health - Disaster Medicine, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, GreeceMedical Corps, Military School of Combat Support Officers, Thessaloniki, GreeceFaculty of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GreeceGraduate of Statistical and Insurance Science, University of Piraeus, Athens, GreeceHealth Institutions and Health Policies, University of Peloponnese, Corinth, Greece1stPsychiatric Clinic, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, GreeceIntroductionBurnout syndrome was first evaluated in the working environment of pilots and air-traffic controllers in 1973 and was officially described in scientific terms by the psychologist Christina Maslach. Recent research proves that the syndrome is currently present among healthcare professionals worldwide. Thus, we investigated whether it is also present in the medical student community, which faces the main characteristics of the syndrome from the beginning of their educational career.Materials and methodsThe research was conducted on a sample of 400 Greek medical students at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, using the Maslach Basic Inventory questionnaire with three sections: exhaustion, depersonalization, and low satisfaction with personal achievements. The sample was analyzed based on the parameters of gender and the year of study of each individual participant.ResultsIn total, 33.5% of the participants were found to have a high risk or tendency for burnout syndrome, 11.75% of whom were at high risk and suffered from the syndrome. Moreover, 21.75% of the participants had a tendency toward suffering the syndrome. No remarkable correlation was discovered for the gender variable, whereas, for the year of study, there was an important correlation between the more senior years (5th and 6th) and higher risk.DiscussionThe syndrome’s prevalence from the survey is scientifically important, urging the academic community to examine whether, instead of shaping healthy doctors, in reality, the education system produces patients with the syndrome. Protective measures include cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, the six-stage adult learning technique, periodical screening of the syndrome, as well as encouragement for higher personal achievements.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1538393/fullburnout syndromemedical studentsmental healthMaslach basic inventoryGreece |
| spellingShingle | Konstantinos Angelopoulos Georgia-Nektaria Porfyri Angelos Ntikos Ioanna Chioti Chrysovalantis Fagogenis Vasiliki Tarantili Anastasia Konsta Evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece: a cross-sectional study Frontiers in Psychiatry burnout syndrome medical students mental health Maslach basic inventory Greece |
| title | Evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | evaluating burnout syndrome among medical students at the aristotle university of thessaloniki in greece a cross sectional study |
| topic | burnout syndrome medical students mental health Maslach basic inventory Greece |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1538393/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT konstantinosangelopoulos evaluatingburnoutsyndromeamongmedicalstudentsatthearistotleuniversityofthessalonikiingreeceacrosssectionalstudy AT georgianektariaporfyri evaluatingburnoutsyndromeamongmedicalstudentsatthearistotleuniversityofthessalonikiingreeceacrosssectionalstudy AT angelosntikos evaluatingburnoutsyndromeamongmedicalstudentsatthearistotleuniversityofthessalonikiingreeceacrosssectionalstudy AT ioannachioti evaluatingburnoutsyndromeamongmedicalstudentsatthearistotleuniversityofthessalonikiingreeceacrosssectionalstudy AT chrysovalantisfagogenis evaluatingburnoutsyndromeamongmedicalstudentsatthearistotleuniversityofthessalonikiingreeceacrosssectionalstudy AT vasilikitarantili evaluatingburnoutsyndromeamongmedicalstudentsatthearistotleuniversityofthessalonikiingreeceacrosssectionalstudy AT anastasiakonsta evaluatingburnoutsyndromeamongmedicalstudentsatthearistotleuniversityofthessalonikiingreeceacrosssectionalstudy |