Burnout syndrome in health sciences students: contributing factors and impacts on academic well-being

Abstract

Mental health has become one of the great challenges facing contemporary society, especially among health professionals and students.   According to the World Health Organization, burnout syndrome is an occupational phenomenon characterized by extreme exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and reduced professional effectiveness, affecting mainly those who work in contexts of high emotional strain, such as hospitals and clinics. At the same time, entering university life, often celebrated as a time of personal and professional growth, imposes significant challenges on students. This phase involves the transition to adulthood, requiring greater autonomy in time management, new learning strategies, as well as pressure for academic performance and preparation for the job market. In health courses, these challenges tend to be even more intense, due to the extensive workload, early contact with clinical practice and the need to deal emotionally with human suffering. Added to this is the constant supervision by instructors and the fear of making mistakes, factors which can trigger feelings of inadequacy and increase the risk of academic burnout. However, this study aims to identify the factors that contribute to mental exhaustion in health academics and to understand the impacts of burnout on the mental health and academic development of these students. This is a qualitative field study of a descriptive and exploratory nature, which will begin after approval by the Research Ethics Committee, following the ethical and legal precepts that involve studies with human beings. Data will be collected through semi-structured interviews using Google Forms, after signing an Informed Consent Form. The data will be analyzed using the Content Analysis technique proposed by Bardin. It is hoped that this study will contribute to identifying the main psychosocial and academic factors that influence the development of burnout syndrome among health students. It also aims to understand how these factors affect emotional well-being and academic performance, revealing the perceptions and experiences of students in the face of university overload. The results should support proposals for institutional interventions aimed at promoting mental health in the academic environment, such as psychological support actions, pedagogical support strategies and emotional health education initiatives, strengthening the permanence and academic success of students.