Medical School, University of Cyprus, 2029 Nicosia, Cyprus.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jan 5;18(1):349. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18010349.
The aim of this ecological study was to investigate what the impact of digital learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic was on the burnout and overall mental health (MH) of medical students.
During the unprecedented era of the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of countries worldwide adopted very strong measures. Universities closed their doors, and education continued through digital learning lectures.
An anonymous questionnaire was administered to all 189 eligible candidates before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health was assessed via the MH domain of the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and burnout with the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS).
The overall response rate was 81.5%. The overall burnout prevalence did not differ significantly between the two periods (pre-COVID-19 18.1% vs. COVID-19 18.2%). However, the burnout prevalence dropped significantly in year 4 (pre-COVID-19 40.7% vs. COVID-19 16.7%, = 0.011), whereas it increased significantly in year 6 (pre-COVID-19 27.6% vs. COVID-19 50%, = 0.01). When looking at each MBI-SS dimension separately, we found that emotional exhaustion decreased significantly in year 4 but increased in year 6, and cynicism increased in all years. The overall MH deteriorated significantly between the two periods (pre-COVID-19 58.8 ± 21.6 vs. COVID-19 48.3 ± 23, < 0.001).
Digital learning in medical studies carries significant risks. Not only does the MH deteriorate, but cynicism levels also increase. Emotional exhaustion was found to increase particularly in final year students, who struggle with the lack of clinical experience just before they start working as qualified junior doctors.
本生态研究旨在探讨由于 COVID-19 大流行而导致的数字学习对医学生的倦怠和整体心理健康（MH）的影响。
在 COVID-19 大流行的前所未有的时代，世界上大多数国家都采取了非常强硬的措施。大学关闭了校门，教育通过数字学习讲座继续进行。
在 COVID-19 大流行之前和期间，向所有 189 名符合条件的候选人发放了匿名问卷。通过 36 项简短健康调查（SF-36）的 MH 领域和 Maslach 倦怠量表 - 学生调查（MBI-SS）评估心理健康和倦怠情况。
总体回复率为 81.5%。两个时期的整体倦怠发生率没有显着差异（COVID-19 前 18.1%与 COVID-19 期间 18.2%）。然而，四年级的倦怠发生率显着下降（COVID-19 前 40.7%与 COVID-19 期间 16.7%，= 0.011），而六年级的倦怠发生率显着上升（COVID-19 前 27.6%与 COVID-19 期间 50%，= 0.01）。分别观察每个 MBI-SS 维度，我们发现情感耗竭在四年级显着下降，但在六年级显着增加，而犬儒主义在所有年份都增加。两个时期之间的整体 MH 显着恶化（COVID-19 前 58.8 ± 21.6 与 COVID-19 期间 48.3 ± 23，< 0.001）。
医学研究中的数字学习带来了重大风险。不仅 MH 恶化，而且犬儒主义水平也会增加。研究发现，情感耗竭在最后一年的学生中尤其增加，他们在开始作为合格的初级医生工作之前，由于缺乏临床经验而感到挣扎。
