Department of Socio-Medical Sciences, Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University of Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Med Educ. 2024 Sep;58(9):1097-1106. doi: 10.1111/medu.15456. Epub 2024 Jun 11.
Medical students report poor academic well-being in a context of high study demands. Study Demands-Resources theories have outlined mediating processes involving high study demands and low resources to mitigate academic well-being, which is subsequently associated with diminished overall well-being (i.e. life satisfaction). Furthermore, academic well-being and life satisfaction are also affected by interactions between study demands and resources (referred to as moderating processes). However, these mediating and moderating processes clarifying medical students' well-being still need to be investigated. Therefore, this study investigated the mediating role of academic well-being in the associations of study demands and resources with life satisfaction and the moderating role of study demands and resources in relation to academic well-being and life satisfaction among undergraduate medical students.
In this cross-sectional survey study, 372 undergraduates from Dutch medical schools participated. The survey included the Study Demands-Resources Scale (workload, growth opportunities and peer support) as well as questionnaires on academic well-being (Utrecht Burnout Scale for students and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student Form) and overall well-being (single item on life satisfaction). Based on Study Demands-Resources theories, (moderated) mediation analyses were performed.
Mediating processes were found as growth opportunities were indirectly associated with higher life satisfaction through lower academic burnout and higher academic engagement. Furthermore, workload was indirectly associated with lower life satisfaction through higher academic burnout. This association was moderated as it became weaker with more perceived peer support.
A high workload and limited growth opportunities are associated with suboptimal academic well-being and life satisfaction. Perceiving support from peer students slightly buffers the unfavourable effect of workload on academic burnout and subsequently life satisfaction. To promote academic well-being and life satisfaction in medical students, universities can consider to reduce the workload, to create a supportive learning environment and to offer development opportunities.
在高学习需求的背景下，医学生报告学业幸福感较差。学习需求-资源理论概述了涉及高学习需求和低资源的中介过程，以减轻学业幸福感，而学业幸福感与整体幸福感（即生活满意度）降低有关。此外，学业幸福感和生活满意度也受到学习需求和资源之间的相互作用（称为调节过程）的影响。然而，这些中介和调节过程仍需要研究，以澄清医学生的幸福感。因此，本研究调查了学业幸福感在学习需求和资源与生活满意度之间的关系中的中介作用，以及学习需求和资源在医学生学业幸福感和生活满意度方面的调节作用。
在这项横断面调查研究中，来自荷兰医学院的 372 名本科生参与了研究。该调查包括学习需求-资源量表（工作量、成长机会和同伴支持）以及关于学业幸福感（学生乌得勒支倦怠量表和学生乌得勒支工作投入量表）和整体幸福感（生活满意度的单一项目）的问卷。基于学习需求-资源理论，进行了（调节）中介分析。
发现了中介过程，因为成长机会通过降低学业倦怠和提高学业投入，与更高的生活满意度间接相关。此外，工作量通过更高的学业倦怠与更低的生活满意度间接相关。这种关联是调节的，因为随着感知到的同伴支持增加，它变得更弱。
高工作量和有限的成长机会与不理想的学业幸福感和生活满意度有关。感知到来自同学的支持，略微减轻了工作量对学业倦怠和随后的生活满意度的不利影响。为了提高医学生的学业幸福感和生活满意度，大学可以考虑减轻工作量，营造支持性的学习环境，并提供发展机会。
