Prevalence and determinants of burnout Syndrome and Depression among medical students at Sultan Qaboos University: A cross-sectional analytical study from Oman

This study investigated the prevalence and determinants of Burnout Syndrome and Depressive
Symptoms among medical students in Oman. Then, it explored whether the three-dimensional
aspects of Burnout Syndrome (High Emotional Exhaustion, High Cynicism and Low Academic
Efficacy) would predict the presence of Depressive Symptoms in a logistic regression model. A
cross-sectional study was conducted among a random sample of medical students of Sultan
Qaboos University. 662 students participated in the study with a response rate of 98%. The
prevalence of Burnout Syndrome and Depressive Symptoms were; 7.4% and 24.5% respectively.
Preclinical students reported high levels of both Burnout Syndrome (Odds Ratio–OR 2.83, 95%
Confidence Interval CI 1.45–5.54) and Depressive Symptoms (OR 2. 72, 95% CI 1.07–6.89). The three dimensional
aspects of Burnout Syndrome(High Emotional Exhaustion, High Cynicism, low
Professional efficacy) were statistically significant predictors of the presence of Depressive
Symptoms; OR 3.52 (95% CI: 2.21–5.60), OR 3.33 (95% CI:2.10–5.28) and OR 2.07(95%CI:1.32–3.24)
respectively. This study indicates that Burnout Syndrome and Depressive Symptoms are common
among medical students, particularly in preclinical grade. Furthermore, the presence of high
occupational burnout elevates the risk of depression.