Relationship between resilience, self-esteem, and burnout in Medical students during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract: Introduction: In Brazil, the lack of studies evaluating self-esteem in medical students is evident. In the academic field, it is known that individuals with high self-esteem and resilience are more likely to be successful. In previous studies, resilience was negatively associated with anxiety and Burnout Syndrome (BS). The BS has become a public health problem due to its increased incidence, especially among medical professionals during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, making it essential to expand and develop this issue. Objectives: To evaluate the level of self-esteem in medical students and its association with the degree of resilience and burnout during the pandemic. Method: A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted with medical students from the first to the eighth semesters at Centro Universitário Christus in Fortaleza - CE, Brazil. The students answered three surveys: in the beginning of the semester, at the midterms and during finals. We applied the Maslach Burnout Inventory, Wagnild and Young’s resilience scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Results: Students with higher levels of emotional exhaustion showed less professional efficiency (P < 0.001). Disbelief and professional efficiency are inversely related (P < 0.001). There was no significant variation in the prevalence of burnout throughout the semester (P = 0.593). However, this prevalence has been high since the first period of the study. Additionally, the higher the resilience, the higher the self-esteem (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Medical students show elevated levels of BS. There was no statistically significant variation in burnout, resilience, and self-esteem throughout the semester. Therefore, further studies are necessary to analyze these variables.