Academic burnout, resilience and alexithymia among first-year medical students

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Published Jan 22, 2026
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v103i11.5869
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Vol. 103 No. 11 (2025): Tunis Med Nov 2025

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Rim Feki
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
Azza Mallouli
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
Lobna Zouari
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
Najeh Smaoui
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
Imen Gassara
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
Nada Charfi
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
Manel Maalej Bouali
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
Sana Omri
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.
Mohamed Maalej
Psychiatry Department, Hédi Chaker Hospital, Sfax, Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia.

Abstract

School burnout is a state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by chronic stress related to studies. It is particularly common among first-year medical students due to high academic demands and the emotional stress associated with the initiation into medicine. Resilience can help prevent burnout by allowing students to better manage stress and bounce back more quickly after failure, thereby managing stress better by reducing the risk of exhaustion. On the other hand, alexithymia, which is characterized by difficulty identifying and expressing emotions, can weaken resilience and lead to burnout. This study aimed to assess the level of school burnout among first-year medical students and identify factors associated with burnout and its link to alexithymia and resilience. A total of 127 students enrolled at the Faculty of Medicine in Sfax, Tunisia, participated in the study, responding to a questionnaire that included the school burnout inventory, the Connor-Davidson resilience scale, and the Toronto alexithymia scale. Half of the students met the criteria for school burnout. This burnout was significantly associated with several factors: living in Sfax for the first time, poor adjustment to university, being forced into medical studies against their will, and lack of regular physical activity. Burnout was also linked to the presence of alexithymia and lower resilience scores.

Keywords:

Burnout, Psychological, Students, Medical, alexithymia

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