Levels of Burnout and Engagement after COVID-19 among Psychology and Nursing Students in Spain: A Cohort Study

Raimundo Aguayo-Estremera, Gustavo R. Cañadas, Elena Ortega-Campos, Laura Pradas-Hernández, Begoña Martos-Cabrera, Almudena Velando-Soriano () and Emilia I. de la Fuente-Solana
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Raimundo Aguayo-Estremera: Departamento de Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, Campus de Somosaguas, Ctra. De Húmera, s/n, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, 28223 Madrid, Spain
Gustavo R. Cañadas: Department of Didactic of Mathematics, Faculty of Education Science, Campus de Cartuja s/n, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
Elena Ortega-Campos: Centro de Investigación en Salud-UAL (CEINSA-UAL), Carretera de Sacramento, s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, Universidad de Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain
Laura Pradas-Hernández: San Cecilio Clinical University Hospital, Avenida del Conocimiento, s/n, Andalusian Health Service, 18016 Granada, Spain
Begoña Martos-Cabrera: San Cecilio Clinical University Hospital, Avenida del Conocimiento, s/n, Andalusian Health Service, 18016 Granada, Spain
Almudena Velando-Soriano: San Cecilio Clinical University Hospital, Avenida del Conocimiento, s/n, Andalusian Health Service, 18016 Granada, Spain
Emilia I. de la Fuente-Solana: Brain, Mind and Behaviour Research Center (CIMCYC), Campus de Cartuja s/n, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 20, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: The COVID pandemic has 0drastically changed the functioning of universities in Spain and may have altered individuals’ behaviours and emotions, the way they engage in the learning process and their psychological well-being. Burnout syndrome is a psychological problem that arises from persistent confrontation with emotional and interpersonal stressors. COVID-related burnout among Spanish students has received little research attention. For this study, a pre-post cohort study design was used. Data were collected using the Maslach Burnout Inventory—Student Survey, the Granada Burnout Questionnaire for university students, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Fear of CoronaVirus-19 scale. The population was composed of two samples of 190 and 226 students from Spanish universities. According to the results obtained, significant differences were observed between the pre- and post-test samples. Levels of burnout were higher after the COVID-19 pandemic and students’ levels of engagement have dropped significantly following their experiences of the COVID pandemic. This study shows the impact that the covid pandemic has had on Spanish university students, impacts which may have had important consequences for their mental and physical health. It is necessary to implement intervention programs to enable students to recover, at least, the levels of burnout and engagement prevailing before the outbreak of the pandemic.

Keywords: burnout; COVID-19; engagement; students; cohort study (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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