How Motivation Correlates with Academic Burnout: Study Conducted in Undergraduate Medical Students

Burnout is found among medical students as they become overwhelmed by stressors. On the other hand, students’ motivation act as the force that maintains learning. This study aims to capture the association between motivation type and burnout in students. This cross-sectional study involved students across all year levels with a total of 1,036 students participated in the study. Data was collected using Academic Motivation Scale to determine type of motivation, and Maslach Burnout Inventory to measure burnout’s components (emotional exhaustion, cynicism and perception of personal accomplishment). Correlations and multivariate analyses were conducted to discover associations between motivation, burnout components and performance. Significant negative correlations were found between motivation type and perception of personal accomplishment in preclinical year (PCY) 2 (r = –0.206; p = 0.004), clinical year (CY) 1 (r = –0.242; p = 0.000), and CY2 (r = –0.189; p = 0.012). In PCY1 the correlation was significantly positive (r = 0.061; p = 0.003), while in PCY3 no significant correlation was found. Negative correlations found indicate that the more external the motivation, the lower the perception of personal accomplishment. Motivation types correlates with perception of personal accomplishment as one of the subscales of burnout; showing perceptions’ tendency to lowered as motivation becomes more external. This study highlights the importance of addressing students’ motivation in preventing burnout. Efforts to strengthen intrinsic motivations may help develop better perceptions of personal accomplishment and protect students from burnout.