Relationship between academic burnout, self-care, and self-medication among Costa Rican university students in health-related sciences

Introduction: burnout is a problem affecting Health Sciences students, potentially leading to an increased tendency towards self-medication. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the relationship between these two variables and self-care. Objective: to determine the relationship between self-care, burnout, and self-medication in university students majoring in Health related Sciences. Method: a cross-sectional study was conducted through convenience sampling via virtual means throughout the entire month of October 2023, creating a database for this purpose. The study population consisted of university students enrolled in health-related sciences in Costa Rica. A sample of 361 participants was obtained from both a public and a private university, with ages ranging from 18 to 46 years (M= 23.61, SD= 5.30). The questionnaire was composed of the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (α=.89), the Maslach Academic Burnout Inventory (α between .82 and .88) and a set of sociodemographic questions. Results: self-care showed negative correlations with exhaustion, cynicism, and the frequency of self-medication, while displaying positive associations with academic efficacy and age. Additionally, progressing within the curriculum and living alone or with housemates were linked to higher levels of exhaustion compared to those living with a partner or nuclear family. Conclusions: higher levels of self-care in health-related students were associated with lower levels of academic burnout and a reduced frequency of self-medication. Moreover, students living with close individuals exhibited significantly lower levels of exhaustion.