Burnout levels among undergraduate pharmacy students

Background: Burnout is a multi-dimensional syndrome characterised by emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment. Burnout among students has been associated with increased absenteeism, lower academic performance, and higher dropout rates. This study aims to determine the levels and factors associated with burnout among Tanzanian pharmacy students. Methods: The study utilised a multi-method study design. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS) instrument to determine levels of burnout and Focus Group Discussions (FDGs) to explore factors associated with burnout. Results: A total of 428 undergraduate Pharmacy students were enrolled in the study. The mean age of participants was 23.21 ± 0.14. The overall burnout prevalence was 36.5%, of which emotional exhaustion was the most prevalent domain of burnout at 79.44%. Male gender was a significant predictor of emotional exhaustion [OR = 4.34; 95% Cl 1.43-6.64; P-value 0.002]. Being in a second year, third and fourth year was also a significant predictor of emotional exhaustion (p-value = 0.014, 0.008 and 0.014 respectively). Conclusion: There is a high risk of burnout among Tanzanian pharmacy university students. Factors such as non-conducive learning environments, overpacked curricula, and lack of support services were associated with burnout.