Burnout Syndrome in Students of the Instituto Pedagógico Superior Juan Demóstenes Arosemena, Veraguas, Panamá in 2024

Introduction: Burnout syndrome is considered a response to work-related stress, which not only has negative implications in the organisational sphere but also compromises the various areas of functioning of the person who suffers from it. Objective: The objective of the research was to determine the prevalence of Burnout Syndrome in university students, specifically at the Instituto Pedagógico Superior Juan Demóstenes Arosemena de Veraguas, and to identify the correlation with socio-demographic factors. Theoretical framework: Burnout syndrome has become a topic of great interest in the educational field, especially among university students and teachers. This phenomenon not only affects mental health but can also have a negative impact on the quality of teaching and learning. Multiple studies have been carried out on them, which is considered as a syndrome consisting of three dimensions: Emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and low self-fulfilment. Method: The research had a descriptive cross-sectional non-experimental quantitative design. A questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic information together with the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire validated by experts on Thursday, with an alpha of 0.983, suitable to be applied and to evaluate the levels of Burnout. Results and Discussion: Among the findings, the dimensions of emotional exhaustion, 56.61% do not present it or it is barely observable, and depersonalisation with 56.60% below and medium. However, 64.15% maintain a medium or low level of emotional exhaustion which is indicative of the prevalence of burnout syndrome among the university students under study. Implications of the research: There is a need for continued and similar studies for the teachers and administrators of institutions of higher learning to understand and be able to address its causes, consequences and possible interventions, thereby improving the wellbeing and academic performance of the students. Originality/value: Research aimed at assessing the prevalence of burnout in university students is useful to expand the knowledge of the conditions in which they develop their academic activity; as well as to generate actions from the administrations of higher education institutions that promote performance, benefits and therefore, the achievement of life goals.