ArticleBMC psychology2022
Factors associated with the improvement of the empathy levels among clinical-year medical students in Southern Thailand: a university-based cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC psychology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 31 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pharmacy students' empathy and its determinants: a systematic review.F1000Research · 2023Pooled it
- Adverse childhood experiences and depressive symptoms among Thai medical students: a cross-sectional study.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Exploring cognitive ability and non-cognitive intelligence associated with preclinical academic performance: a study of Thai medical students.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Assessment of the Level and Determinants of Empathy in Moroccan Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.Journal of advances in medical education & professionalism · 2026Article
- Parental knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding strabismus in children.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Effects of extracurricular activities, social support, and rest on three dimensions of burnout syndrome among Thai pre-clerkship medical students: a cross-sectional study.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Article
- Declining empathy trends throughout medical curriculum and association factors of low empathy among medical students and residents: a single center study.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- Exercise, mental well-being and burnout in Thai medical students in 2020-2021: an online cross-sectional survey.BMC medical education · 2024Article
- The personality traits with depression and suicidal ideation among Thai medical students: a university-based multiregional study.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- Impact of Multimodal Intervention on Empathy Levels in Medical Students: A Questionnaire-Based Study.Cureus · 2024Article
- An exploratory university-based cross-sectional study of the prevalence and reporting of mistreatment and student-related factors among Thai medical students.BMC medical education · 2023Article
- Prevalence and effects of menstrual disorders on quality of life of female undergraduate students in Makerere University College of health sciences, a cross sectional survey.BMC women's health · 2023Article
- Empathy level towards patients among thai dental students: a cross-sectional study.BMC oral health · 2023Article
- Anesthesia students' perception of the educational environment and academic achievement at Debre Tabor University and University of Gondar, Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study.BMC medical education · 2022Article
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2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundEmpathy is one of the core medical professionalisms that distress, burnout, and lack of personal well-being is also recognized as an important influencer on lower empathy levels. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the mental health, burnout, and factors associated with the empathy levels among Thai, clinical-year medical students.
methodsThis cross-sectional study surveyed all fourth-to sixth-year medical students at the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, in Thailand; at the end of the 2020 academic year. The questionnaires utilized were: (1) The personal and demographic information questionnaire, (2) The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, (3) Thai Mental Health Indicator-15, and (4) The Maslach Burnout Inventory; Thai version. All data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and factors associated with empathy levels were analyzed via the chi-square test and logistic regressions.
resultsThere were 466 participants, with a response rate of 91.5%. The majority were female (56.2%), and reported a below-average level of empathy (57.1%); with a median score (IQR) of 44 (40-48). The gender proportion of a below-average empathy level among male and female participants was 66.3% and 50.4%, respectively. Of the participants, 29.6% had poor mental health, 63.5% and 39.7% reported a high level of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores; even though most of them (96.6%) perceived having a high level of personal accomplishment. Multivariate analysis indicated that females, higher mental health, and a low level of depersonalization were statistically significant protective factors, which improved the empathy levels.
conclusionsMore than half of the clinical-year medical students reported below-average empathy levels. Female gender, better mental health, and a low level of depersonalization were related to the improvement of the empathy levels. Therefore, medical educators should emphasize the importance of focusing supporting students, of all genders and in regards to all stages of medical education, to increase their levels of empathy, to promote individual well-being, and to effectively prevent the phenomenon of student 'burnout'.
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