Loneliness, resilience, and learning as predictors of life satisfaction in medical students
Keywords:
adversity; learning; life satisfaction; loneliness; professionalism; resilienceAbstract
Introduction: The pandemic represented a decisive moment for medical students to reflect on their decision to become physicians.
Objective: To measure life satisfaction among medical students during the most critical phases of the pandemic and to identify the academic and personal factors associated with that satisfaction.
Methods: Between November and December 2020, a cross‑sectional observational study was conducted using a web‑based survey administered to medical students at the Universidad Nacional San Agustín de Arequipa (Peru). The survey included instruments to measure life satisfaction and loneliness, four questions exploring behaviors related to attitude toward learning, and one question on the intention to abandon studies as an indicator of academic resilience. A multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to the extreme quartiles of life satisfaction to identify associated factors.
Results: Of the 552 completed surveys, 131 (24%) corresponded to highly dissatisfied students and 133 (24%) to highly satisfied students. The explanatory model accounted for 65% of the variability in life satisfaction (Nagelkerke R² = 0.65). Life satisfaction was associated with a resilient and positive attitude toward learning, whereas loneliness was associated with dissatisfaction.
Conclusions: Academic resilience and sustained motivation toward learning appear to be relevant personal resources for coping with adverse situations; however, they are insufficient if social needs are not addressed. These individual and contextual aspects can be strengthened during medical training through continuous and transversal educational efforts.
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