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The Relationship Between Self-Esteem, Emotional Intelligence, and Empathy Among Students From Six Health Professional
Bidyadhar Sa1, Nkemcho Ojeh2, Md Anwarul Azim Majumder2
1Centre for Medical Sciences Education, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
Teaching and Learning in Medicine
|May 12, 2019
Summary
A significant portion of first-year health professional students experience low self-esteem, potentially increasing their risk for mental health issues. Emotional intelligence and empathy showed a small association with self-esteem in this student population.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Medical Education
Background:
- Psychosocial skills like communication and emotional intelligence are crucial for health professionals.
- Self-esteem, a less-studied construct, is linked to mental health outcomes such as depression and eating disorders.
- Health professional students face high stress, making self-esteem a critical factor for their well-being and future performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate self-esteem levels in first-year health professional students.
- To determine the association between self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and empathy in this cohort.
- To hypothesize that a notable number of students would exhibit low self-esteem.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey design was employed.
- Data were collected from dental, medical, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary students using self-report questionnaires.
- Statistical analyses included analysis of variance, chi-square testing, and Pearson's correlation to examine group differences and construct associations.
Main Results:
- The average self-esteem score was 26.2 ± 2.3, with 21% of students demonstrating low self-esteem.
- No significant differences in low self-esteem prevalence were found across different health programs.
- While gender did not impact self-esteem, ethnicity did; emotional intelligence was higher in males than females, and both showed a small association with self-esteem.
Conclusions:
- A substantial percentage of health professional students report low self-esteem during their initial year of training.
- These students may be more vulnerable to academic stress and the development of psychopathology.
- Further research is recommended to explore the interplay of self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and empathy to enhance student support and training.
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