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Internship experience and psychological symptoms among Chinese healthcare trainees: evidence from structural equation
Xiaomin Xu1, Guanguan Qiu1, Oushan Tang1
1Department of Medical Education, Shaoxing Second Hospital (The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shaoxing University), Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China.
Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the pathways linking internship experience to psychological symptoms among Chinese healthcare trainees, with a particular focus on the mediating role of burnout.
Methods:
A single-center cross-sectional survey was conducted among 241 Chinese healthcare trainees at a teaching hospital. Data were collected using a self-developed Internship Experience Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey (MBI-SS), and the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the hypothesized relationships, and mediation effects were tested using bootstrap procedures.
Results:
Internship experience was negatively associated with burnout, whereas burnout showed positive associations with anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression were highly correlated, and mediation analysis confirmed burnout as a significant intermediary linking internship experience and psychological symptoms.
Conclusion:
This study highlights the critical role of burnout in shaping the mental health outcomes of healthcare trainees, emphasizing the need for supportive educational environments to foster resilience and well-being.