Horizon Nexus Journal | Vol.0
4
| Núm.01 | Ene
–
Mar | 202
6
| www.horizonnexusjournal.editorialdoso.com
ISSN:
3073
-
1275
1
Article
Academic Workload and Mental Health in Veterinary
Medicine Students: An Analysis from Higher Education
Carga Académica y Salud Mental en Estudiantes de Medicina Veterinaria: Análisis desde
la Educación Superior
Ronald Andreé
Vitonera
Rogel
1
,
*
,
Nathaly Ragde
Riofrío Romero
2
,
Ma
rlon Estuardo
Carrion Macas
3
,
Bernardo Patricio
Cordero Torres
4
and
Micaela Pilar Guzman Vera
5
1
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid y Universidad Técnica de Machala, Ecuador,
Machala;
https://orcid.org/0000
-
0002
-
5272
-
5551
2
Universidad Técnica de Machala, Ecuador, Machala;
https://orcid.org/0000
-
0002
-
2332
-
824X
;
nriofrio@utmachala.edu.ec
3
Universidad Técnica de Machala, Ecuador, Machala;
https://orcid.org/0000
-
0002
-
3242
-
8955
;
mecarrion@utmachala.edu.ec
4
SENESCYT investigador auxiliar 1: REG
-
INV
-
21
-
04997
;
https://orcid.org/0000
-
0001
-
9139
-
8672
;
bernardo.cordero@unmsm.edu.p
e
5
Universidad Técnica de Machala, Ecuador, Machala;
https://orcid.org/0009
-
0005
-
5589
-
7198
;
mpguzman@utmachala.edu.ec
*
Correspondenc
e:
rvitonera1@utmachala.edu.ec
https://doi.org/10.70881/hnj/v4/n1/92
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between
academic workload, mental health, and academic performance among
Veterinary Medicine students at the Universidad Técnica de Machala. A
cross
-
sectional study with a mixed
-
methods approach was conducted in 368
students using an online survey that included so
ciodemographic data,
indicators of academic workload, dimensions of the Maslach Burnout
Inventory
–
Student Survey, symptoms of anxiety/depression, and use of
psychological support services. More than half of the students reported
additional responsibilities
and dedicating up to 20 hours per week to out
-
of
-
class academic activities. Most participants indicated having experienced
anxiety or depression at least occasionally, with greater impact among
women and students in intermediate and advanced semesters. Ex
haustion
and cynicism were frequently reported, whereas academic self
-
efficacy
remained generally preserved. Awareness and use of institutional
psychological support services were limited, despite a high willingness to use
them. Qualitative responses highl
ighted the need for better distribution of
courses and assessments, more active and empathetic teaching
methodologies, and university spaces focused on rest and self
-
care. Overall,
the findings indicate that academic workload is associated with indicators
of
psycho
-
emotional distress and justify the implementation of curricular and
institutional interventions to promote well
-
being and prevent burnout.
Cit
ation
:
Vitonera Rogel, R
. A., Riofrío
Romero, N. R., Carrion Macas, M. E.,
Cordero Torres, B. P., & Guzman Vera, M.
P. (2026). Carga Académica y Salud
Mental en Estudiantes de Medicina
Veterinaria: Análisis desde la Educación
Superior.
Horizon Nexus Journal
,
4
(1), 1
-
19.
https://doi.org/10.70881/hnj/v4/n1
/92
Rec
eived
:
03/12/20
25
Revis
ed
:
12/01/20
26
Ac
cepted
:
13
/01/20
26
Publi
shed
:
1
4
/01/20
26
Copyright:
© 2026
by the
authors. This
article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the
Creative Commons
License, Attribution
-
NonCommercial
4.0 International (CC BY
-
NC)
.
(
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/
by
-
nc/4.0/
)
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Keywords:
academic workload; mental health; academic burnout; student
well
-
being.
Resumen:
El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la relación entre carga
académica, salud mental y rendimiento en estudiantes de Medicina
Veterinaria de la Universidad Técnica de Machala. Se realizó un estudio
transversal con enfoque mixto en 368 estudiantes, medi
ante una encuesta en
línea que incluyó datos sociodemográficos, indicadores de carga académica,
dimensiones del Maslach Burnout Inventory
–
Student Survey, síntomas de
ansiedad/depresión y uso de apoyo psicológico. Más de la mitad refirió
responsabilidades a
dicionales y dedicar hasta 20 horas semanales extraclase.
La mayoría reportó haber experimentado ansiedad o depresión al menos
algunas veces, con mayor afectación en mujeres y en semestres intermedios
y avanzados. El agotamiento y el cinismo aparecieron co
n frecuencia,
mientras que la autoeficacia académica se mantuvo globalmente conservada.
El conocimiento y uso de los servicios institucionales de apoyo psicológico
fue limitado, a pesar de una alta disposición a utilizarlos. Las respuestas
cualitativas señ
alan necesidad de una mejor distribución de asignaturas y
evaluaciones, metodologías más activas y empáticas y espacios universitarios
orientados al descanso y al autocuidado. En conjunto, los resultados
muestran que la carga académica se asocia a indicado
res de malestar
psicoemocional y justifican intervenciones curriculares e institucionales para
promover el bienestar y prevenir el burnout.
Palabras clave:
carga académica; salud mental; burnout académico; bienestar
estudiantil.
1.
Introduction
In recent decades, higher education has undergone transformations that go beyond the simple
transmission of technical knowledge, acknowledging the impact of psychosocial and well
-
being
factors on the educational process (Nahm & Chun, 202
1). In health sciences disciplines such as
Medicine, Nursing, and Veterinary Medicine, it has been documented that a high academic
workload, combined with pressure to acquire clinical and scientific competencies, generates
higher levels of stress than thos
e observed in other fields (Neubauer et al., 2024; Weston et al.,
2017).
In the specific case of Veterinary Medicine, students face a range of demands: long schedules,
the need to study multiple animal species, early exposure to disease and death, and inte
nsive
practical requirements (Özturk et al., 2021). Although these conditions strengthen their
professional preparation, they are associated with an increased prevalence of anxiety,
depression, and burnout symptoms compared with the general university popu
lation (da Silva
et al., 2023; King et al., 2024).
International literature reports that up to 40
–
45% of Veterinary Medicine students present
severe levels of stress, with greater impact on women and in the early semesters, where
academic and relational fa
ctors play a significant role (González et al., 2023; Humer et al., 2023).
The relationship between academic workload and mental health is direct: an excess of demands
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reduces satisfaction with studies, affects performance, and may lead to university dropo
ut (Chui
et al., 2023).
Furthermore, the stressors present during training extend into professional practice.
Veterinarians in active practice also report factors such as euthanasia, administrative demands,
and interactions with animal owners, which contri
bute to high rates of burnout and suicide risk
in the profession (Adin et al., 2023; Rocha, 2023). Therefore, analyzing academic workload and
its impact on mental health and performance during training is essential to implement early
interventions.
In this
context, the present study aimed to analyze the relationship between academic workload,
psycho
-
emotional distress, and perceived academic performance among Veterinary Medicine
students at the
Universidad Técnica de Machala
. Specifically, it sought to (1)
describe the
distribution of academic workload indicators and the three MBI
-
SS dimensions (emotional
exhaustion, cynicism, and academic efficacy) by gender and semester; (2) examine self
-
reported
symptoms of insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and depression, as w
ell as students’ perceptions of the
impact of academic workload on their mental health and performance; (3) identify the use of,
and unmet needs for, institutional psychological support and the main coping strategies
reported by students; and (4) explore,
through qualitative responses, students’ proposals
regarding curricular organization, teaching practices, and institutional conditions that foster
rest, recreation, self
-
care, and overall well
-
being. These objectives were intended to provide an
empirical b
asis for outlining critical areas for action in academic management and for designing
strategies aimed at promoting student well
-
being in veterinary education.
Academic Stress: Definition and Characteristics
Academic stress is understood as the emotional,
cognitive, and physiological response that
emerges when a student perceives that the demands of their environment exceed the resources
available to cope with them (Sousa, 2025). In Veterinary Medicine, this definition takes on a
particular nuance: it is no
t only about long hours of study or passing exams but also about the
emotional burden of working with living beings, assuming responsibility for animal welfare, and
living with the possibility of loss (Özturk et al., 2021).
The student learns not only anat
omy or physiology, but also to meet the gaze of a distressed
animal owner, to face real clinical situations, and, in some cases, to make difficult decisions
during hospital rotations. These experiences, although enriching, also generate cumulative
emotiona
l strain that is reflected in students’ stress levels (King et al., 2024).
Main Stressors in Veterinary Medicine
The literature converges in identifying multiple, closely intertwined factors that contribute to
stress among veterinary students.
Workload and evaluative pressure stand out, with intensive
schedules of theoretical classes, laboratory practicums, and constant assessments; many
students describe the feeling of “living to study” (Fauzi et al., 2021). Added to this is the concern
about c
linical and academic competencies, reflected in the insecurity of not knowing whether
they are learning enough to become safe and competent professionals in the future (Carlotto &
Gonçalves
-
Câmara, 2023). Economic factors also play a role, including the co
st of tuition,
materials, and transportation for off
-
campus practicums, which at times adds to family or work
-
related pressures (Hafen et al., 2023).
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The social and relational environment can either buffer or exacerbate stress, as interactions with
facult
y and peers may act as a protective factor or, conversely, become a source of tension (Lima
et al., 2021). Moreover, individual characteristics such as perfectionism, high levels of self
-
demand, and fear of failure are associated with higher stress levels
(Weston et al., 2017). These
factors rarely occur in isolation; rather, they tend to combine, creating a scenario in which
students perceive that they must perform at their best academically, practically, and personally.
Prevalence and Consequences
Studies
indicate that between 30% and 40% of veterinary students experience clinically
significant levels of anxiety and depression, with a higher incidence in women and in the early
years of training (González et al., 2023; Humer et al., 2023). This translates i
nto concrete
consequences, such as difficulties with concentration and memory, demotivation and loss of
interest in the degree program, and an increased risk of dropout or academic delay (Ribeiro et
al., 2024). In fact, behind each figure lies the story of
a student who, despite their vocation, feels
exhausted, questions whether they have chosen the right path, and faces the dilemma of
whether to persevere or give up (King et al., 2024).
Relationship Between Stress and Academic Performance
Academic stress b
ehaves like a double
-
edged sword. At moderate levels, it can act as a driving
force that motivates students to prepare better and stay focused. However, when stress
becomes chronic, cognitive blocks, fatigue, and errors in practical tasks begin to appear
(
Neubauer et al., 2024; Rochin Berumen, 2025).
It is not uncommon to hear students recount how, despite having studied for long hours, during
a practical examination with an animal they feel unable to recall what they have learned. This
illustrates how stre
ss is not only an emotional factor, but also a direct obstacle to academic
performance.
Protective Factors and Coping Resources
In the face of these challenges, several resources can make a significant difference. At the
personal level, strategies such as
maintaining regular sleep habits, engaging in physical exercise,
applying time
-
management techniques, and reserving spaces for self
-
care contribute to better
stress regulation (Nahm & Chun, 2021). Social networks are also key: having trustworthy
classmates
, family support, or participating in volunteer activities can strengthen a sense of
belonging and community (Lima et al., 2021). At the institutional level, universities that provide
psychological counseling services, offer balanced curricula, and impleme
nt active teaching
methodologies tend to foster greater student resilience (Mastenbroek & Van ’t Zand, 2023;
Sousa, 2025). These factors do not eliminate stress, but they help make it more manageable and
enable students to develop tools that will serve the
m throughout their professional lives.
Continuity of Risk into Professional Practice
A key aspect is that stress does not end with graduation. The veterinary profession, recognized
as one of the most vulnerable to burnout and suicide, demonstrates how stre
ssors experienced
during undergraduate training are projected and amplified in clinical practice: long working
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hours, economic pressure, difficult decision
-
making, and the emotional strain of euthanasia (da
Silva et al., 2023; Mastenbroek & Van ’t Zand, 20
23).
Therefore, strengthening mental health during university is not a luxury but a necessity.
Investing in student well
-
being programs, in faculty training for emotional support, and in
curricula that include socioemotional skills is a strategy that direc
tly impacts students’ quality of
life and the future of the profession (Lima et al., 2021).
2. Methodology
Design and approach.
A cross
-
sectional study with a mixed
-
methods approach (quantitative
–
qualitative) was conducted. The quantitative component was d
escriptive
–
relational in nature,
aimed at identifying the frequency and distribution of indicators of academic workload,
emotional exhaustion, cynicism, academic efficacy, and symptoms associated with anxiety and
depression. The qualitative component was e
xploratory, based on thematic analysis of open
-
ended questions to deepen understanding of students’ perceptions of academic workload,
mental well
-
being, and proposals for improvement in veterinary higher education.
Setting and period.
The study was carried out in the Veterinary Medicine program at the
Universidad Técnica de Machala
(UTMACH) in Ecuador during a regular academic term in 2025
and included students enrolled across all ten semesters of the program.
Population, sample, and sa
mpling.
The target population consisted of all students enrolled in
the Veterinary Medicine program at the Universidad Técnica de Machala. A non
-
probabilistic
convenience sampling strategy was used, with an open invitation extended to all course groups
thr
ough institutional virtual environments (virtual classroom and academic email). In total, 368
fully completed surveys were analyzed and considered valid for the study. Inclusion criteria
were: being an enrolled student, aged 18 years or older, and providin
g digital informed consent.
Exclusion criteria were incomplete or duplicate questionnaires; in the case of duplicates, the first
complete response was retained.
Instrument design.
A structured online survey was administered, composed of several sections.
T
he first section collected sociodemographic and academic data, including semester of study,
gender, additional responsibilities (such as employment, family care, or other duties), and
weekly hours dedicated to out
-
of
-
class academic activities. A second sec
tion addressed
perceived academic workload through questions on the volume of assignments, number of
assessments and practicums, out
-
of
-
class study time, and the students’ subjective perception of
their academic workload.
A third section focused on the dim
ensions of academic burnout, using items from the Maslach
Burnout Inventory
–
Student Survey (MBI
-
SS), organized into the three classic dimensions:
emotional exhaustion, academic cynicism, and perceived academic efficacy. Responses to these
items were record
ed using a Likert
-
type frequency scale. A fourth section assessed mental
health symptoms and their impact on performance, including items on the presence of
insomnia, extreme fatigue, and symptoms compatible with anxiety or depression, as well as
students’
perceptions of the impact of academic workload on their academic performance and
motivation toward the degree.
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A fifth section was dedicated to institutional psychological support, with closed
-
ended questions
on awareness, access, and use of psychologica
l support resources offered by the university, and
on students’ interest in receiving additional support or training in stress management and
mental well
-
being. The sixth section explored coping strategies through multiple
-
choice items
on the main strategi
es used by students to manage academic stress, such as social support,
physical exercise, time management, meditation, and psychological counseling, among others.
Finally, the instrument included two open
-
ended questions aimed at gathering students’
propos
als to improve the distribution of academic workload and teaching support, and to
strengthen conditions for well
-
being and mental health in veterinary training.
The content of the instrument was submitted to expert review by faculty members of the
academic
unit with experience in university teaching and student mental health, in order to
ensure the relevance, clarity, and coherence of the items. Subsequently, a pilot test was
conducted with a small group of students to verify comprehension, appropriateness
of language,
and response time, after which minor adjustments were made prior to the final implementation.
Data collection procedure.
The survey was implemented on an institutional digital platform and
disseminated through the official communication channe
ls of the program (virtual classroom
and institutional email). Participation was voluntary, anonymous, and non
-
remunerated. Each
student could respond only once; the platform incorporated basic controls to prevent duplicate
entries and to verify consistenc
y in form submission. Data collection was carried out over several
weeks of the academic term, until the number of responses was deemed sufficient for analysis.
Variables and measures.
The main quantitative variables included levels of emotional exhaustion
, academic cynicism, and
academic efficacy (corresponding to the MBI
-
SS dimensions), the self
-
reported presence of
anxiety and/or depression symptoms, insomnia, and fatigue, as well as the perceived impact of
academic workload on mental health and academic
performance. Descriptive variables
comprised semester of study, gender, additional responsibilities, and weekly academic hours
outside the classroom. The qualitative component was based on textual responses to the open
-
ended questions, which captured narr
atives on the experience of academic workload, mental
health, and proposals for improvement in veterinary higher education.
Data analysis.
Quantitative data were processed using descriptive statistics, with calculation of frequencies,
percentages, and measures of central tendency. Results were organized by semester and
gender, and tables and figures were generated to display the distribution of the sample, levels
of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and academic efficacy, the frequency of
anxiety and
depression symptoms and their perceived impact on performance, and the most commonly
used coping strategies.
Qualitative data from the open
-
ended questions were subjected to thematic analysis with an
inductive approach. The procedure involved
a thorough reading of all responses, open coding of
units of meaning (relevant phrases or segments), and the subsequent grouping of codes into
categories related to curricular organization and academic workload, the teaching role and
instructional methodol
ogies, psychological support resources and institutional well
-
being, and
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personal coping strategies. These categories were then synthesized into core themes that
allowed interpretation, from the students’ perspective, of the impact of academic workload on
mental health and on the overall educational experience. Additionally, for some open
-
ended
questions, a co
-
occurrence analysis of terms was applied, which made it possible to visualize
recurrent patterns and cluster proposals according to their relation to
the institution, faculty, or
the students themselves.
3. Results
Data analysis
For the analysis of the data obtained from the 368 surveys and their 21 questions, a quantitative
approach was developed that, on the one hand, considered Section 1, which
includes all
demographic data, and, on the other, the last question corresponding to Section 7, focused on
opinions and suggestions. For the remaining sections
—
except for Questions 19 and 20, for which
a co
-
occurrence analysis of terms from the open
-
ended
responses was conducted and later
summarized in a table
—
descriptive analyses were performed.
To meet the objectives of this research, a qualitative analysis was also carried out on the three
thematic dimensions of the MBI
-
SS (emotional exhaustion, cynicism
, and academic efficacy).
This analysis was complemented by the study of coping strategies used by students to manage
their emotional difficulties, as well as their personal assessment of the psychological support
services offered by UTMACH.
Quantitative:
frequencies and percentages
Regarding questions in Section 1, this report presents an exhaustive descriptive statistical
analysis based on data meticulously collected through the survey on academic workload and its
impact on the mental health and perfor
mance of Veterinary Medicine students. In this section,
the main characteristics of the categorical variables that proved most relevant and
representative in the study are described.
With respect to the distribution of the sample by semester, the highest p
ercentage of students
was enrolled in the first semester (19.02%), followed by the third (17.12%), second (10.87%),
and seventh (10.60%) semesters. In the subsequent semesters, a reduction in the magnitude of
these proportions was evident, as shown in Figu
re 1. Across all semesters analyzed, 57.3% of
participants reported having additional responsibilities outside regular class hours at the time of
the survey, as illustrated in Figure 2.
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Figure 1.
Surveyed semesters
Figure 2.
Students’
additional responsibilities
Source: A
uthors.
Regarding participants’ gender, the sample was predominantly composed of women (63.86%),
while men represented 35.60% of respondents. A minimal percentage of participants did not
provide
information about their gender, with an incidence of 0.54%, as shown in Figure 3.
In the analysis of weekly academic hours spent outside the classroom, which were similar in
both genders (Figure 4), 43.21% of students reported dedicating fewer than ten hou
rs per week
to extracurricular academic activities, whereas 40.22% indicated spending between 10 and 20
hours per week on such activities. A further 13.59% of the sample devoted between 20 and 30
hours per week to these activities, and only 2.99% reported
dedicating more than thirty hours
per week to academic work outside the classroom.
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Figure 3.
Students’ gender
Figure 4.
Weekly hours dedicated to academic activities outside class
Qualitative: thematic analysis of
open
-
ended responses
With respect to questions in Section 2, this parameter evaluates the level of both physical and
emotional deterioration associated with academic demands, considering variables such as the
frequency of exhaustion, the
perceived ability to manage workload, and the presence of
insomnia or fatigue. Interpretation of the results is closely linked to students’ capacity to cope
with academic workload by semester and gender, a variable that can be directly managed by
the Facul
ty of Agricultural Sciences at UTMACH. The most common perception is that students
“sometimes” feel capable of managing their academic workload, and this perception is more
pronounced among female students and from the fifth semester onward, as shown in Ta
ble 1.
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Table
1
.
Emotional exhaustion dimension (MBI
-
SS)
Semester
Gender
Sometimes
Frequently
Very frequently
Never
Rarely
1
Female
47.37%
15.79%
10.53%
7.89%
18.42%
1
Male
36.68%
13.33%
3.33%
13.33%
33.33%
2
Female
43.34%
10.00%
10.00%
3.33%
33.33%
2
Male
20.00%
20.00%
30.00%
30.00%
0.00%
3
Female
61.90%
7.15%
7.14%
2.38%
21.43%
3
Male
47.62%
9.52%
0.00%
14.29%
28.57%
4
Female
52.17%
26.09%
8.70%
0.00%
13.04%
4
Male
41.67%
16.67%
8.33%
8.33%
25.00%
5
Female
50.00%
0.00%
20.00%
30.00%
0.00%
5
Male
50.00%
50.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
6
Female
58.33%
4.17%
4.17%
0.00%
33.33%
6
Male
30.00%
20.00%
0.00%
20.00%
30.00%
7
Female
57.69%
15.38%
7.70%
0.00%
19.23%
7
Male
38.47%
15.38%
30.77%
7.69%
7.69%
8
Female
50.00%
33.33%
0.00%
5.56%
11.11%
8
Male
41.68%
8.33%
8.33%
8.33%
33.33%
9
Female
80.00%
0.00%
10.00%
0.00%
10.00%
9
Male
28.57%
28.57%
0.00%
0.00%
42.86%
10
Female
50.00%
21.43%
0.00%
7.14%
21.43%
10
Male
41.67%
16.67%
0.00%
16.66%
25.00%
Results related to questions in Section 3
This component explores demotivation, detachment, and the manifestation of anxiety or
depression symptoms among the student population. It was observed that detachment may be
associated with advanced semesters, pos
sibly due to the accumulation of academic workload.
Demotivation appears as a widespread phenomenon affecting various groups. The responses
“rarely” and “sometimes” are the most frequent, with the exception of the feeling of lack (Table
2). However, it is
important to note that, during the second semester, three out of eight
surveyed women reported feeling demotivated more frequently compared with men.
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Table
2
.
Cynicism dimension (MBI
-
SS)
Semester
Gender
Sometimes
Frequently
Very frequently
Never
Rarely
1
Female
26.32%
7.89%
2.63%
39.47%
23.68%
1
Male
33.33%
3.33%
0.00%
40.00%
23.33%
2
Female
26.67%
0.00%
6.67%
36.67%
30.00%
2
Male
70.00%
0.00%
0.00%
20.00%
10.00%
3
Female
28.57%
2.38%
0.00%
38.10%
30.95%
3
Male
9.52%
0.00%
4.76%
33.33%
52.38%
4
Female
26.09%
0.00%
4.35%
26.09%
43.48%
4
Male
25.00%
8.33%
0.00%
41.67%
25.00%
5
Female
20.00%
0.00%
0.00%
60.00%
20.00%
5
Male
50.00%
0.00%
0.00%
25.00%
25.00%
6
Female
20.83%
4.17%
4.17%
45.83%
25.00%
6
Male
40.00%
0.00%
0.00%
20.00%
40.00%
7
Female
7.69%
19.23%
3.85%
23.08%
46.15%
7
Male
30.77%
23.08%
0.00%
30.77%
15.38%
8
Female
5.56%
11.11%
11.11%
16.67%
55.56%
8
Male
33.33%
8.33%
0.00%
33.33%
25.00%
9
Female
30.00%
0.00%
0.00%
20.00%
50.00%
9
Male
14.29%
28.57%
0.00%
14.29%
42.86%
10
Female
42.86%
0.00%
0.00%
21.43%
35.71%
10
Male
33.33%
8.33%
0.00%
16.67%
41.67%
Results related to questions in Section 4
This section addresses the relevance of self
-
efficacy and students’ perceived
achievement in
meeting academic demands and resolving the challenges they face at university. Accordingly, it
examines students’ perceptions of their ability to meet academic requirements by semester and
gender. The results show that most students perceive
that they can meet these demands
“sometimes” or “frequently.” It was observed that male participants tend to report a higher
frequency of “very frequently” in their perceived ability to meet academic requirements
compared with the other gender, as shown i
n Table 3.
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Table
3
.
Academic efficacy dimension (MBI
-
SS)
Semester
Gender
Sometimes
Frequently
Very frequently
Never
Rarely
1
Female
44.74%
31.58%
18.42%
2.63%
2.63%
1
Male
30.00%
40.00%
23.33%
0.00%
6.67%
2
Female
50.00%
16.67%
23.33%
0.00%
10.00%
2
Male
30.00%
20.00%
30.00%
0.00%
20.00%
3
Female
30.95%
21.43%
30.95%
0.00%
16.67%
3
Male
33.33%
23.81%
28.57%
9.52%
4.77%
4
Female
43.48%
30.43%
13.04%
4.35%
8.70%
4
Male
16.67%
50.00%
33.33%
0.00%
0.00%
5
Female
50.00%
10.00%
20.00%
0.00%
20.00%
5
Male
50.00%
50.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
6
Female
41.67%
29.16%
16.67%
0.00%
12.50%
6
Male
20.00%
40.00%
20.00%
0.00%
20.00%
7
Female
38.46%
7.70%
7.69%
15.38%
30.77%
7
Male
30.77%
7.70%
15.38%
38.46%
7.69%
8
Female
38.89%
33.33%
22.22%
0.00%
5.56%
8
Male
33.33%
41.67%
16.67%
0.00%
8.33%
9
Female
30.00%
50.00%
10.00%
0.00%
10.00%
9
Male
42.86%
42.86%
14.28%
0.00%
0.00%
10
Female
35.71%
50.00%
14.29%
0.00%
0.00%
10
Male
25.00%
50.00%
16.67%
8.33%
0.00%
Results related to questions in Section 5
In contrast to students’ self
-
perception regarding their ability to meet academic demands by
gender, this section addresses the relationship between academic demands and the
development of stress, anxiety, or depre
ssive symptoms among students. Analysis of the
collected data reveals that most Veterinary Medicine undergraduates reported having
experienced symptoms of emotional distress while carrying out their academic activities. It was
observed that male students t
end to report a lower impact on their mental health compared
with their female peers, as shown in Table 4.
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Table
4
.
Feeling of anxiety or depression
Gender
Never
Rarely
Yes, sometimes
Yes, frequently
Female
3.83%
17.45%
52.34%
26.38%
Male
16.79%
23.66%
42.75%
16.80%
In this category, the perception and use of the psychological support resources offered by the
institution are evaluated. A significant proportion of respondents who selected the options “I
am not
sure” or “no” are either unaware of or do not perceive the existence of available
psychological support services. Only a minimal number of students confirmed the existence of
such support, suggesting a shortcoming in communication about the availability of
these
resources. Consistent with this, a substantial proportion of student responses indicate a
favorable inclination toward using support services, reflected in the answer “no, but I would like
to” to the question posed (Table 5). This finding reveals an
unmet need and an opportunity for
improvement for the institution.
Table
5
.
UTMACH resources for psychological support
Evaluation of the institution
Percentage
I am NOT SURE whether I am aware of psychological support
resources
50.50%
The university does NOT offer psychological support resources
39.70%
YES, I know that the university offers psychological support resources
9.80%
I have NOT used the psychological support offered by the university, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO
64.90%
I do NOT NEED the psychological support offered by the university
30.40%
YES, I need the psychological support offered by the university
4.70%
Results related to questions in Section 6
In this study, the evaluation of students’
self
-
efficacy and perceived achievement is addressed
with the aim of examining their capacity to meet academic demands and cope with the
challenges they face. Emphasis is placed on the importance of recognizing the emotions
experienced by the participants,
as well as on their learning of self
-
care strategies and the
strengthening of their own mental well
-
being through activities such as “physical exercise,”
“time management,” “meditation,” and, to a lesser extent, formally acknowledging that they
sought (po
ssibly external) “psychological assistance.” Taken together, these elements reflect
their resilience in the face of potential episodes of depression, anxiety, and stress (Table 6).
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Table
6
.
Strategies adopted for stress
management
Semester
Psychological
assistance
Friends/family
Physical
exercise
Meditation/Mindfulness
Time
management
Others
1
1.43%
40%
21.43%
4.29%
28.57%
4.28%
2
0%
45%
25%
0%
17.50%
12.50%
3
3.17%
44.44%
22.22%
4.77%
20.63%
4.77%
4
2.86%
57.14%
14.29%
2.86%
17.14%
5.71%
5
0%
28.57%
35.71%
14.29%
0%
21.43%
6
0%
41.18%
23.53%
5.88%
20.59%
8.82%
7
5.13%
33.33%
25.64%
12.82%
17.95%
5.13%
8
0%
30%
36.67%
6.67%
13.33%
13.33%
9
0%
47.06%
29.42%
5.88%
11.76%
5.88%
10
3.85%
19.23%
42.31%
3.85%
15.38%
15.38%
Co
-
occurrence of terms among questions in Section 7
In the final section on personal assessments and proposals for improvement, the data entered
for both categories consisted of open
-
ended text responses. Once the
information was
examined and a predetermined pattern of keywords was identified, which is presented in Box 1,
these terms were subdivided into three specific groups for better understanding: those related
to the institution, those involving faculty, and th
ose pertaining to the students themselves.
Box 1.
Summary of students’ open
-
ended responses
Related to the institution
-
Distribute courses more evenly across semesters, avoiding the clustering of the
most complex subjects.
-
Create spaces or zones for recr
eation, rest, and quiet.
-
Implement free psychological and emotional support programs within the
faculty or university.
-
Offer workshops and talks on time management, stress management, study
techniques, and healthy habits.
-
Include training in time manage
ment and study skills within the curriculum.
Related to faculty
-
Reduce the load of projects, assignments, and presentations, balancing them
with more practical activities and less unnecessary theory.
-
Coordinate exam and project dates to avoid
overload, especially during the
final weeks.
-
Decrease the volume of homework and graded tasks, being flexible with
deadlines while respecting class schedules.
-
Use more didactic, participatory, innovative, and outdoor teaching methods.
-
Demonstrate empathy, improve communication, and foster better treatment
of students.
Related to students
themselves
-
Manage their time better for assignments, studying, and rest activities; avoid
accumulating workload; and design more efficient schedules
and distribution of
tasks.
-
Participate proactively in sports, recreational activities, physical exercise, and
mental games.
-
Improve their relationship with faculty.
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However, with regard to the question about willingness to receive additional training
in stress
management and mental well
-
being, it can be inferred that this is consistent with individual
perceptions of a potentially widespread demand across semesters for further training in this
area, which appears to be driven mainly by women (Figure 5).
Figure 5.
Students’ willingness to receive additional training
4. Discussion
According to Humer
et al. (2023), their study determined that a higher percentage of veterinary
students exhibited clinically significant levels of mental health symptoms compared with the
general Austrian population (P < 0.05). A total of 55.3% of participants presented mo
derate
depression, 52.6% moderate anxiety, 20.9% insomnia, 79.3% elevated stress, 22.8% alcohol
abuse, and 38.6% eating disorders. Several factors were shown to be associated with these
conditions, including female sex, older age, low physical activity, hi
gh smartphone use, and a
desired specialization in small animal or wildlife medicine.
Regarding levels of professional burnout in a sample of 477 medical students from Istanbul
University, values of 13.31, 7.82, and 7.69 were observed for emotional exhausti
on,
depersonalization, and personal accomplishment, respectively. Academic year and engagement
in leisure activities were influential factors in burnout. Burnout was significantly associated with
the intention to drop out, mismatch between training and oc
cupation, and academic failure.
According to Öztürk et al. (2021), gender, living arrangements, and monthly income also
influenced the results.
Veterinary students experience graduation
-
related stress, with a significant effect by gender, as
women are more
likely to be affected. The determining factors, classified according to the Job
Demands
–
Resources (JD
-
R) model, included study requirements, preparation for professional
responsibilities, perceived deficiencies in knowledge, skills, and experience, fear o
f making
mistakes, and feeling unprepared to assume responsibilities. Educational resources, such as a
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positive environment, effective practical training, and free weeks, as well as personal resources
like a proactive mindset and acceptance of limitations
in knowledge, were effective in mitigating
stress (Zand, 2024).
The focus of the present study is grounded in the considerations reported by the
aforementioned authors. This work constitutes a solid basis for future research and educational
actions aimed a
t improving well
-
being and academic performance. To this end, various variables
were evaluated, such as perceived exhaustion, workload capacity, physical symptoms related to
academic stress, frequency of demotivation, academic efficacy, academic achievemen
t, impact
on mental health, use of psychological support, and stress management, among others.
Ethical considerations clause
The data collected will be treated with strict confidentiality, in accordance with the bioethical
principles of autonomy, beneficen
ce, non
-
maleficence, and justice. Participation is voluntary
and anonymous. By completing the digital form, the participant acknowledges having been
informed about the objectives of the study, the use of their data, and their rights as a research
subject i
n this study.
5. Conclusions
This study shows that academic workload in the Veterinary Medicine program at the
Universidad Técnica de Machala
is consistently associated with key indicators of psycho
-
emotional distress. A substantial proportion of students
combine intensive schedules of classes,
practicums, and examinations with additional responsibilities outside the classroom and a
considerable number of out
-
of
-
class study hours. This scenario translates into frequent levels of
emotional exhaustion, insomn
ia, fatigue, and symptomatology compatible with anxiety and
depression, which are particularly marked among women and in certain intermediate and
advanced semesters.
The three dimensions of the MBI
-
SS reveal a risk profile that cannot be overlooked: exhaus
tion
and cynicism appear with relative frequency, whereas perceived academic efficacy remains
generally preserved. This apparent balance suggests that many students manage to respond to
curricular demands, but at the cost of cumulative emotional strain tha
t may compromise their
well
-
being, their motivation toward the degree, and even their continuation in the program.
The findings also reveal a gap between the need for psychological support and its effective use.
Although a considerable proportion of studen
ts express interest in receiving professional help
and complementary training in stress management and mental well
-
being, awareness of existing
institutional resources is limited and their actual use is low. At the same time, coping strategies
focus mainly
on social support, physical exercise, and time management, which indicates the
presence of valuable personal and community resources, but also highlights the need for greater
visibility and coordination of the formal supports available.
Qualitative assessments reinforce these results by emphasizing, from the students’ perspective,
the importance of better organization of courses and assessments, more active and empathetic
teaching methodologies, and the existence of physical and curricula
r spaces focused on rest,
recreation, and self
-
care. In this sense, academic workload emerges not only as a matter of the
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quantity of content, but as a complex phenomenon involving curricular organization,
pedagogical practices, institutional conditions, a
nd the availability of resources for well
-
being.
Although the cross
-
sectional nature of the study and the use of convenience sampling limit the
generalizability of the results, the patterns observed are consistent with international literature
and provide
a solid empirical basis for understanding the interaction between academic
workload, mental health, and performance among Veterinary Medicine students. On the basis
of this evidence, critical areas for action in academic management and the design of strate
gies
aimed at promoting student well
-
being are outlined and further developed in the
recommendations section.
6. Recommendations
Based on the results, it is recommended that the Veterinary Medicine program at the
Universidad Técnica de Machala
undertake a
systematic review of the distribution of academic
workload across semesters, avoiding the simultaneous clustering of highly demanding courses
and assessments. It is necessary to improve coordination among course instructors in scheduling
exams and assignme
nts, and to consider the incorporation of curricular and extracurricular
spaces oriented toward rest, recreation, and the healthy use of free time within the university
environment.
At the institutional level, it is suggested to strengthen and make more vi
sible the psychological
support services available to students through clear and sustained dissemination campaigns, as
well as agile and confidential access mechanisms. Complementarily, it is recommended to offer
training programs in stress management, stu
dy techniques, time management, and self
-
care,
with particular emphasis on students in the health sciences.
From a pedagogical perspective, it is proposed to promote faculty development in active
teaching methodologies and socioemotional support, with the
aim of fostering more
empathetic, participatory, and humanized learning environments.
Finally, it is considered pertinent to follow up on this diagnostic process through longitudinal
and comparative studies that will allow the evaluation of the impact of t
he interventions
implemented on students’ mental health, well
-
being, and academic performance.
Author Contributions
:
Conceptualization, R.A.V.
-
R., N.R.R.
-
R. and M.E.C.
-
M.; methodology,
R.A.V.
-
R., N.R.R.
-
R. and M.E.C.
-
M.; formal analysis, R.A.V.
-
R., B.P.C.
-
T. and M.P.G.
-
V.;
investigation, R.A.V.
-
R., N.R.R.
-
R. and M.P.G.
-
V.; resources, M.E.C.
-
M. and B.P.C.
-
T.; writing
—
original draft preparation, R.A.V.
-
R.; writing
—
review and editing, R.A.V.
-
R.; visualization, N.R.R.
-
R. and M.P.G.
-
V.; supervision, B.P.C.
-
T. Al
l authors have read and agreed to the published version
of the manuscript.
Funding
:
This research did not receive external funding.
Acknowledgments:
The authors thank the Veterinary Medicine program of the
Universidad
Técnica de Machala
and the students w
ho participated in the survey for their valuable
collaboration.
Data availability statement:
The data are available upon reasonable request from the
corresponding author at
rvitonera1@utmachala.edu.ec
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18
Conflicts of interest
:
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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