Empathy and psychological concerns among medical students in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective: Being in direct contact with COVID-19 patients for long periods increases the risk of infection among frontline workers. The purpose of this study was to identify levels of empathy and psychological concern among medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted among medical interns divided into two groups: those who worked on the frontline (n = 87) and those who did not (n = 63) during the COVID pandemic. The students completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire. Results: The majority of respondents were women (70.7%), and the mean age was 25.45 ± 3.93 years. In unadjusted analyses, those who worked with COVID-19 patients had a higher level of empathy, stress, burnout symptoms, and depressive symptoms. In the logistic regression analyses, students who worked on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic had a higher level of empathy (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.16-1.14), higher perceived stress levels (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.05-1.39), and greater burnout symptoms (OR: 1.19; 95% CI: 1.10-1.30). Conclusion: Medical students in the internship period who worked on the frontline during the COVID-19 pandemic had more psychological concerns and higher levels of empathy compared to those who did not work on the frontline.