The Role of Emotional Intelligence, Academic Burnout, and Alexithymia in Shaping Academic Outcomes for Dental Students

Background This study investigated the relationships among emotional intelligence, academic burnout, and alexithymia in predicting academic achievement among dental students. Academic performance is crucial for career advancement and self-confidence in clinical practice. Previous research has linked alexithymia to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety, suggesting that emotional intelligence and burnout may also significantly influence academic outcomes. This study aims to address the limited research in this area. Methods This cross-sectional study at Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2023 involved 113 dental students in their fifth semester or later. Participants completed demographic information and standardized questionnaires: the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Burnout Clinical Survey (BCSQ-12-SS), and Goleman’s Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS (version 21) for descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, and multiple linear regression to identify predictors of academic performance, with a significance level of p < 0.05. Results The results revealed that male students had significantly greater average scores for alexithymia (M = 61.23, SD = 11.71) and academic burnout (M = 41.35, SD = 8.66) than female students did (alexithymia: M = 58, SD = 11.74; burnout: M = 39.88, SD = 9.22) (p < 0.05). The strongest correlation was found between alexithymia scores and emotional intelligence dimensions, particularly social skills (r = 0.361, p = 0.001). However, regression analysis indicated that none of the variables significantly predicted academic performance (p > 0.05). Conclusions The findings underscore the complex interplay between emotional intelligence, academic burnout, and alexithymia in academic achievement. Significant gender differences highlight the need for targeted interventions for male students. Despite the observed correlations, the lack of significant predictors for GPA suggests that further research is needed to explore additional psychological factors influencing academic success and to develop comprehensive assessment tools beyond traditional GPA metrics.