Resilience and its relation to Alexithymia and personality traits in Egyptian medical students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background: Mental health issues among medical students are increasingly prevalent. Resilience, the ability to positively adapt in the face of adversity, is crucial for reducing psychological distress and enhancing overall well-being. About half of students in Egypt have low resilience. Alexithymia, the difficulty in identifying and describing emotions, alongside personality traits, influences resilience. This study aims to assess the level of resilience in medical students at Mansoura University and to explore the effects of alexithymia and personality traits on resilience. Methods: A uni-centre descriptive cross-sectional study with an analytical component was conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University from December 2023 to May 2024. A sample of 598 students was selected using a convenience method. Our survey consisted of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). IBM SPSS version 25 software was used for data analysis. Significance was set at p≤ 0.05. Results: Almost half of the students showed low resilience (50.8%). Alexithymia was present in 25.3%. Significant associations were found between resilience and gender (p = 0.003), academic program (p < 0.05), and alexithymia (p = 0). Multivariate analysis revealed that positive predictors of high resilience were high levels of extraversion [ AOR= 4; CI= 1.29 – 12.46; p= 0.02] and conscientiousness (AOR= 8.203; CI= 2.58 – 26.13; p= 0.00), while high neuroticism was a negative predictor of high resilience (AOR= 0.5; 95℅CI= 0.01– 0.22; p= 0.00). Conclusions: The majority of medical students exhibited low resilience, associated with higher levels of alexithymia and neuroticism and lower levels of extraversion and conscientiousness. Gender and the academic program also influenced resilience levels. Future research should examine the long-term relationship between resilience, alexithymia, and personality traits, and assess the effectiveness of resilience-building strategies. Strategies to enhance resilience and mental health programs are needed.