Do study-related and personal resources buffer the impact of study demands on academic burnout among university students?

This is poster has been presented in 2023 at the 37th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS) in Bremen, Germany.

Background: Academic burnout is an increasing problem in higher education as it is associated with low well-being and poor performance. According to the Study Demands-Resources model, academic burnout is the result of high study demands and low resources. Additionally, the model purports that resources mitigate the impact of study demands on academic burnout. This proposed buffering effect was investigated for study-related (perceived peer and teacher support) and personal (time management, reading comprehension, mindfulness) resources.

Method: Three cross-sectional online survey studies were conducted among university students in the Netherlands (Ns>232). The relevant concepts were measured by validated questionnaires. Data were analysed by moderation analyses containing hierarchical regression and simple slope analyses.

Findings: Multiple regression analyses showed that demands were positively (βs .16 to .65) and resources were negatively associated with burnout (βs .17 to .43). None of the added demands*resource interactions reached significance (ps>.103), indicating that resources did not function as buffers. Analyses focussing on emotional exhaustion the main dimension of burnout as outcome also showed no buffering effects of the personal resources (ps>.178), but weak buffering effects of the study-related resources (ps<.08). Simple slope analyses indicated that the effect of demands on exhaustion was diminished but not eliminated with increasing peer and teacher support.

Discussion: Only weak support was found for the buffering hypothesis. Assisting students to develop personal resources and creating a supportive learning environment might reduce academic burnout but is not sufficient to prevent academic burnout, as the impact of study demands persists. Universities are advised to also consider diminishing study demands.

Citation: Vollmann, M., Scheepers, R. A., & Hilverda, F. (2023). Do study-related and personal resources buffer the impact of study demands on academic burnout among university students? Poster presented at the 37th Conference of the European Health Psychology Society (EHPS), Bremen, Germany. doi: https://doi.org/10.25397/eur.24639552