TYPE Original Research

PUBLISHED 26 May 2025

DOI 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517920

The relationship between stress

OPEN ACCESS and academic burnout in college
students: evidence from
EDITED BY
Francisco Manuel Morales Rodríguez,
University of Granada, Spain

REVIEWED BY
María del Mar Simón Márquez,
longitudinal data on indirect
University of Almeria, Spain
Enrique H. Riquelme,
Temuco Catholic University, Chile
effects
*CORRESPONDENCE
†
Jiawen Meng Jun Zhang , Jiawen Meng*† and Xin Wen*†
Mengjiawen@proton.me
Xin Wen Department of Education, Sehan University, Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do, Republic of Korea
wenxin6585@sehan.ac.kr

†
These authors share first authorship
Objective: This study primarily examines the mechanisms through which stress
RECEIVED 27 October 2024
ACCEPTED 30 April 2025
affects academic burnout.
PUBLISHED 26 May 2025 Method: A total of 428 university students from three undergraduate
CITATION institutions in China—Anhui Normal University, Tourism College of Zhejiang, and
Zhang J, Meng J and Wen X (2025) The
relationship between stress and academic
Bozhou University—were surveyed using the College Students’ Stress Scale, the
burnout in college students: evidence from Academic Burnout Scale, the Social Support Scale, and the Self-Esteem Scale.
longitudinal data on indirect effects.
Front. Psychol. 16:1517920.
Results: The results showed that stress significantly positively predicted
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517920 academic burnout among college students and significantly negatively
COPYRIGHT
predicted their perceived social support. Both social support and self-esteem
© 2025 Zhang, Meng and Wen. This is an independently mediated the relationship between stress and academic burnout,
open-access article distributed under the and also served as a sequential (chain) mediator in this relationship.
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License (CC BY). The use, distribution or Conclusion: Stress can influence academic burnout both directly and indirectly.
reproduction in other forums is permitted, When individuals experience stress, their response to academic burnout is
provided the original author(s) and the
copyright owner(s) are credited and that the not only directly affected by the stress itself, but also indirectly influenced by
original publication in this journal is cited, in two types of “psychological buffering resources”: internal resources (such as
accordance with accepted academic practice. self-esteem) and external resources (such as social support). We refer to this
No use, distribution or reproduction is
permitted which does not comply with these phenomenon as the “Dual Buffering Path Model of Academic Burnout.” Based
terms. on these findings, it is necessary for educational authorities to take effective
measures to reduce students’ academic stress. In addition, friends, family, and
teachers should offer emotional support, provide frequent positive feedback, and
reinforce students’ behaviors in order to foster their self-esteem and help them
cope with academic burnout.

KEYWORDS

stress, academic burnout, self-esteem, social support, indirect effects

1 Introduction
Academic burnout refers to a negative emotional experience that students encounter
during their learning process, characterized by a lack of enthusiasm, negative attitudes, and
disengagement from academic tasks (Lei et al., 2022). This issue has become increasingly
widespread among college students, exhibiting a high incidence and severity (Wang
et al., 2021). However, specific manifestations of academic burnout can vary among
students, highlighting its heterogeneity. Academic burnout not only affects academic
performance and progress but also exacerbates mental health issues such as anxiety
and depression, influencing personal career development and overall quality of life

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Zhang et al. 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517920

(Zhang L. et al., 2020). Research indicates a significant positive Stress theory suggests that individuals may experience a range
correlation between the academic stress faced by college students of physiological and psychological responses, such as anxiety,
and their level of academic burnout: the greater the stress an tension, and fatigue, when coping with academic stress. If these
individual faces, the higher the degree of academic burnout responses are not effectively alleviated or regulated, they can lead
(Richardson et al., 2012). In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic to the development of academic burnout. Conversely, academic
has had multifaceted impacts on students’ academic experiences burnout can exacerbate an individual’s stress burden, creating a
worldwide. First, the pandemic resulted in the temporary closure vicious cycle (Bakker et al., 2014). Some studies emphasize the
of schools and a shift from in-person to online learning. This importance of assessing the underlying mechanisms by which
sudden transition caused significant changes in the learning stress impacts academic burnout. This approach enhances our
environment and methods, which may have decreased learning understanding of stress’s influence on academic burnout and
efficiency and increased academic stress (Wang et al., 2020). provides guidance for effective intervention measures (Zhang
Second, students whose parents lost jobs due to COVID-19 may et al., 2019; Smith and Johnson, 2020b; Jones and Black, 2021).
experience diminished academic performance, leading to increased By exploring the relationship between stress and academic
academic burdens and feelings of anxiety (Brooks et al., 2020). burnout in depth, researchers can identify potential indirect or
Furthermore, social isolation during this period may exacerbate moderating variables. This knowledge can help formulate targeted
mental health issues, further affecting students’ learning and interventions that enhance college students’ abilities to cope with
concentration (Loades et al., 2020). Long-term academic burnout stress and prevent academic burnout. Furthermore, understanding
can lead to various adverse consequences, including psychological, the deeper mechanisms by which stress affects academic burnout
physiological, and social issues. Psychologically, academic burnout can assist in developing more effective prevention strategies. By
may result in emotional problems such as depression and anxiety identifying the sources of stress and the key factors related to
(Lim et al., 2016). Physiologically, it can impact sleep quality, academic burnout, schools and society can implement targeted
leading to disorders and fatigue, thereby reducing individuals’ life mental health education and provide counseling services. Based
satisfaction and sense of wellbeing. Socially, academic burnout on these insights, this study proposes Hypothesis 1: Stress can
may impair social functioning, causing declines in social skills, positively predict academic burnout.
intimate relationships, and interpersonal communication abilities.
Therefore, investigating the mechanisms that lead to academic
burnout among college students is essential. This understanding
can help enhance learning efficiency and quality, reduce negative 1.1 The indirect role of social support
emotions, improve mental health levels, and boost individuals’
self-confidence and self-efficacy. Social support refers to the resources individuals can access
Stress is a state of mental and physical tension that arises when to alleviate stress or solve problems when facing life challenges or
individuals perceive stressors from internal or external sources. It difficulties. This support can come from family, friends, colleagues,
typically manifests during the process of coping with challenges, communities, and other social groups, positively impacting
demands, or difficulties, triggering a range of physiological and individuals’ psychological and physical health (Holt-Lunstad et al.,
psychological responses (Zhang et al., 2024). Stress primarily affects 2015). For individuals, social support manifests in feelings of
three areas: cognition, emotion, and behavior (Smith and Johnson, being cared for, supported, and assisted by others during times of
2020a). Cognitively, individuals may experience confusion and distress. This, in turn, reduces psychological burdens and stress
difficulty concentrating. Emotionally, they may exhibit anxiety, while enhancing confidence and coping abilities. Academically,
unease, and mood fluctuations. Behaviorally, stress can lead to social support can be categorized into three dimensions: emotional
withdrawal, impulsive actions, or negative coping strategies. If an support, tangible support, and informational support. These types
individual remains in a state of stress for an extended period, it of support typically originate from members of an individual’s
can result in issues such as anxiety, depression, physical discomfort, social network, such as family, friends, and colleagues. They can be
and poor sleep quality. These outcomes can potentially increase expressed through emotional listening, understanding, providing
the risk of both psychological and physical illnesses, negatively practical help, or sharing information. Emotional support involves
impacting overall health (Zhang et al., 2024). A study on college emotional understanding and resonance provided by others;
students found a significant correlation between academic stress tangible support refers to material or actionable assistance; and
and academic burnout (Smith et al., 2020). When faced with informational support encompasses advice or information that
academic stress, college students often experience a lack of helps individuals solve problems. Research indicates that strong
motivation, low mood, and diminished interest in learning-all of social support can alleviate stress, reduce the incidence of anxiety
which are associated with academic burnout. This situation has and depression, and promote overall psychological and physical
been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, wellbeing. Conversely, insufficient or negative social support can
students not only had to adapt to new learning environments and have detrimental effects (Uchino, 2009).
methods (Wang et al., 2020) but also faced feelings of loneliness The impact of stress on social support is a complex process.
and helplessness due to social isolation and economic difficulties at Buffering theory posits that social support can mitigate the
home. These factors contributed to increased psychological stress negative effects of stress from external environments on individuals
(Brooks et al., 2020; Loades et al., 2020) and the emergence of (Uchino, 2009). This suggests that when individuals face stress,
academic burnout. obtaining adequate social support can alleviate its adverse

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FIGURE 1 FIGURE 2
The indirect effect of social support between stress and academic The indirect effect of self-esteem between stress and academic
burnout. burnout.

impacts and protect their mental health. Some studies indicate a comparisons generate negative emotions, the resulting stress may
negative correlation between stress and social support; in stressful cause the individual to feel insecure, helpless, and inadequate,
situations, individuals often become more withdrawn, reducing potentially lowering their self-esteem (Buunk and Gibbons, 2017;
their interactions with others and subsequently decreasing their Sowislo and Orth, 2013). Studies have found a negative correlation
social support (Zhang et al., 2024). between stress and self-esteem; students experiencing academic
Social support theory further asserts that social support stress often report more problems and difficulties related to self-
helps individuals cope with stress and adapt to life changes by esteem (Yan, 2023).
providing emotional, informational, and tangible assistance (Holt- The impact of self-esteem on academic burnout is a key
Lunstad et al., 2015). Research has identified a significant negative topic in psychological research. Social cognitive theory posits
correlation between social support and academic burnout: the more that an individual’s self-esteem influences their attitude and
abundant the social support, the lower the levels of academic confidence toward academic tasks. Those with lower self-esteem
burnout, which in turn enhances students’ academic performance are more likely to be affected by setbacks and failures, resulting
and mental health (Hu, 2025). These findings emphasize the in academic burnout. Conversely, individuals with high self-
crucial role of social support in alleviating academic burnout and esteem may be more motivated to face challenges and difficulties,
suggest that fostering a healthy social support network is beneficial thus demonstrating greater academic engagement and enthusiasm
for students in managing academic stress and maintaining (Pekrun et al., 2017). One study found a negative correlation
motivation. Consequently, this study proposes Hypothesis 2: between students’ self-esteem and academic burnout, indicating
social support plays an indirect role in the relationship between that lower self-esteem is associated with higher levels of burnout.
stress and academic burnout, as illustrated in the model Moreover, self-esteem is positively correlated with academic
in Figure 1. performance and engagement; the higher the self-esteem, the
better the academic outcomes and involvement (Liu Y., 2023).
Based on this, the current study proposes Hypothesis 3: Self-
esteem plays a mediating role in the relationship between
1.2 The indirect role of self-esteem
stress and academic burnout. The hypothesized model is shown
in Figure 2.
Self-esteem refers to an individual’s perception and evaluation
of themselves, including feelings and views about their abilities,
worth, and identity. It reflects one’s attitude and emotions toward
oneself (Mruk, 2019; Baumeister et al., 2019). The structure of 1.3 The chain of indirect effects of social
self-esteem is generally divided into two aspects: positive self- support and self-esteem
esteem and negative self-esteem. Positive self-esteem involves
favorable recognition and evaluation of one’s abilities and value, Social support can be defined as the extent to which individuals
whereas negative self-esteem includes unfavorable perceptions and perceive emotional, instrumental, and informational assistance
evaluations of oneself (Orth and Robins, 2014). Research has from others, such as family, friends, and colleagues. This support
shown that high levels of self-esteem are associated with better provides not only emotional comfort and encouragement but
mental health, more positive social relationships, and greater life also resources and information that can enhance self-confidence.
satisfaction, while low levels of self-esteem may lead to emotional Research has found a positive correlation between social support
problems, social difficulties, and mental health issues, potentially and self-esteem, indicating that perceived family support is
affecting an individual’s quality of life and life satisfaction (Kernis, closely linked to higher levels of self-confidence. In other words,
2018). Additionally, self-esteem is closely related to social support. individuals who perceive greater family support tend to have
Having strong social support can enhance self-esteem, thereby higher self-esteem (Hu, 2025). These findings underscore the
promoting mental health and social adaptability (Orth and Robins, significant impact of social support on self-confidence, suggesting
2014). that enhancing social support can lead to improved levels of self-
According to the self-evaluation theory, an individual’s level esteem. Based on this understanding, the present study proposes
of self-esteem is shaped by comparisons with others. When such Hypothesis 4: Social support and self-esteem play a chain of indirect

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2.2 Research tools

2.2.1 College student stress scale
The College Student Stress Scale, developed by Li and Mei
(2002), was used to assess the stress levels of college students. This
scale comprises three factors: academic distress, personal distress,
and negative life events, totaling 30 items. It employs a 4-point
Likert scoring system, where participants rate their responses from
0 (no stress) to 3 (severe stress). A higher score indicates greater
FIGURE 3
perceived stress at that moment (Zhang et al., 2024). In this study,
The indirect effects of social support and self-esteem between
stress and academic burnout. the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the scale was 0.96, indicating
excellent internal consistency.

roles in the relationship between stress and academic burnout, as 2.2.2 Academic burnout scale
illustrated in Figure 3. The Academic Burnout Scale for adolescents, developed by
Wu et al. (2010), was used to measure learning burnout among
college students. This scale consists of 16 items that assess three
2 Method dimensions: emotional exhaustion (e.g., “I feel very empty lately
and don’t know what to do”), academic alienation (e.g., “I feel that
2.1 Participants it doesn’t matter whether I study or not”), and low achievement
(e.g., “When studying, I forget everything around me”). Participants
A cluster sampling method was employed to select participants rated their responses using a 5-point Likert scale, with options
from 30 universities and colleges in Wuhu City and Bozhou ranging from 1 (not at all true) to 5 (very true). A higher total score
City of Anhui Province, and Hangzhou City of Zhejiang indicates greater severity of academic burnout experienced by the
Province, China. Ultimately, students from three universities— participants (Wu et al., 2010). Due to the heterogeneity observed in
Anhui Normal University, Tourism College of Zhejiang, and individual responses to the Academic Burnout Scale in Study 1—
Bozhou University—were selected to participate in the study. particularly concerning low achievement across the three groups—
The sample included all enrolled students from the first, second, this study focused only on the dimensions of emotional exhaustion
and third years. Fourth-year students were excluded from the and academic alienation. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the
study due to their off-campus internships. We strictly adhered scales incorporating these two dimensions was 0.89, indicating
to the relevant guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. The good internal consistency.
study officially commenced only after receiving approval from the
ethics committee responsible for reviewing this research. Since
this was a longitudinal study with data collection conducted at 2.2.3 Social support scale
3-month intervals, the first round of testing was carried out on The Social Support Scale developed by Xiao Shuiyuan was
May 16, 2023, during which 437 questionnaires were distributed utilized in this study. This scale includes three dimensions:
and collected; stress, as the independent variable, was measured objective support (e.g., “In the past, what sources of financial
in this round. The second round took place on August 19, 2023, support and practical help did you receive during emergencies?”),
with 442 questionnaires distributed and collected; data on the subjective support (e.g., “How many close friends can you rely
mediating variables, social support and self-esteem, were gathered on for support and help?”), and the utilization of social support
during this phase. The third round occurred on November 21, (e.g., “What methods do you use to seek help when you encounter
2023, with 433 questionnaires distributed and collected; academic distress?”). It comprises a total of 10 items, with 3 items in the
burnout, as the dependent variable, was measured. Before the objective support dimension, 4 items in the subjective support
formal survey, we explained the purpose and procedures of the dimension, and 3 items related to the utilization of social support.
study to all participants. Informed consent was obtained from For items 1–4 and 8–10, participants select one option, scored
each participant after ensuring that they fully understood the from 1 to 4 points. Item 5 offers five options (A, B, C, D, E) with
study. The formal survey was conducted in classrooms, where scores ranging from “none” to “full support,” recorded as 1–4 points
participants independently completed demographic questions and (1 point for “none,” 2 points for “very little,” 3 points for “moderate,”
questionnaires on stress, academic burnout, self-esteem, and and 4 points for “full support”). For items 6 and 7, if participants
social support. As this was a longitudinal study, we included answer “no sources,” they receive 0 points; if they indicate sources,
only those participants who completed all three rounds of they receive points equal to the number of sources mentioned (Jia
testing. Questionnaires from participants who were absent from et al., 2023). The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for this scale in this
any of the tests due to illness, leave, or other reasons were study was 0.97, indicating acceptable reliability.
excluded. After removing invalid responses, a total of 428 valid
questionnaires were retained. Among the valid participants,
109 (25.5%) were male and 319 (74.5%) were female; 347 2.2.4 Self-esteem scale
(81.1%) came from rural areas, and 81 (18.9%) were from The Self-Esteem Scale developed by Rosenberg (1965) was
urban areas. utilized in this study. This scale consists of a single dimension with

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TABLE 1 Differences in stress, academic burnout, social support, and

a total of 10 items, including 5 positively worded items (e.g., “I feel
self-esteem among university students by gender and household
that I am a person of worth, at least on par with others”) and 5 registration.
negatively worded items (e.g., “Ultimately, I tend to feel that I am
a failure”). A 4-point Likert scoring method was employed, where Dependent Independent F Sig t Sig
participants selected options ranging from 1 (very untrue) to 4 (very variable variable (two-
tailed)
true). The total score on the scale ranges from 10 to 40, with higher
scores indicating greater levels of self-esteem (Liu et al., 2017). In Stress Sex 8.63 0.00 −2.13 0.03

this study, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for this scale was 0.78, Academic 0.27 0.60 −1.22 0.22
reflecting acceptable reliability. burnout

Social support 2.00 0.15 −1.23 0.21

Self-esteem 8.53 0.00 0.44 0.65

2.3 Research procedure
Stress Household 6.37 0.01 0.63 0.52
registration
We utilized SPSS 25.0 software to analyze the means, Academic 0.03 0.85 0.43 0.66
standard deviations, and Pearson correlation coefficients of stress, burnout
academic burnout, social support, and self-esteem. Additionally, we Social support 2.91 0.08 −0.76 0.44
conducted confirmatory factor analysis using Mplus 7.0 to assess
Self-esteem 0.07 0.78 −1.52 0.12
the internal structural validity of the questionnaires, ensuring that
there were no missing data. After confirming that the structural
validity indicators for the stress, academic burnout, social support,
and self-esteem questionnaires fit reasonably, we constructed a gender, with respect to stress, academic burnout, social support,
structural equation model to verify the validity of the chain of and self-esteem. The analysis revealed no significant differences
indirect effects model. Our research proceeded in two steps. In between boys and girls in terms of academic burnout (t = −1.22,
the first step, we treated stress as the independent variable and p > 0.05), social support (t = −1.23, p > 0.05), and self-esteem (t
academic burnout as the dependent variable to test for a significant = 0.44, p > 0.05). However, a significant difference was found in
direct effect of stress on academic burnout. In the second step, stress scores (t = −2.13, p < 0.05).
we examined the independent indirect effects and the chain of When comparing urban and rural college students, there were
indirect effects of social support and self-esteem between stress no significant differences in stress (t = 0.63, p > 0.05), academic
and academic burnout, with stress as the independent variable and burnout (t = 0.43, p > 0.05), social support (t = −0.76, p > 0.05),
academic burnout as the dependent variable. or self-esteem (t = −1.52, p > 0.05), as shown in Table 1.
For evaluating the fit of the structural model, we used the We also employed one-way ANOVA to analyze differences in
fit indices proposed by Wen et al. (2004) and Brown (2015). stress, academic burnout, social support, and self-esteem across
Specifically, the model is considered to fit well if RMSEA < 0.1, different grade levels. This analysis revealed significant differences
SRMR < 0.1, TLI > 0.9, and CFI > 0.9 (Zhang et al., 2024; Brown, in stress scores among students of varying grades (F = 3.99, p
2015). < 0.05), but no significant differences were observed in academic
burnout (F = 0.09, p > 0.05), social support (F = 1.54, p > 0.05),
or self-esteem (F = 0.69, p > 0.05), as detailed in Table 2. Finally,
3 Results the means, standard deviations, and correlation matrices for each
variable are presented in Table 3.
3.1 Control and testing for common
method bias

This study employed various measurement tools, all utilizing 3.3 Construction and testing of the
self-report formats to collect data. Consequently, it is essential to structural equation model
verify the presence of common method bias. We conducted a factor
analysis using Harman’s single-factor method, which extracted a In this study, we utilized the stress scale, social support scale,
total of 11 factors with eigenvalues >1, explaining 67.13% of the and academic burnout scale, each comprising a substantial number
total variance. The first principal factor accounted for 32.08% of of items. Direct modeling could potentially compromise the quality
the variance, which is below the critical threshold of 40% (Zhang of the indicator data and the true structure of the model. To address
et al., 2024). This finding indicates that common method bias is not this, we employed an item-packaging method for modeling (Zhang
an issue in this study. et al., 2024). Additionally, we included gender, age, and household
registration as control variables in our analysis, as these factors were
significantly correlated with other study variables. Firstly, we tested
3.2 Descriptive statistics and correlation whether stress could directly predict academic burnout. The results
analysis indicated that stress significantly and positively predicted academic
burnout (β = 0.50, p < 0.001), with good model fit indices: RMSEA
We used independent samples t-tests to examine the differences = 0.00, SRMR = 0.00, TLI = 1.00, CFI = 1.00. Next, we constructed
in demographic variables, including household registration and a structural equation model with stress as the independent variable,

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TABLE 2 Differences in stress, academic burnout, social support, and self-esteem among college students of different grades.

Dependent Source of Independent Sum of Degrees of Mean F Sig

variable variation variable squares freedom square (two-tailed)
Stress Inter-group Grade 1,752.00 2 876.00 3.99 0.01

Intra-group 93,240.67 425 219.39

Academic burnout Inter-group 14.65 2 7.32 0.09 0.90

Intra-group 31,471.18 425 74.05

Social support Inter-group 186.54 2 93.27 1.54 0.21

Intra-group 25,620.17 425 60.28

Self-esteem Inter-group 23.10 2 11.55 0.69 0.50

Intra-group 7,089.35 425 16.68

TABLE 3 Mean, standard deviation, and correlation coefficients of

include zero, confirming the significance of these effects. Therefore,
variables.
hypotheses 1, 2, 3, and 4 of this study are supported, as detailed in
Variable 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Table 4.
1. Sex 1

2. Grade 0.00 1
4 Discussion
3. Household 0.02 −0.05 1
registration
This study found that stress significantly predicts academic
4. Stress 0.10∗ 0.12∗ −0.03 1 burnout, thereby validating Hypothesis 1. The stress-adaptation
5. Academic 0.13∗∗ 0.04 −0.05 0.55∗∗ 1 model suggests that an individual’s adaptation process consists
burnout of three stages: coping and regulation, restoring balance, and
6. Social 0.06 0.03 0.03 −0.26∗∗ −0.30∗∗ 1 learning and growth. During the coping and regulation stage,
support individuals employ various strategies to manage stress. In the
7. Self-esteem −0.02 −0.05 0.07 −0.45∗∗ −0.49∗∗ 0.40∗∗ 1 restoring balance stage, they seek to regain internal and external
equilibrium. Finally, in the learning and growth stage, individuals
M 1.75 1.13 1.19 23.60 22.26 36.52 27.92
enhance their coping abilities through experience and reflection,
SD 0.43 0.42 0.39 14.91 6.59 7.77 4.08 better preparing themselves for future challenges (McEwen, 2017).
N = 428. Following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many families
∗ p < 0.05, ∗∗ p < 0.01.
faced numerous stressors, including health panic, social isolation,
economic uncertainty, job loss, strained family relationships,
and information overload (Brooks et al., 2020; Rajkumar, 2020;
social support and self-esteem as indirect variables, and academic Shigemura et al., 2020). The stress experienced by individuals can
burnout as the dependent variable. This model also demonstrated transfer to family members, resulting in increased tension, conflict,
good fit indices: RMSEA = 0.06, SRMR = 0.04, TLI = 0.94, CFI and emotional volatility within the household (Prime et al., 2020;
= 0.95. In the indirect effects model, stress positively predicted Spinelli et al., 2020; Taubman-Ben-Ari et al., 2020). For students,
academic burnout (β = 0.43, p < 0.001) and negatively predicted prolonged isolation has led to heightened academic pressures,
both social support (β = −0.35, p < 0.001) and self-esteem (β = cancellations or delays of exams, lack of face-to-face interactions
−0.31, p < 0.001). Conversely, social support positively predicted with classmates, inadequate learning resources, and unfavorable
self-esteem (β = 0.42, p < 0.001) and negatively predicted academic home environments (Cao et al., 2020; Elmer et al., 2020; Zhang
burnout (β = −0.16, p < 0.05). Notably, self-esteem also positively et al., 2020a). Therefore, it is crucial to examine the relationship
predicted academic burnout (β = 0.28, p < 0.001). For detailed between academic burnout, the sources of stress, and coping
results, see Figure 4. strategies. Stress can disrupt cognitive functions and learning
We employed bootstrap resampling with 1,000 iterations to processes, resulting in difficulties in learning and decreased
test the chain of indirect effects, using a 95% confidence interval. efficiency, which ultimately contribute to academic burnout (Kong
The results indicated that both social support and self-esteem had et al., 2019). Additionally, emotional and psychological responses
significant indirect effects between stress and academic burnout, to stress in educational contexts—such as negative emotions and
with a total indirect effect of 0.06. Specifically, the pathway effects anxiety—can impact students’ motivation and engagement, leading
were as follows: stress → social support → academic burnout to a loss of interest in their studies. This, in turn, results in
(0.02 [0.00–0.05]), stress → self-esteem → academic burnout negative academic behaviors and avoidance, further contributing
(0.03 [0.01–0.05]), and stress → social support → self-esteem to academic burnout (Zhang et al., 2020b). In China, despite
→ academic burnout (0.01 [0.00–0.03]). Notably, all three indirect educational authorities advocating for quality education, exam
pathways had bootstrap 95% confidence intervals that did not results remain the primary criterion for evaluating students. The

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FIGURE 4
The relationship between stress and academic burnout: the indirect effects of social support and self-esteem. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001.

TABLE 4 Bootstrap analysis of significance testing for indirect effects.

suggesting that those with robust social support systems are better
equipped to manage life’s stressors (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2017).
Intermediary path Effect 95% confidence
size interval Social support can alleviate stress, improve mental health, enhance
coping abilities, and promote psychological adjustment (Cohen
Lower Upper
limit limit and Janicki-Deverts, 2012; Uchino, 2009). Internally, it provides
emotional backing and understanding, which reduces negative
Stress → Social Support → 0.02 0.00 0.05
Academic Burnout emotions and anxiety while boosting self-esteem and confidence
(Zhen et al., 2014). Externally, social support facilitates access
Stress → Self-Esteem → 0.03 0.01 0.05
Academic Burnout
to information and resources, enabling individuals to effectively
tackle academic challenges, thereby mitigating academic stress and
Stress → Social Support → 0.01 0.00 0.03
Self-Esteem → Academic
reducing the risk of academic burnout (Liu et al., 2020). However,
Burnout research indicates that an increasing number of Chinese students
are becoming addicted to video games, leading to greater social
isolation (Zhang and Wang, 2010). This trend negatively impacts
their levels of social support. Consequently, it is essential for
pressure from schools and parents often leads to various forms of schools and families to emphasize the dangers of excessive video
extracurricular learning, overwhelming many students with stress game use and to limit the time children spend playing them.
and prompting some to drop out (Pan, 2014). Our study confirms This study confirmed the indirect role of self-esteem in
that increased stress levels positively predict academic burnout, the relationship between stress and academic burnout, thereby
indicating that rising stress can negatively affect children’s interest validating Hypothesis 3. Self-esteem theory suggests that an
in learning. This underscores the need for Chinese educational individual’s self-evaluation influences their engagement and effort
institutions and families to address this issue by appropriately in academic pursuits. Higher self-esteem boosts confidence and
reducing academic stress on children. motivation toward learning, making individuals more willing to
This study confirmed the indirect effect of social support face challenges and maintain a positive attitude, ultimately reducing
between stress and academic burnout, validating Hypothesis 2. the likelihood of academic burnout. Conversely, lower self-esteem
Social support theory posits that support from social networks and can lead to self-doubt, diminishing engagement and motivation
interpersonal relationships can significantly enhance an individual’s in academic settings, which increases the risk of burnout (Orth
psychological and physiological health when facing stress and and Robins, 2013). The development of self-esteem is shaped by
challenges. This support encompasses emotional assistance (such both internal factors—such as cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
as comfort and understanding), informational guidance (such aspects—and external influences, including social environments
as advice and resources), and tangible help (such as material and others’ evaluations (Orth and Robins, 2014). While self-
support). The theory underscores the importance of interpersonal esteem levels can fluctuate based on individual experiences and
relationships in fostering individual adaptability and coping skills, changes in social contexts, they tend to remain relatively stable and

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Zhang et al. 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517920

exert a lasting impact on resilience and confidence (Miao et al., although we conducted three waves of longitudinal data collection,
2020). High self-esteem correlates positively with psychological we chose a three-month interval based on the practices of other
wellbeing, adaptability, and lower levels of anxiety and depression, researchers. However, this interval may not adequately capture
as well as with positive social interactions, greater life satisfaction, changes in psychological states and might not fully reflect the actual
and happiness (Orth and Robins, 2014). Individuals with high circumstances of the participants.
self-esteem are generally better equipped to cope with stress, Despite these limitations, this research supports the theories of
effectively reducing negative emotions and anxiety (Chang et al., self-esteem, social support, and the stress-adaptation model, while
2019). They are also more likely to establish positive goals and also applying these theories in empirical contexts. Furthermore, the
coping strategies, enabling them to tackle academic challenges, use of longitudinal data enhances the credibility of our findings.
alleviate stress, and reduce the risk of burnout (Zhou et al., By constructing a structural equation model, we explored the
2021). In China, many parents feel anxious about their children’s mechanisms through which stress influences academic burnout,
academic performance (Meng, 2021) and often seek to improve contributing valuable insights to the theoretical and empirical
grades through after-school tutoring. However, this approach understanding of the relationship between these two factors.
can yield mixed results (Liu and Wang, 2018). If parents and
teachers focus on reducing academic stress during the educational
process and emphasize fostering self-esteem alongside encouraging 6 Conclusion
independent learning, it could lead to more beneficial outcomes
for students. Stress can both directly and indirectly predict academic
This study found that social support and self-esteem play burnout. Academic burnout is not only directly influenced by
a chain-mediating role in the relationship between stress and stress but also indirectly affected by two types of “psychological
academic burnout, thus supporting Hypothesis 4. According to buffering resources”—internal resources (such as self-esteem) and
the buffering hypothesis of social support, social support can external resources (such as social support). We refer to this
serve as a “buffer” when individuals encounter stress. Such phenomenon as the “Dual-Buffering Pathway Model of Academic
positive experiences of support help individuals gain a sense of Burnout.” In China, schools and parents have long placed a strong
value and wellbeing, thereby enhancing their self-esteem (Cohen emphasis on students’ academic performance, often setting overly
and Wills, 1985; Marshall et al., 2014). Individuals with high high expectations during the educational process. This immense
levels of self-esteem tend to exhibit stronger self-efficacy and pressure may contribute to heightened academic burnout among
greater enthusiasm for learning, which in turn reduces levels students. Therefore, both school and family education in Chinese
of academic burnout (Liu T., 2023). Social support can offer society should pay greater attention to students’ inner thoughts,
emotional validation and attachment, provide information and abandon the practice of using academic performance as the sole
feedback, and alleviate psychological burdens when individuals evaluation criterion, and focus on the holistic development of
face challenges and stress, thus promoting and maintaining a students’ abilities. Encouraging children to develop their strengths
sense of self-worth, reducing academic burnout, and supporting based on their interests, and providing them with consistent
students’ academic achievement and mental health (Ginns et al., affirmation, support, and understanding during their growth
2021; Reevy and Deason, 2014). Unlike previous studies, this process, can be effective in alleviating academic burnout.
research found that self-esteem could positively predict academic
burnout, which may be attributed to unstable self-esteem. Unstable
Data availability statement
self-esteem can impair individuals’ psychological adaptability to
stress, thereby contributing to academic burnout (Zeigler-Hill
The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be
and Wallace, 2012; Gao, 2014). These findings suggest that
made available by the authors, without undue reservation.
the mechanism by which stress affects academic burnout is
complex. To improve students’ academic burnout levels, we
should address the root causes by reforming current educational Ethics statement
policies—academic performance should not be the sole criterion
for admission to prestigious schools but rather one component We confirm that all research protocols have been reviewed
of a comprehensive evaluation system. Additionally, both schools and approved by the Ethics Committee of Tourism College of
and families should proactively reduce academic pressure, avoid Zhejiang (Reference Number: ZT83682900). The studies were
assigning extra-curricular tutoring beyond regular schoolwork, conducted in accordance with the local legislation and institutional
encourage students to engage more in social interactions, and requirements. The participants provided their written informed
work on enhancing their self-esteem, ultimately helping to alleviate consent to participate in this study.
academic burnout.

Author contributions
5 Limitations and implications
JZ: Methodology, Project administration, Writing – original
We acknowledge several limitations in this study. First, our draft, Writing – review & editing. JM: Supervision, Project
sample size of 428 participants is relatively small, which may affect administration, Resources, Writing – original draft. XW: Data
the generalizability of our findings to other populations. Second, curation, Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – original draft.

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Zhang et al. 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1517920

Funding Generative AI statement

The author(s) declare financial support was received for The author(s) declare that no Gen AI was used in the creation
the research and/or publication of this article. This paper was of this manuscript.
supported by the Sehan University Research Fund in 2025.

Acknowledgments
Publisher’s note
We thank Jiawen Meng for her translation work.
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the
Conflict of interest authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated
organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or
absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or
construed as a potential conflict of interest. endorsed by the publisher.

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