Impact of Family Cohesion and Adaptability on Academic Burnout of Chinese College Students: Serial Mediation of Peer Support and Positive Psychological Capital.

Jincong Yu,Xiaoqing Tang,Yuqin Wu,Jie Huang,Yifan Wang,Xuemei Tang

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767616

Jincong Yu, Xiaoqing Tang + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.767616

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Abstract

This study aimed to explore the association between the functioning of family environment (i.e., family cohesion and family adaptability) and academic burnout of Chinese college students as well as the mediating effects of the interpersonal resource (i.e., peer support) and intrapersonal resource [i.e., positive psychological capital (PsyCap)] in this relationship. A total of 1971 Chinese undergraduates were involved in an online questionnaire survey and data analysis. It was found that family cohesion and adaptability was negatively related to academic burnout. Mediation analyses demonstrated that family cohesion and adaptability did not directly affect academic burnout, but indirectly through increasing PsyCap (characterized by optimism, hope, resilience, and self-efficacy), and through enhancing peer support and then increasing PsyCap in serial. Meanwhile, the relationship between family cohesion and adaptability and academic burnout was not mediated by peer support alone. These findings highlight the family environment’s crucial role in youth mental health and positive development in the college context.

Highlights

Academic burnout is typically defined as a state in which students become emotionally exhausted due to academic demands, cynical toward study and school, and feel inefficacy as a student (Schaufeli et al, 2002; Kiuru et al, 2008)
Based on job demands-resources (JD-R) theory and conservation of resources (COR) theory, the present study aimed to examine the relationship between family cohesion and adaptability and academic burnout and to test the possible mediation roles of peer support and psychological capital (PsyCap) in their relationship
Family cohesion and adaptability were negatively related to academic burnout (r = −0.24, p < 0.01), and positively related to PsyCap (r = 0.41, p < 0.01) and peer support (r = 0.31, p < 0.01)

Summary

Introduction

Academic (or learning) burnout is typically defined as a state in which students become emotionally exhausted due to academic demands, cynical toward study and school, and feel inefficacy as a student (Schaufeli et al, 2002; Kiuru et al, 2008). It has been experienced by students of all ages and drawn the attention of the researchers. A survey among medical students found that burnout syndromes may become worse by year of schooling and lay at the root of professional burnout and job burnout, so chronic accumulation of burnout syndromes needs to be prevented at the earlier stage (Dyrbye et al, 2006)

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