Narcissus, exhausted: Self-compassion mediates the relationship between narcissism and school burnout

Abstract

Previous research has linked narcissism with work-related burnout; however, no extant research has explored the relationship between narcissism and school-related burnout. From the standpoint of social mentality theory, narcissism may stem from an overactive threat system and a maladaptive self-soothing system. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between narcissism, self-compassion, and school burnout in a large sample of U.S. college students. Narcissism was positively associated with school burnout. Narcissism had an indirect effect on school burnout through self-compassion, specifically through the over-identified and isolation components of self-compassion. Overall, the results are consistent with the notion that narcissism is associated with maladaptive threat and self-soothing systems and that these are associated with school burnout.