Linking Burnout to Psychological Well-being: The Mediating Role of Social Support and Learning Motivation

BACKGROUND: University academic setting consists of specific life stressors such as burnout that influence a student’s psychological well-being. Previous literature has shown the role of social support and learning motivation, but little research is known about how these variables, of social support and learning motivation, can mediate the relationship. METHODS: We recruited 486 participants from three Chinese universities with an age range of 18–35 years. Measures in the study include Maslach Burnout inventory (MBI) for college students, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), motivation strategy learning scale, and psychological well-being by Ryff. Ethical approval was gained from the respondents. RESULTS: Findings suggest that social support plays a significant role in the link between burnout and subjective well-being. Indeed, the chain mediation model of social support and learning motivation significantly indicated the link between burnout and psychological well-being. These findings show that an increase in social support at an educational institute reduces the effects of burnout and enhances psychological well-being. CONCLUSION: The study indicates a sound interpretation of psychological well-being and reducing the level of burnout. Subsequent research has found that social support and learning motivation could be an essential variable in calculating the educational success and learning motivation of the students.