Adolescents’ School Burnout: A Comparative Study between Italy and Switzerland

This study aimed to analyze and compare students’ school burnout levels in Switzerland and Italy. Previous research has confirmed that female and older students in particular are highly exposed to burnout risk. Nevertheless, few studies have observed this phenomenon through a cross-national comparison. Data on burnout were collected from a sample of 840 adolescents (Italian students = 497; Swiss students = 343) (Mage = 14.98; SD = 1.06; Female = 50%). Burnout was measured using the School Burnout Inventory, and cross-cultural measurement invariance was tested. The results showed that this burnout measure was equivalent between the Italian and Swiss samples. A multivariate analysis of variance was next conducted to investigate the effects of age, gender, and nationality. Results partially confirmed our hypotheses, showing the effect of age but not of gender in explaining burnout differences among students, and between and within-group variance. In particular, the burnout risk was found to be higher in late adolescence (age 16 to 18, M(exhaution) = 2.73; M(cynicism) = 2.99; M(Inadequacy) = 3.14) than in mid-adolescence (age 13 to 15 M(exhaution) = 2.95; M(cynicism) = 3.43; M(Inadequacy) = 3.54). Furthermore, Italian adolescents were more exhausted and cynical (M(exhaution) = 2.99; M(cynicism) = 3.26) than their Swiss peers (M(exhaution) = 2.52; M(cynicism) = 2.93) when controlling for age and gender. Findings suggest further investigation of the role played by educational and cultural values may be warranted.