Combating Student Burnout With Internal Resources: The Effects of Psychological Capital and Perceived Social Support

Abstract

University success is often tied to student outcomes, creating broad incentives to support student success and retention; however, current interventions fall short in helping combat student burnout. This research explores how two improvable student characteristics—psychological capital and perceived social support—influence stress, burnout, and academic success. We surveyed 189 first-semester students who consented to sharing their grade reports. Moderated structural equation model testing revealed that psychological capital can directly reduce student burnout, improve academic performance, and buffer stressed students against burnout and that students with high perceptions of social support are less likely to experience potential stressors as stressful. As universities strive to support students’ well-being through university-driven supports, we see potential for students themselves to ameliorate this problem and discuss potential interventions to build psychological capital and perceived social support to improve students’ ongoing coping and energizing efforts and success and persistence within school and in workplaces post-graduation.