Occupational Stress,Burnout,Anxiety,and Quiet Quitting Among School Counsellors: Positive Childhood Experiences as a Mediator

Abstract

School counselling is a profession characterised by high emotional demands, with occupational stress contributing to risk of burnout, anxiety, and withdrawal from work. This study examined the mediating role of positive childhood experiences in the relationship between occupational stress, burnout, quiet quitting, and anxiety among school counsellors. Participants were 390 school counsellors in Türkiye, aged 20 to 53 years old (M_age = 31.21 years, SD_age = 6.59 years; 60.8% female). Standardised psychometric scales were used to assess occupational stress, burnout, quiet quitting, anxiety, and positive childhood experiences. Mediation analyses indicated that occupational stress predicted burnout, quiet quitting, and anxiety. Most importantly, positive childhood experiences mediated these relationships. Specifically, higher levels of occupational stress were associated with lower levels of positive childhood experiences, which in turn were related to higher burnout. Greater quiet quitting, and increased anxiety. Findings imply the need to frame integrated policies to counter occupational stress and its psychological consequences among school counsellors and suggest the need to develop resilience to early childhood experiences.