Unpacking Profiles of School Burnout in High-Achieving Students in Türkiye: A MSEM Analysis.

Abstract

Although high-achieving students are often perceived as well-adjusted, there is limited understanding of the varied ways they experience school burnout. Prior research tends to treat burnout as a uniform phenomenon, overlooking subgroups that may differ in psychological risk and academic outcomes. This study addresses this gap by identifying distinct profiles of school burnout and examining their psychological and academic correlates in high-achieving adolescents, defined by their mean grade of 85 or above out of 100 and placement in the top 2%, which earned them admission to science high schools based on their performance on Türkiye's High School Entrance Exam (LGS). Participants included 443 students (225 females, 50.8%) aged 14 to 19 years (M = 15.9, SD = 1.11). Given the broad age range spanning early to late adolescence, developmental variability in academic expectations and emotional regulation is likely, which may influence how students experience burnout. Using Mixture Structural Equation Modeling (MSEM), in which latent profiles and structural pathways were estimated simultaneously, the study found that parental achievement pressure, self-oriented perfectionism, and socially prescribed perfectionism predicted fear of failure, which in turn negatively impacted grade point average. Both fear of failure and grade point average were significant predictors of burnout, with fear increasing burnout and grade point average serving as a protective factor. Latent Profile Analysis revealed three distinct student profiles: "Calm but Underachieving", "Burnout Under Pressure", and "Self-Driven High Achiever". Three-step regression analyses revealed that psychological symptoms varied meaningfully across profiles. Specifically, the "Calm but Underachieving" group had significantly higher odds of depression compared to the "Self-Driven High Achiever" group, despite reporting lower stress levels. Meanwhile, anxiety levels did not significantly differ across any profile, indicating that anxiety may be a more generalized emotional response among students regardless of their academic engagement. These findings underscore the importance of considering developmental differences and psychological risks unique to high-achieving adolescents. By identifying distinct burnout profiles, this study provides nuanced insights that address gaps in current understanding and support the development of targeted mental health interventions for high-achieving adolescents.