Exploration du burn-out et du surengagement académique dans un échantillon d’étudiants

Abstract

Objectifs

L’objectif principal était d’explorer les taux d’étudiants à risque de burn-out et de surengagement académique, et de mettre en avant les liens entre ces variables et des variables liées aux études et psychologiques.

Méthode

Notre échantillon était composé de 320 étudiants, âgés de 18 à 60 ans (M = 23,2 ; DS = 7) dont 88 % de femmes (n = 282). Ils ont complété plusieurs échelles sur Internet explorant le surengagement, le burn-out et des variables sociodémographiques, liées aux études (stress, satisfaction) et psychologiques (estime de soi, coping, traits de personnalité).

Résultats

Une proportion importante de participants était à risque de surengagement (21 %) et à risque modéré ou sévère de burn-out (27 %). Une corrélation significative a été observée entre le burn-out et le surengagement (r = 0,24) et entre ces variables et les autres variables étudiées. Les variables satisfaction et stress expliquaient 21,2 % de la variance du burn-out. Le stress et le perfectionnisme expliquaient le surengagement et un effet de médiation du stress entre le surengagement et le burn-out a été observé.

Conclusion

Nos résultats appuient l’origine multifactorielle du burn-out et mettent en avant des liens particuliers entre burn-out et surengagement. Cette recherche exploratoire souligne l’importance de considérer ces deux problématiques chez les étudiants.

Objectives

Few studies have been conducted on burnout or workaholism among students. In France, 45% of the student population are affected by burnout (Dyrbye et al., 2006), it is then a major concern to make further investigations on the variables and mechanisms which play out in this syndrome, among the student population. The main objective of this research was to investigate the rate of students who were at risk of burnout and academic workaholism, and to highlight the relationships between them and with studies-related and psychological variables. Providing new data about burnout among the student population should help to develop appropriate prevention strategies.

Method

Our sample consisted of 320 university students, aged between 18 and 60 (M = 23.2; SD = 7), and including 88% of women (n = 282). Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing academic workaholism and burnout, as well as sociodemographic, studies-related (student stress, studies satisfaction), and psychological variables (self-esteem, clusters of personality, perfectionism, coping strategies).

Results

An important proportion of participant was at risk of academic workaholism (21%) and of moderate or severe burnout (27%). A significant correlation has been found between burnout and academic workaholism (r = 0.24). Among the participants who were at risk of burnout (n = 87), 19% (n = 16) showed signs of academic workaholism. In addition, significant relationships have been found between burnout and student stress (r = 0.43), perfectionism (r = 0.28), academic satisfaction (r = −0.26), each clusters of personality: cluster C (r = 0.25), cluster B (r = 0.24), cluster A (r = 0.20), self-esteem (r = 0.24), maladaptive coping strategies (r = 0.19) and years of education (r = 0.13). Academic workaholism was significantly correlated to perfectionism (r = 0.45), student stress (r = 0.42), age (r = 0.26), adaptive coping strategies (r = 0.25), years of education (r = 0.18), cluster C (r = 0.18) and self-esteem (r = 0.15). Regression analysis suggested that burnout scores were mostly explained by academic satisfaction and student stress, which explained 21.3% of the burn-out scores. Workaholism was mostly explained by perfectionism, which explained 20% of the workaholism scores, and student stress, which explained 18% of these scores. A mediation analysis highlighted the mediator role of student stress on the relationship between academic workaholism and burnout.

Conclusion

Our results support the multifactorial origin of burnout and highlight specific relationships between burnout and academic workaholism. Women had significantly higher scores than men in academic workaholism, which could be explained by a gendered socialization process. It is suggested that women need to provide overcommitment in order to prove their abilities at work (Martin, 1998). Our results also showed that students become more at risk for burnout as they progress in their years of education, and that a low level of academic satisfaction was a risk factor for burnout. Academic stress appeared as a significant mediator, suggesting that workaholism generates anxiety that leads to burnout. However, this relationship could also be influenced by other variables. Our results support the correlation between burnout and perfectionism and also suggest that a high level of perfectionism is a risk factor for burnout. This explorative study highlights the importance of considering these issues among students. Cognitive behavioral therapies seem to be an appropriate answer to these issues, as for addictive behaviors in general. Encouraging non-pathological academic commitment, by working on the identification of academic motives, risk and protective factors might help preventing and treating burnout and academic workaholism. This work should be completed with studies focusing on the relationship between those variables and multidimensional variables such as perfectionism, coping strategies or personality.