The Mediating Role of School Burnout in the Relationship Between Adolescents' Perception of Loneliness and Quality of Life

Problem

Adolescence is a challenging period of development characterised by social, physical, and cognitive changes. During this period, adolescents are particularly vulnerable to experiencing loneliness, burnout, and depressive symptoms. This study was conducted to determine the mediating role of school burnout in the relationship between adolescents' perception of loneliness and quality of life.

Methods

This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 301 adolescent students from a public high school in the capital of Türkiye. The data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the UCLA Loneliness Scale Short Form, the Quality of Life Scale for Children, and the School Burnout Scale. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance, Mann–Whitney U test, and Spearman correlation analysis were conducted to evaluate the data. The mediating role of school burnout was examined through mediating variable analysis using Model 4 with the SPSS PROCESS macro.

Findings

As a result of the research, loneliness, school burnout, and quality of life of adolescents are at medium levels. Loneliness negatively impacts adolescents' quality of life, with school burnout serving as a mediating factor. Addressing school burnout may improve outcomes.

Conclusion

In line with the study's results, not only nurses but also teachers, counselling units and families should participate in planning traning and practices that will positively affect adolescents' loneliness, quality of life and school burnout. Social support mechanisms in schools should be strengthened.