In Search of the Missing Link: The Mediating Role of Motivation Between Student Burnout and the Demand-Resource Framework

Student burnout is an important mental health issue in the context of higher education. The development of burnout symptoms can be described in the demand-resource framework, and burnout is also related to motivational factors. The current study aimed to explore the mediating role of academic motivation in the relationship between burnout and elements of the demand-resource framework. 773 university students participated in data collection using an online survey method that measured student burnout, demands, resources, and academic motivation. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling showed that burnout is positively related to motivation and demands, while it is negatively associated with resources and intrinsic motivation. Moreover, the analysis of indirect paths unravelled the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and amotivation in the case of demands and resources. These results confirmed that the demand-resource framework is a useful model for predicting burnout in the higher education context. Furthermore, the results expanded our understanding of the role of motivation in the development of burnout.