A network analysis of academic burnout and its psychosocial correlates: Self-compassion, teacher support, and family cohesion among Chinese middle and high school students

Abstract Among adolescents, academic burnout has emerged as a pervasive psychological syndrome characterized by persistent emotional exhaustion, detached cynicism toward learning, and compromised academic efficacy. This phenomenon poses substantial risks to students' socioemotional development and cognitive functioning, particularly during the critical developmental transition of middle and high school. Although research has identified key protective factors, most studies still treat these interconnected constructs in isolation. This fragmented approach overlooks the dynamic and interconnected nature of these variables.To address this gap, we applied psychological network analysis to questionnaires from 1,229 Tianjin students (747 junior, 482 senior high) to examine how these factors jointly influence academic burnout. Network modeling revealed stage-specific patterns: teacher encouragement (Expected Influence = 1.55) was central for juniors, and teacher emotional care (EI = 1.49) was central for seniors. Furthermore, the network structure showed a complete disconnection of family cohesion in the high school subgroup, highlighting the shifting role of family support across developmental stages.These findings demonstrate the value of network analysis in identifying key intervention targets and capturing the evolving structure of psychosocial support systems. These findings provide theoretical insights into the synergistic mechanisms of protective resources and practical guidance for designing stage specific, ecosystem-based interventions to alleviate academic burnout among adolescents.