01.3 - Mapping Student Burnout: Exhausted, Detached, and Disheartened – Insights from the Maslach Burnout Inventory

• Neva Vidović

  Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia

  Yazar

• Maja Vidović

  Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia

  Yazar

• Ana Havelka Meštrović

  Rochester Institute of Technology Croatia

  Yazar

Building on the growing literature on burnout in modern society, this study explores the prevalence and profile of burnout among university students. On a sample of 223 students, burnout was mapped using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), through three dimensions: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal achievement. The average score for emotional exhaustion was 20.13 (SD = 10.53), placing students in the moderate burnout category for this dimension. This suggests that many students regularly experience academic fatigue, emotional drain, and signs of chronic stress related to their studies. An independent samples t-test shows that female students reported significantly higher emotional exhaustion than male students (p = .002). The depersonalization subscale had an average score of 14.31 (SD = 9.69), which corresponds to a high level of burnout. This result indicates that a significant number of students may be experiencing social withdrawal, emotional detachment, and a loss of empathy in interpersonal relationships. Conversely, students scored relatively high on the personal achievement subscale, with a mean of 27.22 (SD = 8.78). According to the interpretive framework, this falls into the high-level burnout range for this subscale, as it reflects a low sense of personal accomplishment. Despite continuing to function academically, many students may doubt their abilities or feel ineffective, which can be a delayed consequence of emotional exhaustion and social detachment. Such a burnout profile – moderate exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low personal accomplishment – reflects a concerning pattern of psychological strain among students. While they may persist in their academic duties, they are at risk of more severe burnout without appropriate interventions. These findings highlight the need for targeted institutional responses. Contributing to the field, the paper argues that universities should prioritize mental health and well-being initiatives, encourage healthy social connections, and rebuild students’ academic confidence through mentoring, positive feedback, and personalized support.