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Mediation

Depression and Academic Burnout Among Undergraduate Students Majoring in Elder Care Services

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A recent study conducted by researchers at Shenyang Medical College in Liaoning, People's Republic of China, has investigated the relationship between depression, self-efficacy, academic burnout, and social support among undergraduate students majoring in elder care services. The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, found that 26.92% of students suffer from academic burnout, with depression significantly negatively correlated with self-efficacy and positively correlated with academic burnout. The study also revealed that self-efficacy partially mediates the relationship between depression and academic burnout, while social support plays a moderating role.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study involved 957 undergraduate students majoring in elder care services across four provinces of China, with a response rate of 100%.
  • The researchers employed questionnaires based on the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Learning Burnout Scale, and Perceived Social Support Scale.
  • The study found that 26.92% of students suffer from academic burnout, with depression significantly negatively correlated with self-efficacy and positively correlated with academic burnout.
  • Self-efficacy partially mediates the relationship between depression and academic burnout, with a mediating effect value of 0.139 accounting for 19.02% of the total effect.
  • Social support plays a moderating role, with an interaction term between depression and social support having a negative effect on self-efficacy (b = -0.203) and a positive effect on academic burnout (b = 0.106).
  • The researchers concluded that there is a positive correlation between depression and academic burnout among undergraduate students majoring in elder care services.

Statistics:

  • 957 students participated in the study, with a response rate of 100%.
  • 26.92% of students suffered from academic burnout.
  • Depression was negatively correlated with self-efficacy (r = -0.143, p < 0.001).
  • Depression was positively correlated with academic burnout (r = 0.323, p < 0.001).
  • Self-efficacy was negatively correlated with academic burnout (r = -0.234, p < 0.001).
  • The mediating effect value of self-efficacy on depression and academic burnout was 0.139, accounting for 19.02% of the total effect.
  • The interaction term between depression and social support had a negative effect on self-efficacy (b = -0.203, p < 0.01) and a positive effect on academic burnout (b = 0.106, p < 0.05).

Sources:

  • The relationship between depression and academic burnout among undergraduate students majoring in eldercare services: a moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 2025, 16.
  • NewsRx. New Psychology Findings from Shenyang Medical College Described (The relationship between depression and academic burnout among undergraduate students majoring in eldercare services: a moderated mediation model). Psychology & Psychiatry Journal. September 6, 2025; p 218.

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