Examining academic burnout: profiles and coping patterns among Estonian middle school students

Academic burnout is a severe problem among adolescents, and coping skills are becoming more crucial. The current study identified the latent profiles of Estonian middle school students, who were reporting different levels of burnout at three measurement points, during one academic year and examined the differences between identified profiles in the context of academic buoyancy and cognitive emotion regulation strategies. The final sample consisted of 148 students (71 girls, 77 boys), and two burnout profiles were identified: "above-average" (40%) and "below-average" (60%). The study confirmed buoyancy acting as the strongest protective factor against burnout. Rumination, self-blame, catastrophising and positive reappraisal were also strong differentiators between the profiles, suggesting that burnout follows the analogue pattern previously identified in known psychopathologies. The extension of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire to academic burnout was also supported by the study. Results suggest the need for implementing a proactive, sustainable approach to burnout prevention in schools.