The Impact of School Burnout on Life Satisfaction Among University Students: The Mediating Effects of Loneliness and Fear of Alienation
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Background and Hypotheses
2.1. School Burnout
2.2. Life Satisfaction
2.3. Loneliness and Fear of Alienation
2.4. Hypotheses
- By empirically testing the mediating effects of loneliness and fear of alienation on the relationship between school burnout and life satisfaction, this study extends the theoretical horizon of mental health research among university students. Furthermore, it moves beyond simple associations to clarify the underlying mechanisms.
- Through a multiple mediation analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM), this study elucidates the causal links among the variables more precisely. This goes beyond conventional correlational analyses to propose a more sophisticated theoretical model of the impact of school burnout on life satisfaction through psychological mediators.
- Conducting an empirical study in domestic (Korean) university students provides context-specific findings, thus helping to concretize knowledge in a field that often relies on international research. These localized insights can inform interventions and policies tailored to the context of Korean higher education.
3. Method
3.1. Participants
3.2. Measures
3.2.1. School Burnout Inventory (SBL)
3.2.2. Loneliness
3.2.3. Fear of Alienation (FoMO)
3.2.4. Life Satisfaction (SWL)
3.3. Data Analysis
- Step 1: Descriptive and Reliability Analysis
- Frequency analyses were conducted to describe the demographic characteristics of the sample.
- Cronbach’s α coefficients were calculated to assess the internal consistency of each scale.
- Step 2: Correlation and Descriptive Statistics
- Pearson’s product–moment correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationships among the study variables.
- Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were calculated for all key variables.
- Step 3: Structural Equation Modeling for Mediation
- Following Anderson and Gerbing’s (1988) two-step approach, SEM was used to examine the mediating effects of loneliness and fear of alienation on the relationship between school burnout and life satisfaction.
- The measurement models were specified before testing the structural model. For single-factor constructs (loneliness and life satisfaction), item parceling was applied based on factor analysis to form parcel indicators (Kline, 2015).
- Step 1—Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA): The reliability and validity of the measurement model were evaluated. Model fit was assessed using indices such as χ2, χ2/df, normed fit index (NFI), the Tucker–Lewis index (TLI), the comparative fit index (CFI), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA). Factor loadings, critical ratios (C.R.s), the average variance extracted (AVE), and the composite reliability (CR) were calculated to examine the construct reliability, convergent validity, and discriminant validity.
- Step 2—Structural model testing: The structural model was estimated using maximum likelihood estimation (MLE). Model fit indices (χ2, χ2/df, NFI, TLI, CFI, RMSEA) were used to assess the overall fit. Path coefficients were tested for statistical significance at the α = 0.05 level. The Sobel test was conducted for mediation pathways to examine the significance of the total and indirect effects.
3.4. Measurement Model Assessment
- χ2 (chi-square), reflecting the degree to which the covariance matrix reproduces the observed data, and
- TLI, CFI, and RMSEA, indicating how well the specified measurement model fits relative to a null model and whether the fit meets the conventional thresholds.
4. Results
4.1. Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Analysis
4.2. Model Fit and Mediating Effects
5. Discussion
6. Conclusions and Limitation
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Latent Variable | Observed Variable | B | Β | S.E. | C.R. | AVE | Construct Reliability |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
School burnout | Difficulty adjusting to classes | 1.000 | 0.576 | 1.525 | 0.803 | ||
Apathy toward school life | 1.028 | 0.646 | 0.050 | 20.411 *** | |||
Identity confusion | 1.175 | 0.646 | 0.052 | 22.769 *** | |||
Career anxiety | 1.211 | 0.781 | 0.054 | 22.462 *** | |||
Loneliness | Loneliness 1 | 1.000 | 0.875 | 1.840 | 0.963 | ||
Loneliness 2 | 1.014 | 0.873 | 0.021 | 48.897 *** | |||
Loneliness 3 | 1.158 | 0.896 | 0.023 | 50.783 *** | |||
Fear of alienation | Perceived relative deprivation | 1.000 | 0.743 | 1.509 | 0.802 | ||
Extrinsic motivation | 1.277 | 0.983 | 0.035 | 36.516 *** | |||
Need for belonging | 0.951 | 0.714 | 0.031 | 31.156 *** | |||
Life satisfaction | Life satisfaction 1 | 1.000 | 0.776 | 2.598 | 1.454 | ||
Life satisfaction 2 | 1.010 | 0.869 | 0.010 | 25.067 *** |
Variable | M | SD | Skewness | Kurtosis | School Burnout | Loneliness | Fear of Alienation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
School burnout | 2.54 | 0.71 | 0.130 | −0.162 | 1 | ||
Loneliness | 1.97 | 0.59 | 0.684 | 0.509 | 0.519 ** | 1 | |
Fear of alienation | 2.28 | 0.85 | 0.445 | −0.251 | 0.527 ** | 0.439 ** | 1 |
Life satisfaction | 3.55 | 0.75 | −0.185 | −0.236 | −0.426 ** | −0.491 ** | −0.271 ** |
Variable | χ2 | df | NFI | TLI | CFI | RMSEA |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full multiple mediation model | 492.465 | 47 | 0.958 | 0.946 | 0.962 | 0.073 |
Partial multiple mediation model | 416.346 | 46 | 0.965 | 0.955 | 0.968 | 0.067 |
Model fit indices | ≥0.90 | ≥0.90 | ≤0.10 |
Types | B | β | S.E. | C.R. | p |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
School burnout → Loneliness | 0.461 | 0.620 | 0.021 | 22.297 | *** |
School burnout → Fear of alienation | 0.832 | 0.700 | 0.035 | 24.103 | *** |
Loneliness → Life satisfaction | −0.486 | −0.375 | 0.043 | −11.325 | *** |
Fear of alienation → Life satisfaction | 0.096 | 0.119 | 0.032 | 2.973 | *** |
School burnout → Life satisfaction | −0.390 | −0.405 | 0.046 | −8.498 | *** |
Types | Direct Effects | Indirect Effects | Total Effects | |
---|---|---|---|---|
School burnout | Loneliness | 0.620 | 0.620 *** | |
Fear of alienation | 0.700 | 0.700 *** | ||
Life satisfaction | −0.405 | −0.149 | −0.554 *** | |
Loneliness | Life satisfaction | −0.375 | −0.375 *** | |
Fear of alienation | Life satisfaction | 0.119 | 0.119 *** |
Types | A | Sa | b | Sb | Z |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
School burnout → Loneliness → Life satisfaction | 0.461 | 0.021 | −0.486 | 0.043 | −10.048 *** |
School burnout → Fear of alienation → Life satisfaction | 0.832 | 0.035 | 0.096 | 0.032 | 4.489 *** |
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Shim, T.; Go, E. The Impact of School Burnout on Life Satisfaction Among University Students: The Mediating Effects of Loneliness and Fear of Alienation. Behav. Sci. 2025, 15, 1083. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081083
Shim T, Go E. The Impact of School Burnout on Life Satisfaction Among University Students: The Mediating Effects of Loneliness and Fear of Alienation. Behavioral Sciences. 2025; 15(8):1083. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081083
Chicago/Turabian StyleShim, Taeeun, and Eunsun Go. 2025. "The Impact of School Burnout on Life Satisfaction Among University Students: The Mediating Effects of Loneliness and Fear of Alienation" Behavioral Sciences 15, no. 8: 1083. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081083
APA StyleShim, T., & Go, E. (2025). The Impact of School Burnout on Life Satisfaction Among University Students: The Mediating Effects of Loneliness and Fear of Alienation. Behavioral Sciences, 15(8), 1083. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15081083