University students’ profiles of burnout symptoms amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and their relation to concurrent study behavior and experiences

Turhan, D; Schnettler, T; Scheunemann, A; Gadosey, C K; Kegel, L S; Bäulke, L; Thies, D O; Thomas, L; Buhlmann, U; Dresel, M; Fries, S; Leutner, D; Wirth, J; Grunschel, C

Abstract

Burnout symptoms are prevalent among university students. This study examined students’ understudied profiles of burnout symptoms and their relation to procrastination, dropout intentions, and study- and life satisfaction. We used cross-sectional data from two online-studies conducted in Germany in April 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic (Nstudy1 = 597, Nstudy2 = 857). Latent profile analyses indicated three profiles in both studies: (1) well-functioning, (2) moderately exhausted-inefficacious, and (3) burned-out. Most students belonged to Profiles 1 and 2 with low to moderate burnout symptoms. Students in Profile 3 reported the highest symptoms, most procrastination, strongest dropout intentions, and lowest study- and life satisfaction. The distinct profiles broaden knowledge about intra-individual differences in students’ burnout experiences and underpin the need for tailored interventions.