Self-criticism unveiled: Its interplay with burnout and self-compassion in higher education students' study achievement
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Burnout among higher education students and its impact on academic achievement has been the focus of extensive research lately. However, there is little known about the relationship between study-related burnout and self-compassion and how they together relate to academic achievement. The aim of the present study was to explore the individual combinations of study-related burnout and the dimensions of self-compassion (self-compassion and self-criticism) and how they are related to academic achievement. The self-report data was gathered from 782 students from the university of applied sciences and analysed using quantitative methods. The results revealed three profiles: 1) Average students with elevated self-criticism ( n = 229), 2) Self-critical students with higher burnout risk ( n = 149), and 3) Self-compassionate students with lower burnout risk ( n = 404). These profiles were differently related to academic achievement. The results imply the important role of self-criticism when considering student well-being. The implications of the findings are discussed. • All dimensions of study-related burnout were positively related to self-criticism and negatively related to self-compassion. • Three well-being profiles representing variation in burnout and self-compassion/self-criticism were found. • Students scoring high on both self-criticism and different burnout dimensions had significantly lowest academic achievement.
Institution: Häme University of Applied Sciences
Language: English
Topic: Stress and Burnout Research
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,640
OpenAlex ID: W4409217370