Interventions to reduce burnout in students: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Burnout is common among students and can negatively influence their motivation, performance, and wellbeing. However, there is currently little consensus regarding how to intervene effectively. Consequently, we provide the first systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing burnout in students. A systematic literature search returned 17 studies (10 randomized controlled trials and 7 quasi-experimental trials), which included 2,462 students from secondary and tertiary levels of education. These studies used a range of interventions (e.g., mindfulness, rational emotive behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy). When the effects were aggregated across interventions, there was evidence for their effectiveness in reducing total burnout (g+ = 0.90, p = .02, 95% CI: [0.04, 1.75], k = 14). However, we also found evidence for moderation and nonsignificant effects when certain symptoms, designs, and intervention-types were examined. The strongest evidence for effectiveness was for randomized controlled trials, rational emotive behavior therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions. This review provides initial evidence for the efficacy of interventions in reducing burnout in students, but we note that a more systematic examination of particular intervention types, especially those designed to target the organisational-level, would be useful, and to have the most impact in informing policy, so too are studies examining the cost effectiveness of such interventions.

Athlete burnout and mental and physical health: A three-wave longitudinal study of direct and reciprocal effects.

“…It could also be beneficial in preventing burnout, which has been shown in intervention studies outside of sport (Brubaker et al, 2020; Dahlgren et al, 2022). In addition, mindfulness-based interventions may be of use because mindfulness has previously been shown to predict life satisfaction (Xue & Xiang, 2022), and mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to reduce burnout in students (D. J. Madigan et al, 2024) and athletes (Li et al, 2019).…”

“…In addition, mindfulness-based interventions may be of use because mindfulness has previously been shown to predict life satisfaction (Xue & Xiang, 2022), and mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to reduce burnout in students (D. J. Madigan et al, 2024) and athletes (Li et al, 2019). Testing such strategies further, especially using robust designs (e.g., randomised controlled trials), will then allow us to build toward an evidence base to help athletes overcome burnout and its health consequences.…”

“…It could also be beneficial in preventing burnout, which has been shown in intervention studies outside of sport (Brubaker et al, 2020;Dahlgren et al, 2022). In addition, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) may be of use, because mindfulness has previously been shown to predict life satisfaction (Xue & Xiang, 2022) and MBIs have been shown to reduce burnout in students (Madigan et al, 2023b) and athletes (Li et al, 2019). Testing such strategies further, especially using robust designs (e.g., RCTs), then, will allow us to build towards an evidence base to help athletes overcome burnout and its health consequences.…”

A comparison between veterinary small animal general practitioners and emergency practitioners in Australia. Part 2: client-related, work-related, and personal burnout

“…Burnout describes an occupational syndrome deriving from chronically unmanaged work stress and is characterised by three key components: overwhelming exhaustion; increased cynicism and reduced work efficacy (1). It has been previously documented across a range of occupations, including healthcare workers, teachers and other care-giving professions (2)(3)(4). The prevalence of burnout among veterinarians, as indicated by studies published in the last 5 years, ranges from 23.0% to 56.9% (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11).…”

The Effect of Burnout Syndrome on Graduate Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…These creative interventions foster self-awareness, emotional processing, and positive coping strategies, enhancing overall psychological well-being (Bagheri et al, 2019;Hathaisaard et al, 2022;Madigan et al, 2023).…”