Student Burnout as a Function of Personality, Social Support, and Workload

Measures of social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), personality (General Temperament Survey), and workload were related to psychological burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) among 149 college students (M = 20.8 yrs.). High levels of burnout were predicted by negative temperament and subjective workload, but actual workload (academic and vocational) had little to do with burnout. Low levels of burnout were predicted by positive temperament, participation in extracurricular activities, and social support, especially from friends.