Global Research Trends and Intellectual Structure of Academic Burnout Among College Students: A Bibliometric Analysis (2010–2026)

Authors

  • M. Amien Mujaddid STAI Masjid Syuhada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Author
  • Wahyu Budi Nugraha Budi Nugraha Direktorat Riset dan Pengabdian Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia Author
  • Basir Jarah Anilon Mindanao State University-Al-barka Basilan extension, Philippines Author
  • Ahmad T.Zainal Abidin Mindanao State University-Al-barka Basilan extension, Philippines Author
  • Alfurqaan Hakiki Faculty of Usuluddin, Department of Hadith Sciences, Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt Author
  • Fauzi Rochman Universitas Syahid Surakarta, Indonesia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33578/pjr.v10i4.1525

Keywords:

academic burnout, bibliometrics, college students, VOSviewer, research trends

Abstract

Academic burnout has received increasing attention in higher education research due to rising academic demands, digital transformation, and growing concerns about student mental health. Despite the rapid expansion of the literature, no bibliometric study has comprehensively mapped the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and developmental trajectory of academic burnout research specifically among college students. This study addresses this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis of 359 Scopus-indexed articles published between 2010 and 2026. Data were analyzed using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny through keyword co-occurrence, co-citation, bibliographic coupling, collaboration network, and thematic evolution analyses. The findings reveal a substantial increase in publication output, rising from two articles in 2010 to 95 articles in 2025. China, Indonesia, and Iran emerged as the most productive contributing countries, while the intellectual foundations of the field remain strongly influenced by the seminal works of Maslach, Leiter, and Schaufeli. Thematic analysis identified four developmental phases of the field: Emergence (2010–2014), Early Growth (2015–2018), Acceleration (2019–2021), and Exponential Surge (2022–2025). Furthermore, digital-related themes, including technostress, smartphone addiction, and social media fatigue, have become increasingly prominent in recent studies. This study contributes theoretically by identifying a digital-burnout nexus within the extended Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework and methodologically by demonstrating the value of a multi-indicator bibliometric approach. The findings provide a foundation for future research and evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting student well-being in increasingly digitalized higher education environments.

References

Aria, M., & Cuccurullo, C. (2017). Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics, 11(4), 959–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joi.2017.08.007

Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. W.H. Freeman.

Bashori, K. (2017). Pengembangan kompetensi sosial guru. Pustaka Ilmu.

Breso, E., Schaufeli, W. B., & Salanova, M. (2011). Can a self-efficacy-based intervention decrease burnout, increase engagement, and enhance performance? A quasi-experimental study. Higher Education, 61(4), 339–355. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-010-9334-6

Cao, X., & Sun, J. (2018). Exploring the effect of overload on the discontinuous intention of social media users: An SOR perspective. Computers in Human Behavior, 81, 10–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.11.035

Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133, 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070

Dyrbye, L. N., Thomas, M. R., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2006). Systematic review of depression, anxiety, and other indicators of psychological distress among U.S. and Canadian medical students. Academic Medicine, 81(4), 354–373. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001888-200604000-00009

Falagas, M. E., Pitsouni, E. I., Malietzis, G. A., & Pappas, G. (2008). Comparison of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar: Strengths and weaknesses. FASEB Journal, 22(2), 338–342. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.07-9492LSF

Huckins, J. F., daSilva, A. W., Wang, W., Hedlund, E., Rogers, C., Nepal, S. K., Wu, J., Obuchi, M., Murphy, E. I., Meyer, M. L., Wagner, D. D., Holtzheimer, P. E., & Campbell, A. T. (2020). Mental health and behavior of college students during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: Longitudinal smartphone and ecological momentary assessment study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(6), e20185. https://doi.org/10.2196/20185

Ishak, W., Nikravesh, R., Lederer, S., Perry, R., Ogunyemi, D., & Bernstein, C. (2013). Burnout in medical students: A systematic review. The Clinical Teacher, 10(4), 242–245. https://doi.org/10.1111/tct.12014

Langoy, F. D., Ahmad, R., & Mohi, W. K. (2023). Burnout akademik mahasiswa: Studi kasus di Fakultas Ilmu Pendidikan Universitas Negeri Gorontalo. Jurnal Bimbingan dan Konseling, 10(2), 112–121.

Maslach, C., & Jackson, S. E. (1981). The measurement of experienced burnout. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 2(2), 99–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030020205

Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (1997). The truth about burnout: How organizations cause personal stress and what to do about it. Jossey-Bass.

Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., ... Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. PLOS Medicine, 18(3), e1003583. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003583

Pritchard, A. (1969). Statistical bibliography or bibliometrics? Journal of Documentation, 25(4), 348–349.

Robotham, D., & Julian, C. (2006). Stress and the higher education student: A critical review of the literature. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 30(2), 107–117. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098770600617513

Salmela-Aro, K., Kiuru, N., Leskinen, E., & Nurmi, J. E. (2009). School burnout inventory (SBI): Reliability and validity. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 25(1), 48–57. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759.25.1.48

Salmela-Aro, K., & Upadyaya, K. (2014). School burnout and engagement in the context of demands–resources model. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 84(1), 137–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12018

Schaufeli, W. B., Martínez, I. M., Pinto, A. M., Salanova, M., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). Burnout and engagement in university students: A cross-national study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 33(5), 464–481. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022102033005003

Seligman, M. E. P., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55(1), 5–14. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.5

Shen, Y., Miao, M., Zhu, J., Mao, Y., Guo, Y., & Chen, S. (2022). The prevalence of academic burnout and its determinants among college students in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 1009908. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1009908

Tarafdar, M., Tu, Q., Ragu-Nathan, B. S., & Ragu-Nathan, T. S. (2007). The impact of technostress on role stress and productivity. Journal of Management Information Systems, 24(1), 301–328. https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222240109

van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3

Walburg, V. (2014). Burnout among high school students: A literature review. Children and Youth Services Review, 42, 28–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.03.020

West, C. P., Dyrbye, L. N., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2018). Physician burnout: Contributors, consequences and solutions. Journal of Internal Medicine, 283(6), 516–529. https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12752

World Health Organization. (2022). World mental health report: Transforming mental health for all. WHO.

Yang, H.-J. (2004). Factors affecting student burnout and academic achievement in multiple enrollment programs in Taiwan’s technical–vocational colleges. International Journal of Educational Development, 24(3), 283–301. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2003.12.001

Zhang, Y., Qin, X., & Ren, P. (2022). Bibliometric analysis of research on academic burnout in students from 2001 to 2021. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 966911. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.966911

Downloads

Published

2026-07-30

Issue

Section

Articles