Academic Burnout in University Students: The Roles of Cognitive Fusion, Perceived Social Interaction, and Cognitive Avoidance

Abstract

Background: Academic burnout is a major factor affecting students’ mental health and educational outcomes. Identifying underlying cognitive and social mechanisms is essential for developing targeted interventions. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationships among cognitive fusion, perceived social interaction, and the 5 components of cognitive avoidance and academic burnout and to determine the predictive roles of these variables. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study included 210 students selected through multistage cluster sampling from public and Islamic Azad universities in Tehran during the 2024 - 2025 academic year. Data were collected using the Academic Burnout Questionnaire, the Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire, the Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire, and the Social Interaction Perception Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients and multiple regression analyses. Results: The findings indicated significant positive correlations between cognitive fusion and cognitive avoidance and academic burnout, whereas perceived social interaction showed a significant negative correlation (P < 0.001). Regression analysis showed that the predictor variables collectively explained 53.6% of the variance in academic burnout (adjusted R2 = 0.536). Among the predictors, cognitive fusion was the strongest contributor to burnout symptoms. Conclusions: These findings suggest that cognitive and social factors play pivotal roles in the development and maintenance of academic burnout and may serve as potential targets for intervention. Interventions incorporating cognitive defusion techniques and enhancing perceptions of social interaction warrant further investigation to reduce burnout and preserve students' psychological resources.