The Mediating Effect of Sleep Quality in the Relationship between Perceived Stress and Burnout among University Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21370668Keywords:
perceived stress, sleep quality, burnout, Job Demands–Resources model, recovery processesAbstract
This study examined the relationship between perceived stress, sleep quality, and burnout among university students, with particular focus on the mediating role of sleep quality within the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework. It was hypothesized that perceived stress and burnout are significantly associated and that sleep quality serves as a critical mechanism linking these variables. Participants in this study were undergraduate students enrolled in a university setting who voluntarily completed standardized self-report measures, including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT). A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and mediation analysis. Results indicated that students experienced moderate levels of perceived stress, sleep disturbances, and burnout, with exhaustion emerging as the most prominent dimension. Findings further revealed that perceived stress was significantly associated with poorer sleep quality, and sleep quality was significantly related to higher burnout levels. However, no statistically significant direct relationship was found between perceived stress and burnout. Mediation analysis demonstrated that sleep quality significantly mediated the relationship between perceived stress and burnout. These findings highlight the critical role of sleep quality as a recovery resource and suggest that interventions targeting sleep improvement may help reduce burnout and enhance student well-being.
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