Perceived stress and academic burnout among Chinese higher vocational students

The mediating roles of social support and psychological  resilience

Authors

  • Fang Hu Universiti Sains Malaysia
  • Nik Rosila Nik Yaacob Universiti Sains Malaysia
  • Fu Zhang Universiti Sains Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32674/1rhza525

Keywords:

Perceived Stress, Social Support, Psychological Resilience, Academic Burnout, Higher Vocational Students

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationships between perceived stress, social support, psychological resilience, and academic burnout among Chinese higher vocational students. It explored the mediating roles of social support and psychological resilience in explaining how perceived stress influences academic burnout. A quantitative cross-sectional research design was employed, with data collected from 275 students enrolled in China higher vocational institutions. Data analysis was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0 to assess direct and mediating effects through PLS-SEM. Perceived stress had a significant positive effect on academic burnout, while it negatively influenced both social support and psychological resilience. They were found to negatively mediate the relationship between perceived stress and academic burnout, demonstrating their protective roles in reducing the adverse effects of stress. This study contributes to the growing literature on student mental health in China by integrating the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, Stress-Buffering Model, and the Conservation of Resources Theory. 

Author Biographies

  • Fang Hu, Universiti Sains Malaysia

    Fang Hu is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia. Her primary research interests include school psychological education, school mental health education, and psychological counseling. Email: hufang@student.usm.my

  • Nik Rosila Nik Yaacob, Universiti Sains Malaysia

    Nik Rosila Nik Yaacob, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia. Her major research interests lie in academic literacy, academic integrity, higher education research, and multiculturalism. Her fields of specialization and research extend to Islamic education, Islamic psychology and counseling, educational psychology, and early childhood education, with a particular focus on Islamic psychological approaches, counseling practices, and developmental learning in early childhood contexts. Email: nikrusila@usm.my

  • Fu Zhang, Universiti Sains Malaysia

    Fu Zhang is currently a PhD candidate in the School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia. Her primary research interests include school psychological education, school mental health education, psychological counseling, and high education research. Email: zhangfu0309@student.usm.my

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2026-01-24

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Vol. 16 No. 3 (2026): Journal of International Students

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How to Cite

Hu, F., Nik Yaacob, N. R., & Zhang, F. (2026). Perceived stress and academic burnout among Chinese higher vocational students: The mediating roles of social support and psychological  resilience. Journal of International Students, 16(3), 109-128. https://doi.org/10.32674/1rhza525