Abstract

Student mental health is of upmost concern to institutions of higher education in recent years, and it is imperative that university staff, faculty, and administrators focus on supporting student mental health for their educational success. The current research examines the predictive and correlational relationship between student psychological safety and student experiences of burnout. Using the school demands-resources model as a theoretical basis, we present evidence that student psychological safety is a significant predictor of student burnout and therefore, could serve as a point of focus for practitioners in higher education settings. We hypothesized that there would be significant correlational relationships between the various factors of psychological safety and those of student burnout. Additionally, we hypothesized that student psychological safety overall would be a significant predictor of student burnout experiences. Participants were 295 university students at a mid-sized regional comprehensive university in the Southeast. Student psychological safety and student burnout data were collected, along with various demographic data. Results show support for the hypothesized relationships, indicating student psychological safety as a significant predictor of student burnout. Results are discussed in terms of the continued research in this area, as well as in the applied context.

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