NCJ Number
228624
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 38 Issue: 10 Dated: November 2009 Pages: 1316-1327
Date Published
November 2009
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Using data collected at ages 15-19 in two three-wave longitudinal studies in Finland, this research determined the extent to which middle and late adolescents' depressive symptoms predicted their later school burnout, and, in turn, the extent to which school burnout predicted depressive symptoms.
Abstract
The research found that school burnout (feeling overwhelmed by schoolwork, cynicism toward the value of school, and inadequacy in schoolwork) and depressive symptoms (feeling sad and hopeless about the future) showed moderate stability during the transition from comprehensive school to their subsequent education track and across the 3 years of secondary education. Both studies that composed the research showed that school burnout predicted subsequent depressive symptoms more strongly than depressive symptoms predicted school burnout; however, cumulative cycles between school burnout and depressive symptoms were also found. The authors advise that school burnout both during middle and late adolescence should be taken seriously, as it can lead to subsequent depressive symptoms. The first study involved 611 15 year-olds at time 1, 614 at time 2, and 725 at time 3. The participants completed the School Burnout Inventory and a measure of depressive symptoms twice during their final term of comprehensive school and once after the transition to upper secondary high school or vocational school. The second study involved 17 year-olds whose school burnout and depressive symptoms were measured three times annually (474 at time 1, 412 at time 2, and 414 at time 3) during their 3 years of secondary education. 2 tables, 4 figures, and 51 references