Mechanisms from Academic Stress to Subjective Well-Being of Chinese Adolescents: The Roles of Academic Burnout and Internet Addiction

Abstract

Purpose: Academic stress is commonly known to affect adolescents’ subjective well-being, but the influencing mechanisms are rarely investigated in the Chinese context. This study aims to investigate the psychological and behavioral factors operating as pathways between academic stress and adolescents’ subjective well-being. Samples and Methods: A multi-stage cluster random sampling is used to select 1043 adolescents from junior and senior high schools in Jinhu County, Jiangsu Province, China (mean age=14.98 years; 51.1% boys). Structural equation modeling is used to test the direct and indirect effects. Results: Academic stress is significantly correlated with adolescents’ subjective well-being after controlling for gender, grade, hukou, and socioeconomic status. In addition to partially mediating the link between academic stress and subjective well-being, academic burnout and Internet addiction can also operate as chain mediators in this mechanism. Adolescents’ subjective well-being shows significant gender disparities, with boys having a greater degree of subjective well-being than girls. Father’s income is found to have a significant positive association with adolescents’ subjective well-being. Conclusion: The results indicate that academic stress is a significant predictor of academic burnout, which in turn points to a positive association with Internet addiction, thereby explaining low levels of adolescents’ subjective well-being. The present study develops current knowledge and expands our understanding of the underlying mechanisms by which academic stress influences adolescents’ subjective well-being. This can also illuminate the practical ramifications for policymakers and social workers to mitigate academic-related stress and burnout, prevent Internet addiction, and ultimately promote the well-being of adolescent students.