Stress, student burnout and study engagement – a cross-sectional comparison of university students of different academic subjects

Stress and burnout among students are health concerns in higher education systems, the prevalence of which exceeds that of the working population. Both are associated with impaired health and increased university drop-out rates. Study engagement, a positive study-related attitude characterized by energy, dedication, and absorption, counteracts stress and burnout. Person-oriented approaches can help to ensure students' health and well-being and help to deduce preventive measures and interventions. Nevertheless, most studies treat students as a homogenous group and do not differentiate between academic subjects. Students apart from medical and nursing sciences have been mostly neglected within this research field.

In a cross-sectional study, a sample of n = 947 students from five academic subject fields (Informatics, Mechanical Engineering, Sports and Health Sciences, Medicine, Economic Sciences) at a university in Germany was analyzed using an online survey. Sociodemographic data, perceived stress, study engagement and student burnout were included.