Page 15 - IJSA, Vol. 6, No 1, 2023

International Journal of Science Annals, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2023
рrint ISSN: 2617-2682; online ISSN: 2707-3637; DOI:10.26697/ijsa

Introduction
During college, undergraduate students will face a to burnout, which is characterized by exhaustion and
variety of challenges, such as academic, social, and demotivation; and stagnant attributional style leads to a
personal challenges (Aguayo et al., 2019). These resistance to change in the future and in turn, a passive
challenges include fitting into a new social environment, attitude appears, causing the individuals to become more
being away from home, and adjusting to the different cynical, unmotivated, and emotionally charged (Lin &
class schedule. In academic settings, undergraduate Yang, 2021). Self-compassion can reduce the potential
students must dedicate additional time outside of class of burnout because it entails the ability to handle and
hours to research study material and complete the appraise negative emotions and situations more
coursework, both individually and in groups. As a result positively and more effectively (K. Lee & Lee, 2020;
of the numerous academic obligations they face, Neff, 2003). Therefore, it is stated that self-compassion
undergraduate students are prone to burnout, which is can prevent academic burnout due to high academic
defined by Yavuz and Dogan (2014) as a feeling of demands (K. Lee & Lee, 2020).
exhaustion mentally and physically. The longitudinal Self-compassion has been described as an attitude of
study done by Ohio State University in August 2020 and openness, caring, and understanding on a cognitive and
April 2021 discovered an increase in the number of emotional level toward one’s shortcomings, sufferings,
undergraduate students feeling burnout. The percentage and failures, as one would treat others during hard times
increase was 31%, whereas in August 2020, 40% of (Elices et al., 2017; K. Lee & Lee, 2020; Neff, 2003).
undergraduate students experienced burnout, but 71% Self-compassion can be applied in various contexts,
did in April 2021 (Citroner, 2021). including in the educational setting. The qualitative
Furthermore, LM Psychology UGM (2021) research for study (Lockard et al., 2014) shows that undergraduate
the representation of academic burnout on 300 students with high self-compassion experience lesser
undergraduate students of the Faculty of Socio- negative emotions, deal with their problems in a more
Humanities UGM found that 73.12% of them rational and accepting manner, and at the same time
experienced high fatigue (exhaustion), 57.03% assume responsibility for their problems. According to
experienced high cynicism and indifference to tasks Zhang et al. (2016), undergraduate students can also
(cynicism), and 49.43% experienced a decrease in self- respond to academic failure by seeking help and support
confidence in academic tasks (reduced self-efficacy). from others. They take failure as an opportunity to
According to Schaufeli et al. (2002, as cited in Oyoo et improve and avoid making the same mistakes (Neff,
al., 2018), exposure to physically and emotionally 2003; Smeets et al., 2014). The authors of the study
demanding tasks over an extensive period can cause (Pypenko et al., 2020) found that direct teacher-student
burnout. Initially, people in helping professions such as contact has a positive impact on the physical and mental
teachers, psychologists, doctors, and nurses were more health of higher education stakeholders.
likely to experience burnout. Undergraduate students The construct of self-compassion consists of three
have the potential to experience burnout because their components, each with polar opposites: self-kindness
primary academic pursuits can be viewed as “work” vs. self-judgment; common humanity vs. isolation; and
(J. Lee et al., 2010). Thus, the term burnout can be mindfulness vs. over-identification (Neff, 2003).
applied to students, called academic burnout. Individuals with adequate self-compassion can
A variety of external and internal factors can contribute understand that suffering and failure are unpleasant
to academic burnout. According to Lin and Yang (mindfulness) without reducing the kindness toward
(2021), the main external factor that causes academic oneself (self-kindness) because it is a part of the human
burnout is high-demand and high-pressure tasks. The condition (common humanity), thus enabling them to
lack of support from parents, lecturers, and peer; poor appropriately cope with those suffering and failure.
parenting styles, and low socioeconomic status are a few Conversely, individuals who judge themselves (self-
additional factors that might contribute to academic judgment), isolate themselves from others (isolation)
burnout. According to Charkhabi et al. (2014), one of and overreact (over-identification) in the face of
the factors contributing to academic burnout is a lack of suffering and/or failure are said to have inadequate self-
resources available to accomplish academic work. Lack compassion (Neff, 2003). Dreisoerner et al. (2021)
of resources could lead to stress, which can lower found that self-judgment leads to procrastination,
motivation and hinder undergraduate students’ ability to rumination, and a generally lower level of self-
finish activities. Therefore, Charkhabi et al. (2014) improvement. Isolation, on the other hand, leads to
concluded that when universities place high academic stress and burnout (Dreisoerner et al., 2021; Neff, 2003).
demands but provide low resources, the likelihood of With self-compassion, individuals perceive negative
academic burnout increases. emotions more positively and take a more rational
The personality, self-esteem, and attribution style of an approach, which allows them to cope effectively (Neff,
individual are internal factors that contribute to 2003).
academic burnout. These three factors have an impact If left untreated, academic burnout may negatively
on how one responds to negative emotions and impact one’s academic achievement; academic interest;
circumstances: neurotic personality trait causes the and interactions between undergraduate students and the
tendency to use maladaptive strategies, including academic community, including lecturers, staff, and
engaging in self-blame behavior; low self-esteem leads other students (Charkhabi et al., 2014; Rahmatpour et

13