Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students

Vicente Costa; Clara Simães; A. Rui Gomes; Humberto M. Carvalho; Catarina Morais; Liliana Fontes

doi:10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9_14

Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students

Vicente Costa
, Clara Simães^*
, A. Rui Gomes
, Humberto M. Carvalho
, Catarina Morais
, Liliana Fontes

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

Abstract

The present study explored university students’ experience of stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations by analysing personal (i.e., sex) and contextual factors related to academic activity (i.e., type of institution, type of academic course and course attendance stage). The study included 1133 students, 238 (21%) reported being males and 888 (78.4%) females, attending health sciences, social sciences, and psychology courses from multiple public and private institutions in the Portuguese higher education system. The evaluation protocol comprised the following instruments: The Stress Questionnaire for Students, the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure, and the Academic Achievement Expectations. Data were analysed employing multilevel regression and poststratification models. Findings revealed moderate levels of stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations among students and consistent sex differences in stress and burnout. Study results showed multiple effects regarding contextual factors related to academic activity. Conclusions suggest considering personal and contextual factors to accurately characterise university students’ academic experience, which must be considered when implementing occupational intervention programs.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Occupational and environmental safety and health VI
Subtitle of host publication	biomechanics, occupational psychosociology and new trends
Editors	J. Santos Baptista, Rui B. Melo, Paula Carneiro, Jacqueline Castelo Branco, Nelson Costa, Joana Duarte, Joana C. Guedes, Gonçalo Perestrelo
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages	185-203
Number of pages	19
ISBN (Electronic)	9783031822919
ISBN (Print)	9783031822902, 9783031822933
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9_14
Publication status	Published - 2026

Publication series

Name	Studies in Systems, Decision and Control
Volume	231
ISSN (Print)	2198-4182
ISSN (Electronic)	2198-4190

Keywords

Academic activity
Mental health
Multilevel regression
Personal and contextual factors
University students

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9_14

Cite this

Costa, V., Simães, C., Rui Gomes, A., Carvalho, H. M., Morais, C., & Fontes, L. (2026). Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students. In J. S. Baptista, R. B. Melo, P. Carneiro, J. C. Branco, N. Costa, J. Duarte, J. C. Guedes, & G. Perestrelo (Eds.), Occupational and environmental safety and health VI: biomechanics, occupational psychosociology and new trends (pp. 185-203). (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control; Vol. 231). Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9_14

Costa, Vicente ; Simães, Clara ; Rui Gomes, A. et al. / Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students. Occupational and environmental safety and health VI: biomechanics, occupational psychosociology and new trends. editor / J. Santos Baptista ; Rui B. Melo ; Paula Carneiro ; Jacqueline Castelo Branco ; Nelson Costa ; Joana Duarte ; Joana C. Guedes ; Gonçalo Perestrelo. Cham : Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2026. pp. 185-203 (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control).

@inbook{b3ff22d3dcf64633a98fb3a0c578c0dc,

title = "Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students",

abstract = "The present study explored university students{\textquoteright} experience of stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations by analysing personal (i.e., sex) and contextual factors related to academic activity (i.e., type of institution, type of academic course and course attendance stage). The study included 1133 students, 238 (21\%) reported being males and 888 (78.4\%) females, attending health sciences, social sciences, and psychology courses from multiple public and private institutions in the Portuguese higher education system. The evaluation protocol comprised the following instruments: The Stress Questionnaire for Students, the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure, and the Academic Achievement Expectations. Data were analysed employing multilevel regression and poststratification models. Findings revealed moderate levels of stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations among students and consistent sex differences in stress and burnout. Study results showed multiple effects regarding contextual factors related to academic activity. Conclusions suggest considering personal and contextual factors to accurately characterise university students{\textquoteright} academic experience, which must be considered when implementing occupational intervention programs.",

keywords = "Academic activity, Mental health, Multilevel regression, Personal and contextual factors, University students",

author = "Vicente Costa and Clara Sim{\~a}es and \{Rui Gomes\}, A. and Carvalho, \{Humberto M.\} and Catarina Morais and Liliana Fontes",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.",

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doi = "10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9\_14",

language = "English",

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publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH",

pages = "185--203",

editor = "Baptista, \{J. Santos\} and Melo, \{Rui B.\} and Paula Carneiro and Branco, \{Jacqueline Castelo\} and Nelson Costa and Joana Duarte and Guedes, \{Joana C.\} and Gon{\c c}alo Perestrelo",

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Costa, V, Simães, C, Rui Gomes, A, Carvalho, HM, Morais, C & Fontes, L 2026, Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students. in JS Baptista, RB Melo, P Carneiro, JC Branco, N Costa, J Duarte, JC Guedes & G Perestrelo (eds), Occupational and environmental safety and health VI: biomechanics, occupational psychosociology and new trends. Studies in Systems, Decision and Control, vol. 231, Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, Cham, pp. 185-203. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9_14

Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students. / Costa, Vicente; Simães, Clara; Rui Gomes, A. et al.
Occupational and environmental safety and health VI: biomechanics, occupational psychosociology and new trends. ed. / J. Santos Baptista; Rui B. Melo; Paula Carneiro; Jacqueline Castelo Branco; Nelson Costa; Joana Duarte; Joana C. Guedes; Gonçalo Perestrelo. Cham: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2026. p. 185-203 (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control; Vol. 231).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students

AU - Costa, Vicente

AU - Simães, Clara

AU - Rui Gomes, A.

AU - Carvalho, Humberto M.

AU - Morais, Catarina

AU - Fontes, Liliana

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

PY - 2026

Y1 - 2026

N2 - The present study explored university students’ experience of stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations by analysing personal (i.e., sex) and contextual factors related to academic activity (i.e., type of institution, type of academic course and course attendance stage). The study included 1133 students, 238 (21%) reported being males and 888 (78.4%) females, attending health sciences, social sciences, and psychology courses from multiple public and private institutions in the Portuguese higher education system. The evaluation protocol comprised the following instruments: The Stress Questionnaire for Students, the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure, and the Academic Achievement Expectations. Data were analysed employing multilevel regression and poststratification models. Findings revealed moderate levels of stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations among students and consistent sex differences in stress and burnout. Study results showed multiple effects regarding contextual factors related to academic activity. Conclusions suggest considering personal and contextual factors to accurately characterise university students’ academic experience, which must be considered when implementing occupational intervention programs.

AB - The present study explored university students’ experience of stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations by analysing personal (i.e., sex) and contextual factors related to academic activity (i.e., type of institution, type of academic course and course attendance stage). The study included 1133 students, 238 (21%) reported being males and 888 (78.4%) females, attending health sciences, social sciences, and psychology courses from multiple public and private institutions in the Portuguese higher education system. The evaluation protocol comprised the following instruments: The Stress Questionnaire for Students, the Shirom-Melamed Burnout Measure, and the Academic Achievement Expectations. Data were analysed employing multilevel regression and poststratification models. Findings revealed moderate levels of stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations among students and consistent sex differences in stress and burnout. Study results showed multiple effects regarding contextual factors related to academic activity. Conclusions suggest considering personal and contextual factors to accurately characterise university students’ academic experience, which must be considered when implementing occupational intervention programs.

KW - Academic activity

KW - Mental health

KW - Multilevel regression

KW - Personal and contextual factors

KW - University students

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105019322785

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9_14

DO - 10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9_14

M3 - Chapter

AN - SCOPUS:105019322785

SN - 9783031822902

SN - 9783031822933

T3 - Studies in Systems, Decision and Control

SP - 185

EP - 203

BT - Occupational and environmental safety and health VI

A2 - Baptista, J. Santos

A2 - Melo, Rui B.

A2 - Carneiro, Paula

A2 - Branco, Jacqueline Castelo

A2 - Costa, Nelson

A2 - Duarte, Joana

A2 - Guedes, Joana C.

A2 - Perestrelo, Gonçalo

PB - Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH

CY - Cham

ER -

Costa V, Simães C, Rui Gomes A, Carvalho HM, Morais C, Fontes L. Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students. In Baptista JS, Melo RB, Carneiro P, Branco JC, Costa N, Duarte J, Guedes JC, Perestrelo G, editors, Occupational and environmental safety and health VI: biomechanics, occupational psychosociology and new trends. Cham: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH. 2026. p. 185-203. (Studies in Systems, Decision and Control). doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-82291-9_14

Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords

Access to Document

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CEDH 2025-2029: CEDH - Research Centre for Human Development: UID/04872/2025. Pluriannual 2025-2029

Cite this

Stress, burnout and academic achievement expectations in students

Abstract

Publication series

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

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Projects

CEDH 2025-2029: CEDH - Research Centre for Human Development: UID/04872/2025. Pluriannual 2025-2029

Cite this