predicting academic burnout based on loneliness, distress tolerance, and alexithymia in students

Background :academic burnout, characterized by emotional exhaustion, cynicism towards studies, and reduced academic accomplishment, undermines students' mental health and educational success, posing a critical challenge to their well-being. objectives :the present study aimed to determine the extent to which loneliness, distress tolerance, and alexithymia predict academic burnout among students. methods :this descriptive-correlational study drew its statistical population from all high school students in shiraz during the 2023 - 2024 academic year. a sample of 259 participants was recruited via convenience sampling. data were collected using the school burnout inventory (sbi), the ucla loneliness scale (uls), the distress tolerance scale (dts), and the toronto alexithymia scale (tas-20). pearson's correlation coefficient and simultaneous regression analysis were employed to analyze the obtained data. results :findings revealed significant positive correlations between loneliness (r = 0.36) and academic burnout, and between alexithymia (r = 0.48) and academic burnout. a significant negative correlation was observed between distress tolerance (r = -0.41) and academic burnout (p < 0.001). in regression analysis, loneliness, distress tolerance, and alexithymia uniquely accounted for 22%, 27%, and 28% of the variance in academic burnout, respectively, with the model explaining 28% of the total variance. conclusions :loneliness and alexithymia positively predict academic burnout, while distress tolerance serves as a protective factor, collectively explaining a notable portion of burnout variance in high school students. these findings highlight the need for interventions targeting social connection, emotional regulation, and distress management to mitigate burnout. educators and policymakers can leverage these insights to develop programs fostering emotional resilience and reducing isolation among adolescents.