Open Access

ARTICLE

Perceived Involution and Academic Burnout among University Students: The Mediating Role of Anxiety and the Moderating Role of Self-Control

Ziyun Yang¹, Ling Wang², Jinhua Xu^3,*, Fanfan Li^4,5,*, Kexin Chen^6,7,*

1 School of Philosophy, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
2 School of Nursing, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
3 Law School of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Wuhan, China
4 School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
5 Center for Mental Health Education and Counseling of College Students, Huanggang Normal University, Wuhan, China
6 Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
7 NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China

* Corresponding Authors: Jinhua Xu. Email: ; Fanfan Li. Email: ; Kexin Chen. Email:

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2026, 28(3), 4 https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.075283

Received 29 October 2025; Accepted 12 January 2026; Issue published 31 March 2026

Abstract

Background: The concept of “involution” has garnered significant attention within China’s education system, encapsulating students’ perceptions of intense and often fruitless academic competition. However, the impact of perceived involution on students’ psychological outcomes, particularly academic burnout, remains underexplored. This study examines the relationship between perceived involution and academic burnout among university students. Specifically, it examines whether anxiety mediates this relationship and whether self-control moderates the effect of perceived involution on anxiety. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 673 university students in China. Standardized scales were employed to measure perceived involution, anxiety, self-control, and academic burnout. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS macro (version 4.2), incorporating mediation (Model 4) and moderation (Model 7) analyses with bootstrapping procedures. Results: Perceived involution was positively associated with academic burnout (β = 0.25, p < 0.01), accounting for approximately 6% of the variance, which indicates a small-to-moderate effect. Anxiety partially mediated this relationship, with a significant indirect effect (B = 0.0013, 95% CI [0.0003, 0.0029]). Furthermore, self-control significantly moderated the association between perceived involution and anxiety (interaction β = 0.19, p = 0.03), such that the positive effect of perceived involution on anxiety was attenuated among students with higher self-control. Although the effect sizes were modest, these findings suggest meaningful psychological and practical implications at the population level in highly competitive academic environments. Conclusion: These findings suggest that perceived involution contributes to academic burnout by exacerbating anxiety, while self-control serves as a protective factor against it. The study offers theoretical insights into the emotional mechanisms underlying burnout and provides practical implications for stress intervention and mental health promotion in higher education.

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Keywords

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