TY  - EJOU
AU  - Yang, Ziyun 
AU  - Wang, Ling 
AU  - Xu, Jinhua 
AU  - Li, Fanfan 
AU  - Chen, Kexin 

TI  - Perceived Involution and Academic Burnout among University Students: The Mediating Role of Anxiety and the Moderating Role of Self-Control
T2  - International Journal of Mental Health Promotion

PY  - 2026
VL  - 28
IS  - 3
SN  - 2049-8543

AB  - <b>Background:</b> 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. <b>Methods:</b> 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. <b>Results:</b> Perceived involution was positively associated with academic burnout (β = 0.25, <i>p</i> &lt; 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, <i>p</i> = 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. <b>Conclusion:</b> 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.
KW  - Perceived involution; academic burnout; administratornxiety; self-control; psychological stress

DO  - 10.32604/ijmhp.2026.075283