Open Access

ARTICLE

The Relationship between Parental Autonomy Support and Adolescent Academic Burnout: A Variable-Centered and Person-Centered Analysis

Shuqing Wang, Xiuqiu Liu, Siqi Yu, Meili Zheng, Shuhua Wei^*

School of Education and Psychology, University of Jinan, Jinan, China

* Corresponding Author: Shuhua Wei. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Psychological and Neural Foundations of Adolescent Mental Health)

International Journal of Mental Health Promotion 2026, 28(5), 5 https://doi.org/10.32604/ijmhp.2026.076977

Received 30 November 2025; Accepted 27 January 2026; Issue published 28 May 2026

Abstract

Background: While parenting is crucial for adolescents’ academic adjustment, few studies have examined how parental autonomy support affects academic burnout or the underlying psychological processes. This study examined the sequential mediating roles of growth mindset and self-esteem in the association between parental autonomy support and academic burnout, using both variable-centered and person-centered approaches. Methods: A total of 1032 Chinese junior and senior high school students were recruited through cluster sampling. Using self-report questionnaires, participants were assessed on parental autonomy support, growth mindset, self-esteem, and academic burnout. Data were analyzed using mediation modeling and latent profile analysis. Results: The findings revealed a significant inverse association between parental autonomy support and adolescent academic burnout; Both growth mindset and self-esteem showed significant partial mediating associations. Furthermore, they formed a sequential mediating pathway linking parental autonomy support and academic burnout. Four distinct academic burnout profiles were identified: Low-Burnout, Moderate-Exhaustion, High-Exhaustion and Reduced Accomplishment, and Severe Burnout. Higher levels of parental autonomy support, growth mindset, and self-esteem were all significantly associated with a lower likelihood of belonging to higher burnout profiles, particularly the Severe Burnout profile. Among these factors, self-esteem exhibited the most consistent and robust associations across different burnout profile comparisons. Overall, the relationship between parental autonomy support and adolescent academic burnout can be explained through the interconnected psychological processes of growth mindset and self-esteem, with self-esteem serving as a particularly central pathway. Conclusions: Parental autonomy support, growth mindset, and self-esteem serve as interrelated protective factors against adolescent academic burnout. This study paves the way for developing differentiated and targeted strategies for adolescent academic burnout.

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