• Korean Journal of School Psychology
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.133-152
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• 2011

This is a short-term longitudinal study investigating the relationships between changes in mental health and academic burnout among Korean middle school students. Study sample consisted of 409 middle school students in Seoul provision, with 161 male, 216 female, and 32 unidentified. Both Symptom Check List(SCL-47) and Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey(MBI-SS) were used. In order to examine the pattern of changes in mental health and academic burnout among students, standardized residuals were calculated using regression equations which were then put into canonical correlation analysis. The results of this study are as follows. First, according to Function 1, among sub-factors of mental health, decreases in depression, compulsion, anxiety, and hostility were particularly associated with decreases in exhaustion and cynicism among academic burnout. Put in another way, students who showed increases in depression, compulsion, anxiety, and hostility experienced more academic exhaustion and cynicism. Second, according to Function 2, increases in phobic anxiety, compulsion with decreases in anxiety, depression were associated with decrease in academic exhaustion and increase in cynicism. Considering Russell's dimensional theory of emotion, Function 1 showed that mental health symptoms including both aroused and non-aroused affects were related with increases in exhaustion and cynicism while Function 2 showed that mental health symptoms including only aroused aspects were related with decrease in exhaustion and increase in cynicism. Thus, a conclusive intervention program seems to be required to deal with both aroused and non-aroused affects of students who are experiencing increased exhaustion and cynicism. On the other hand, an intervention program focused on aroused affects seems appropriate to students who are experiencing decreased exhaustion and increased cynicism. This study has its value in that it has enhanced understanding of students in school and counseling settings by revealing the relationships between mental health and academic burnout among adolescents and suggested differentiated intervention strategies based on patterns of students' academic burnout.