Exploring Burnout Disparities: A Study on Theatre and Film Acting Students Versus Their Peers in Other Fields
Exploring Burnout Disparities: A Study on Theatre and Film Acting Students Versus Their Peers in Other Fields

Summary/Abstract: This study delves into the prevalence of burnout among performing arts students, particularly those in acting programs, compared to their counterparts in other disciplines. Initiated against a backdrop of concerns about the high burnout rates in performing arts education, the research aimed to rigorously assess burnout symptoms and their correlation with various academic and organizational factors. The study builds on existing literature that conceptualizes academic burnout as a psychological syndrome stemming from chronic stress, often related to the demands and pressures of student life. It examines factors such as emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal achievement, alongside the impact of schedule predictability, workload, and classroom hours on student well-being. Using a sample of 48 university students from various disciplines in Cluj-Napoca, the research employed the Academic Burnout Scale by Zhang et al. (2015), complemented by questions on institutional time management. The findings indicate a significant presence of burnout among the participants, with notable differences in burnout levels between acting students and those from other majors. Surprisingly, acting students reported lower levels of burnout compared to their peers in other fields, challenging the initial hypothesis. This suggests a need for further investigation into the specific factors contributing to burnout and the development of targeted strategies to enhance student well-being across disciplines.

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