Implemental delay as a mediator of the relationship between depression, anxiety, stress and school burnout

Research following the COVID-19 pandemic points to many problems related to adolescents' mental condition, their coping with the organization of daily life and the implementation of school duties, which can lead to school burnout. It includes absenteeism, decreased motivation and academic performance, and a cynical attitude toward peers and teachers. A significant way to protect adolescents' mental health may be by teaching them to complete their daily duties. Still, an obstacle is the observable post-pandemic, increasing tendency to procrastinate, which can exacerbate the effects of school burnout. The study aimed to establish the impact of depression, anxiety and stress on school burnout mediated by procrastination, understood as implemental procrastination.

Three questionnaires were used: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, Implemental Delay Scale, and School burnout scale. The study comprised 344 students (57,6% females) from Polish secondary schools (high schools and technical schools), aged 14-20 years (M = 16.69; SD = 1.74). The analysis of relationships between variables studied was performed with the mediation model.

Analyses confirmed the mediating effect of implemental delay on the relationship between depression, stress and school burnout. Unexpectedly, it turned out that the burnout resulting from parental pressure significantly weakened the value of the mediator (implemental delay). In contrast, the value of the predictors (depression and stress) increased. Anxiety was found to be a nonsignificant predictor of school burnout.

The data show that stress, depression and procrastination influence school burnout, which depends mainly on the dimension of burnout. Awareness of these relationships can support the creation of specialized prevention programs, allowing students to overcome their problems. At the same time, parents and teachers may help them understand the nature of observed disorders, which has little to do with laziness often attributed to young people.