Examining Effect of Online and Offline Perceived Social Support on Burnout in University Students

Abstract

This study examined the effects of perceived online and offline social support on academic burnout among Pakistani university students. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 151 students aged 18–25 years, who completed adapted items from the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet, & Farley, 1988) to assess online and offline support, and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory–Student version (OLBI-S; Demerouti, Bakker, Vardakou, & Kantas, 2003) to measure burnout. Results indicated that students reported greater offline support compared to online support, while overall burnout levels were moderate. Contrary to expectations, higher levels of both online and offline perceived support were positively associated with burnout, with multiple regression analyses showing that these two predictors jointly explained approximately 21% of the variance in burnout scores (R² = .21, p < .001). Gender-specific analyses revealed that the positive associations were stronger among men (β = .34, p < .01) than women (β = .19, p < .05).

These findings suggest that rather than buffering against burnout, perceived support may reflect reactive support-seeking among students already experiencing academic strain. The results highlight the importance of considering the quality and context of support, as well as cultural and gendered dynamics in its effectiveness. Limitations include reliance on self-report measures, scale reliability concerns, and the cross-sectional design, which precludes causal inference. Future research should employ longitudinal designs to clarify whether social support functions as a protective factor or is mobilized in response to burnout. The study underscores the need for gender-sensitive interventions and a focus on enhancing the authenticity and effectiveness of both online and offline support systems in higher education.