Date of Award

Summer 2026

Language

English

Embargo Period

5-5-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology

Program

Counseling Psychology

First Advisor

Hung-Bin Sheu

Committee Members

Myrna L. Friedlander, Megan Cusick Brix

Keywords

Study Demands-Resources framework, mental health trainees, burnout, engagement, academic satisfaction

Subject Categories

Clinical Psychology | Counseling Psychology | Counselor Education | Social Work

Abstract

Academic satisfaction for students is as critical to their retention and well-being as job satisfaction for working adults; however, it has received limited empirical attention particularly among graduate students in mental health-related programs. One of the barriers to mental health trainees’ satisfaction with their academic training is burnout. The current study evaluated the applicability of Study Demands-Resources (SD-R) framework (Lesener et al., 2020) to trainees. Specifically, this study examined the relations between study demands (i.e., perceived stress), study resources (i.e., supervisory alliance and social support), student burnout, student engagement, and academic satisfaction. It also tested if student burnout and engagement serve as parallel or serial mediators between study demands/resources and academic satisfaction.

Data from 276 graduate students in mental health-related programs were analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques. Both the parallel mediation model and serial mediation model demonstrated marginal to acceptable fit to the data. In the parallel mediation model, cynicism fully mediated the relation of perceived stress to academic satisfaction and partially mediated the relation of social support to academic satisfaction. Student engagement did not function as a mediator in the parallel mediation model, providing partial support for the SD-R framework. The present study yielded promising support for the serial mediation model, wherein the association between social support and academic satisfaction was first explained through student burnout and subsequently through student engagement. Theoretical and practical implications for researchers, supervisors, educators, and students in mental health graduate programs were discussed.

License

This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.

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