Developing an Integrated Psychological Model of Academic Burnout Among Nigerian University Students: A Multi-Wave Mixed-Methods Investigation

Academic burnout among Nigerian university students is a growing concern with consequences for mental health, academic completion, and long-term career trajectories, yet its developmental pathways, unique Nigerian cultural risk factors, and within-individual change processes have not been comprehensively modelled. This study develops an Integrated Psychological Model of Academic Burnout specific to Nigerian university students through a multi-wave mixed-methods investigation. A panel survey of 600 undergraduates from six universities across all geopolitical zones is conducted at semester 1, 3, and 5, administering the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Survey, the Academic Stress Scale adapted for Nigeria, the Social Support Scale, the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale, and religiosity measures. Latent growth curve modelling and latent class growth analysis in Mplus identify burnout trajectories and their predictors. Qualitative longitudinal interviews are conducted with 40 purposively sampled participants at each wave to explore experiential dimensions of burnout development. Maslach's Burnout Theory, the Conservation of Resources Theory, and the Demands-Resources-Individual Needs Model by Bakker provide the theoretical framework. The original contribution is a theory-driven, empirically grounded Nigerian Academic Burnout Model incorporating cultural risk factors not represented in existing models, supported by longitudinal evidence from multiple geopolitical zones. Findings will generate evidence-based guidance for university student wellness policy across Nigeria's higher education system. Keywords: academic burnout, university students, longitudinal model, Nigerian higher education, multi-wave.