The Effect of Extracurricular Activities on the Burnout of Adolescents

Overview

In recent years, depression has become an increasingly concerning topic of discussion in public high school. Less discussed is burnout, which is often mistaken for depression. The syndromes are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but they are treated differently. It is possible that teenagers experience burnout due to constant participation in clubs and community service activities they believe necessary to gain entry into competitive colleges. It was hypothesized that adolescents participating in sports will have lower burnout scores than others because better health likely leads to less burnout. It was also hypothesized that, due to competing priorities, adolescents participating in more weekly extracurricular activity hours would have higher burnout scores. In order to test the hypotheses, Richland School District 2 students were sent a survey asking about their extra-curricular activities. The adolescents then filled out the Maslach Burnout Inventory, which interpreted their burnout on a numerical scale. Results were tabulated and compared. An ANOVA showed no difference in burnout between students in any of the extracurricular time commitment categories F(5,120)=0.184, p>0.05. Likewise, a 2 sample Z test revealed no difference between sport participants (M=60.1, SD=19.4) and non-participants(M=59.5, SD=17.7), z=0.186, p>0.05. Therefore, neither of the hypotheses was supported. While extracurricular activities do not decrease burnout, neither do they increase it, thus they should remain a part of a well rounded education.

Competition history

• AJAS 2020 Category not listed

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