Uncovering the mechanism linking education expectation and suicide ideation among students in tertiary education: The mediating role of academic burnout, psychache, and hopelessness

PLOS One | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0337831 December 18, 2025 7 / 16 Serial mediation analysis The self expectation model. We tested the specified model with the exogenous variable self expectation (Fig 3). Results found no significant indirect mediating effect of burnout for Group 1 (β = .002, 95% percentile CI [−.014,.019]), Group 2 (β = .008, 95% percentile CI [−.005,.032]), and Group 3 (β = .007, 95% percentile CI [−.007,.028]). There was also no significant indirect mediating effect of psychache for Group 1 (β = .029, 95% percentile CI [−.017,.088]), Group 2 (β = .050, 95% percentile CI [−.004,.127]), and Group 3 (β = .024, 95% percentile CI [−.026,.082]). No significant indirect mediating effect was also found for hopelessness in Group 1 (β = −.026, 95% percentile CI [−.063,.005]), Group2 (β = −.017, 95% percentile CI [−.047,.000]), and Group 3 (β = −.019, 95% percentile CI [−.055,.007]). A significant negative indirect serial mediating effect of academic burnout through psychache was found in Group 1 (β = −.042, 95% percentile CI [−.080, −.017]), Group 2 (β = −.053, 95% percentile CI [−.105, −.019]), and Group 3 (β = −.053, 95% percentile CI [−.098, −.019]). Similarly, a significant negative indirect serial mediating effect of academic burnout through hopelessness was found in Group 1 (β = −.017, 95% percentile CI [−.038, −.006]), Group 2 (β = −.010, 95% percentile CI [−.029, −.003]), and Group 3 (β = −.016, 95% percentile CI [−.039, −.005]). Global model fit was mixed, CFI = .884, NFI = .884, GFI = .942, and RMSEA = .233.

The parental expectation model. We tested the specified model with the exogenous variable parental expectation (Fig 4). Results found no significant mediating effect of burnout in Group 1 (β = .000, 95% percentile Table 2. Differences across samples. Source of expectation Sample group M SD F Self Malaysia 46.04 8.498 4.460* Singapore 43.54 9.188 Australia 44.71 8.262 Parents Malaysia 15.65 4.315 11.188** Singapore 14.52 4.642 Australia 13.54 5.075 Educators Malaysia 17.21 3.658 9.556** Singapore 16.18 3.534 Australia 15.73 3.776 Culture Malaysia 22.97 4.525 36.078** Singapore 21.46 5.144 Australia 18.73 6.108 Academic Burnout Malaysia 32.27 9.588 .189 Singapore 31.95 9.249 Australia .31.71 9.838 Psychache Malaysia 20.03 12.160 .144 Singapore 19.83 11.413 Australia 19.46 11.665 Hopelessness Malaysia 1.46 1.908 3.641* Singapore 1.37 1.857 Australia 1.01 1.637 Suicide ideation Malaysia 16.31 7.474 1.270 Singapore 16.84 7.648 Australia 15.67 7.464 Note. Bolded values indicate mean scores that are different. *p < .05, **p < .001. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0337831.t002