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 9 / 16 There was also no significant serial mediating effect of academic burnout through psychache in Group 1 (β = .046, 95% percentile CI [−.014,.119]), Group 2 (β = .002, 95% percentile CI [−.095,.115]), and Group 3 (β = .078, 95% per- centile CI [.002,.173]). Similarly, there was no significant serial mediating effect of academic burnout through hope- lessness in Group 1 (β = .021, 95% percentile CI [−.003,.056]), Group 2 (β = .000, 95% percentile CI [−.019,.027]), and Group 3 (β = .024, 95% percentile CI [.002,.067]). Global model fit was mixed, CFI = .890, NFI = .891, GFI = .946, and RMSEA = .224. The culture expectation model. We tested the specified model with the exogenous variable cultural expectation (Fig 6). Results found no significant mediating effect of burnout for Group 1 (β = .000, 95% percentile CI [−.017,.013]), Group 2 (β = −.007, 95% percentile CI [−.038,.005]), and Group 3 (β = −.008, 95% percentile CI [−.035,.010]). There was a significant full mediating effect of psychache in Group 1 (β = .106, 95% percentile CI [.014,.200]), Group 2 (β = .148, 95% percentile CI [.073,.239]), and Group 3 (β = .134, 95% percentile CI [.064,.213]). However, a significant mediating effect of hopelessness in Group 3 (β = .049, 95% percentile CI [.015,.098]) but not for Group 1(β = .036, 95% percentile CI [−.025,.099]) and Group 2 (β = .024, 95% percentile CI [−.003,.074]). Additionally, results show a significant serial mediating effect of burnout through psychache for Group 3 (β = .063,

95% percentile CI [.026,.123]) but not for Group1 (β = .025, 95% percentile CI [−.025,.086]) and Group 2 (β = .051, 95% percentile CI [−.008,.118]). Similarly, results show a significant serial mediating effect of burnout through hopelessness for Group 3 (β = .020, 95% percentile CI [.007,.047]) but not for Group 1 (β = .011, 95% percentile CI [−.013,.039]) and Group 2 (β = .011, 95% percentile CI [−.001,.031]). Global model fit was mixed, CFI = .898, NFI = .898, GFI = .948, and RMSEA = .218. Fig 4. Parental expectation models. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0337831.g004