Dropout intention in doctoral studies: modelling the roles of demands, resources, engagement and burnout

Doctoral attrition presents ongoing challenges for higher education, with implications for student wellbeing, research productivity and institutional sustainability. Although Demands-Resources frameworks have been applied in work and educational contexts, their use in doctoral studies remains fragmented and rarely examined through an integrated model. This study thus applies a contextualised Doctoral Demands–Resources (DD-R) model to investigate how doctoral demands (cognitive load and home-work interference) and resources (supervisory and research community support) relate to study engagement, study burnout and dropout intention. Survey data from 366 doctoral students at a large research-intensive Australian university were analysed using structural equation modelling. Supervisory and community support positively predicted engagement, whereas cognitive demands and home–work interference predicted burnout. Engagement showed a strong negative association with dropout intention, and burnout showed a positive association. Mediation analyses indicated that engagement fully mediated the effects of supervisory and community support on dropout intention, while burnout partially mediated the effect of home-work interference. Notably, research community support predicted both higher engagement and higher burnout, suggesting a dual role for community involvement. The study offers an integrated model of doctoral wellbeing and persistence, providing evidence to inform institutional policies and practices aimed at reducing attrition and supporting doctoral researchers.