Psychological Well-Being and Work Factors among Current Students and Graduates of a Socio-Legal Master’s Program

Abstract

In Chilean higher education, perceived stress and burnout have become established as significant problems affecting psychological well-being, especially in postgraduate programs that require balancing work, academic, and family demands. Family well-being appears to be a potential protective factor, although there are few comparisons between current students and graduates. This study aimed to compare levels of perceived stress, burnout, and family well-being between current students (n=71) and graduates (n=36) of the Master's Program in Socio-Legal Intervention in Families, considering differences according to sex, age, and emotional status. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted using the PSS-10, a brief burnout scale, and a family well-being scale with 107 participants (80% women; mean age 39.7 years). Welch's t-tests, Pearson correlations, and multiple regressions were used. No significant differences were observed in stress or burnout between the groups, but significant differences were found in family well-being, which was more favorable among graduates. Multivariate analysis indicated that burnout and stress negatively predict family well-being. Differences were also found by sex, with women reporting higher rates of burnout. The results highlight the need for institutional interventions aimed at strengthening work-life balance and postgraduate support.