Psychological Approaches to Academic Dropout in University Students: A Case Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57125/FS.2026.03.20.12Keywords:
academic dropout, psychological intervention, university students, self-efficacy, Romania, higher education, mental health, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, self-determination theory, emotional regulation, sense of belonging.Abstract
Academic dropout remains one of the most pressing challenges facing European higher education systems, with significant personal, institutional, and socioeconomic consequences. This article examines the psychological determinants of student attrition at Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (ULBS), Romania, drawing on empirical data, validated survey instruments, and semi-structured interviews conducted between 2022 and 2025 (N = 847 quantitative; n = 32 qualitative). We analyse the roles of academic self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, emotional dysregulation, and sense of belonging in dropout decisions, and propose a multi-level psychological intervention framework grounded in cognitive-behavioural theory and self-determination theory. Our findings indicate that psychological factors — particularly low academic self-efficacy and unaddressed mental health burden — are primary and independent predictors of dropout intention, explaining 31.4% of unique variance after controlling for sociodemographic variables. Structural equation modelling reveals that emotional dysregulation operates partially through self-efficacy and belonging as mediators. Qualitative thematic analysis surfaces four experiential themes: the collapse of the competent self, the invisible threshold of escalating distress, motivation without meaning, and help not taken and help not given. Institutional implications and a tiered intervention framework for ULBS counselling services are discussed.
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