Job stress and burnout among lecturers: a systematic literature review and meta analysis.

Background: The significance of higher education is essential for human progress. University lecturers face increasing demands in teaching, research and management, which often leads to increased job stress and burnout. Although numerous studies have investigated this relationship, the results are still inconsistent. This study performed an extensive literature review and meta-analysis to elucidate the association between lecturer job stress and burnout. Method: We conducted a systematic search in four major databases, SCOPUS, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar, and obtained all studies published until 2025. All studies set inclusion and exclusion criteria, and all cross-sectional studies were quality assessed using the JBI literature quality assessment form. Finally, 20 articles were included. The overall correlation coefficient of all literature was calculated by meta-analysis, and possible moderating factors such as country and gender were explored by subgroup analysis. Results: According to the meta-analysis, a strong positive correlation exists between job stress and burnout among university lecturers, as evidenced by a combined correlation coefficient of r = 0.452, a confidence interval of [0.380, 0.519], Z = 10.911, and p < 0.001, which was a moderate-high effect size. In the regression analysis, gender was not significant; however, in the subgroup analysis, cultural background and measurement tools exerted significant effects as moderator variables. Conclusion: This study aimed to further explore the relationship between job stress and burnout among university lecturers. The results provide comprehensive and accurate data support for how job stress affects burnout among lecturers in higher education, and have practical implications for universities to formulate targeted intervention measures. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO Registration: CRD420251073039, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/myprospero, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023456789.