Illegitimate tasks predict Chinese school and college counselors’ job burnout via perceived organizational support

Mental health counselors in Chinese schools and colleges often undertake tasks beyond their role descriptions, yet there is a scarcity of research on the relationship between such illegitimate tasks and job burnout as well as the underlying mechanisms. This study explored the mediating role of perceived organizational support in the relationship between illegitimate tasks and job burnout among school and college counselors in China. We recruited 554 participants who completed three self-report scales. The results showed that illegitimate tasks positively predicted job burnout among school and college counselors, and perceived organizational support partially mediated this relationship. Our findings have implications for improving the well-being of counselors and the standardization of mental health education systems from primary school to college in China.