Management Journal for Advanced Research

2. Literature Review

Subramani and Kadhiravan (2017) revealed the link between academic stress and mental health among students. He endorsed that academic stress and mental health are correlated and that students are cramped with the academic structure. Parents and schools pressurize the students way too much for the higher grades that disheartens the students, further to add on there is not enough support from the parents and school in terms of guidance. The students are mentally healthy when they perform constructively in the academic forums. They also propounded that students from private schools are more pressurized as compared to students from government schools due to the excess of homework and other academic related assignments. Significant difference in mental health of students from private and government schools was found. He asserted that students from private schools have a different nurturing and vast exposure as compared to government school students who belong to poor socio economic background and lack of exposure. This is one of the reasons for the escalation of stress. Sharma et al. (2016) in their study stated the use of various methods to curb stress. Doing one physical exercise on daily basis can address the concern of stress. One can also adopt to various time management tools and get involved with leisure activities which can benefit students. Also, it was suggested that colleges should have a conducive ambience to curtail the stress. Change in the style of delivery from teachers end and providing mentors can bring fresh air to the teaching style. Prabu (2015) researched on the higher secondary students and implied that male students are more stressed than the female students. Urban student’s academic stress is greater than the rural students. Government school student’s stress is lower than the private school student’s stress. Students from Science stream are more stressed than the students from Arts. Deb et al. (2014), studied on 400 male students from five private secondary schools in Kolkata who were studying in grades 10 and 12. 35 percent students were found to have high academic stress and 37 percent were found to have high anxiety levels. Students with marginal grades were said to have higher level of stress as compared to students with better grades. Also, students involved with extra-curricular activities were noted to be more stressed as related to those students who were not involved with it.

1. Self-Esteem and Self-Perception.

2. Lack of Social Support: Students with limited social support may struggle to cope with academic and personal challenges, leading to increased stress and anxiety.

3. Family Dynamics: Unhealthy family dynamics, such as conflict or high expectations, can negatively impact a student's mental health and contribute to stress and anxiety.

4. Peer Relationships: Peer pressure, bullying, or social isolation can also contribute to stress and anxiety.

5. Past Experiences and Coping Mechanisms:Past trauma or stressful experiences can make students more vulnerable to anxiety and stress in the future.Students with poor coping skills may struggle to manage stress and anxiety effectively, leading to negative consequences.

As we know that the student life was affected and has changed to a level after the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on students' mental health, contributing to increased stress and anxiety levels.

• Disruption of Routine and Uncertainty: Many students were forced to adjust to remote learning, which disrupted their routines and sense of normalcy. This disruption, combined with uncertainty about the future (e.g., when schools would reopen, how classes would proceed, etc.), led to feelings of anxiety and stress.
• Transition to Online Learning: Students had to adapt to online learning quickly, which led to challenges such as lack of access to reliable internet, unsuitable home environments for studying, or struggles with navigating new technology.
• Health Concerns: Students worried about their own health and the health of their loved ones, especially those who were at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

My research paper also made an emphasis and worked on whether what are different factors that causes stress and anxiety to them as a students and below is the responses covered:

• Well, the academic pressure plays a huge role for stress and anxiety in a student's life. Academics brings up burden for a student. The stress of getting good grades and the anxiety of not having good grades make their life hell.
• It prevents students from enjoying their academic life fully and thus contribute to stress and anxiety.
• While academic pressure, if in the right balance, can create a healthy studying environment, it can also inculcate stress resulting from peer pressure and unrealistic expectations. All the cut-throat competition and persistent expectations causes a lot of anxiety and stress in students.
• Fear of failure.
• The academic pressure really suffocates some students...specially demotivating teachers and constant comparison..every student shoul feel heard nd understood as they also have mental and emotional issues.
• Students face fear of failure, overloaded schedule, lack of sleep, pressure of career etc.
• Sometimes it does affect our stress and anxiety. Too much pressure of assignments sometimes leads to absolute stress.
• By creating high expectations, excessive workload, competition, and fear of failure, leading to mental and physical exhaustion.
• Depends on the Situation basically.... Sometimes it is Pressure, sometimes it's not. Depending on the Student.
• Fear falling short of expectations the academic workload is overwhelming sometimes.
• It adds upon more stress. Sometimes become the sole reason to be stressed.

The ongoing global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have further exacerbated these challenges, highlighting the importance of addressing mental health in educational settings.

Given the significant impact stress and anxiety can have on students, it is crucial for universities and institutions to prioritize mental health by providing accessible counselling services, offering stress-reduction programs, and fostering a supportive and understanding campus environment. Students themselves must be equipped with effective coping strategies and resilience-building skills to manage stress in healthy ways. Furthermore, creating a culture where seeking help is normalized and supported is essential for ensuring students' well-being.

Ultimately, the ability to manage stress and anxiety is not just about academic success but about nurturing holistic well-being. By addressing the underlying factors contributing to stress and anxiety and promoting resources for students, we can help ensure a healthier, more balanced student experience, equipping them to face challenges both during their academic journey and in their future endeavours.

References

1. Foroughi, B., Griffiths, M. D., Iranmanesh, M., & Salamzadeh, Y. (2021). Associations between Instagram addiction, academic performance, social anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction among university students. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.

2. Hjeltnes, A., Molde, H., Schanche, E., Vøllestad, J., Lillebostad Svendsen, J., Moltu, C., & Binder, P. E. (2017). An open trial of mindfulness‐based stress reduction for young adults with social anxiety disorder. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.

3. Lin, X. J., Zhang, C. Y., Yang, S., Hsu, M. L., Cheng, H., Chen, J., & Yu, H. (2020). Stress and its association with academic performance among dental undergraduate students in Fujian, China: a cross-sectional online questionnaire survey. BMC Medical Education, 20(1), 181.

4. Geng, G., & Midford, R. (2015). Investigating first year education students’ stress level. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(6).