Academic Stress and Coping Behaviors among Social Work Students in a Philippine State University
Abstract
Academic stress is a pervasive challenge that affects students' learning and well-being. This study examined the academic stress of Bachelor of Science in Social Work students at a state university in Claveria, Misamis Oriental, Philippines, focusing on its level, causes, differences across year levels, and coping strategies. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-method design, data were collected from 266 students through the Academic Stress Inventory and open-ended responses, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and thematic analysis. Results revealed that students experienced moderate academic stress, particularly related to teachers, test performance, time management, and self-inflicted pressures. Significant differences were found in test-related and self inflicted stress across year levels, with first- and third-year students reporting higher levels. The main stressors were examinations, parental expectations, poor time management, and instructor-related demands. To cope, students engaged in spiritual practices, quality time with family and peers, music, self-motivation, and time management strategies. Based on these findings, a 10-week stress-reduction program was developed to support students’ well-being and academic success. This study contributes to the growing literature on academic stress in Philippine higher education and provides a practical intervention model for social work students and similar academic programs.
Keywords:
Academic stress, social work students, stressors, coping strategies, stress- reduction program, Philippine higher education
References
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Banerjee, N., and Chatterjee, I. (2016). Academic stress, suicidal ideation and mental health among 1st semester and 3rd semester medical, engineering and general stream students. Journal of Arts, Science and Commerce, 7(3), 73-80. https://doi.org/10.18843/RWJASC/V7I3/09
Baste, V. S., and Gadkari, J. V. (2014). Study of stress, self-esteem and depression in medical students and effect of music on perceived stress. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 58(3), 298-301.
Bedewy, D., and Gabriel, A. (2015). Examining perceptions of academic stress and its sources among university students: The perception of academic stress scale. Health Psychology Open, 2(2), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102915596714
Best, J. W., and Kahn, J. V. (2006). Research in education. Prentice Hall of India Pvt. Ltd.
Braun, V., and Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
Freire, C., Ferradas, M. del M., Regueiro, B., Rodriguez, S., Valle, A., and Nunez, J. C. (2020). Coping strategies and self-efficacy in university students: A person-centered approach. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 841. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00841
Fitzgerald, J. (2019, March 3). Test-related stress and student scores on high-stakes exams. NBER. https://www.nber.org/digest/mar19/test-related-stress-and-student-scores-high-stakes-exams
Given, L. M. (2008). The SAGE encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. Sage.
Greenberg, M. T., Brown, J. L., and Abenavoli, R. M. (2016). Teacher stress and health. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2016/07/teacher-stress-and-health.html
James, C. (2015, August 11). NYU study examines top high school students stress and coping mechanisms. New York University. https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2015/august/nyu-study-examines-top-high-school-students-stress-and-coping-mechanisms.html
Kwaah, C. Y., and Essilfie, G. (2017). Stress and coping strategies among distance education students at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, 18(3), 120-134.
Lazarus, R. S., and Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. Springer.
Leonard, N. R., Gwadz, M. V., Ritchie, A., Linick, J. L., Cleland, C. M., Elliott, L., and Grethel, M. (2015). A multi-method exploratory study of stress, coping, and substance use among high school youth in private schools. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 1028. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01028
Lin, Y. M., and Chen, F. S. (2009). Academic stress inventory of students at universities and colleges of technology. World Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, 7(2), 157-162.
Portoghese, I., Porru, F., Galletta, M., Campagna, M., and Burdorf, A. (2020). Stress among medical students: Factor structure of the University Stress Scale among Italian students. BMJ Open, 10, e035255. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-035255
Reddy, K. J., Menon, K. R., and Thattil, A. (2018). Academic stress and its sources among university students. Biomedical and Pharmacology Journal, 11(1), 531-537. https://doi.org/10.13005/bpj/1404
Reynolds, P. (2022, November 10). Managing stress in high school. Harvard Summer School, Harvard Division of Continuing Education. https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/managing-stress-in-high-school/
Saha, D. (2017, May 8). Every hour one student commits suicide in India. Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/health-and-fitness/every-hour-one-student-commits-suicide-in-india/story-7UFFhSs6h1HNgrNO60FZ2O.html
Sohail, N. (2013). Stress and academic performance among medical students. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, 23(1), 67-71.
Sparks, S. D. (2017, June 7). How teachers stress affects students: A research roundup. Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/education/how-teachers-stress-affects-students-a-research-roundup/2017/06
Tatter, G. (2019, February 12). Tests and stress bias. Harvard Graduate School of Education. https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/19/02/tests-and-stress-bias
Terada, Y. (2022, October 14). The psychological toll of high-stakes testing. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/psychological-toll-high-stakes-testing/
Thakkar, A. (2018, April 6). Academic stress in students. Medium. https://medium.com/one-future/academic-stress-in-students-498c34f064d7
Tuladhar, J. B. (2021). Perceived psychological stress among undergraduate students: Role of academic factors of a medical college of Kathmandu. Journal of Gandaki Medical College Nepal, 14(1), 59-62. https://doi.org/10.3126/jgmcn.v14i1.36233
Wettstein, A., Schneider, S., Holtforth, M. G., and La Marca, R. (2021). Teacher stress: A psychobiological approach to stressful interactions in the classroom. Frontiers in Education, 6, 681258. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.681258
Zauderer, S. (2023, January 11). 47 student stress statistics (high school and college). Cross River Therapy. https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/student-stress-statistics
Published
2025-12-20
Section
Articles
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