Stress among Students in Higher Educational Institutions in India: Causes, Effects and Coping Styles

Abstract

Students may experience stress due to academic reasons, friends and peers, workload, teachers, parents, job and career aspirations and financial problems. It leads to distress causing physical, psychological, emotional and behavioral problems and to cope with stress, students adopt different kinds of coping styles. The present study was conducted in higher educational institutions in India to examine cases and effects of stress and to analyze coping styles prevailing among students. Online survey was conducted in which 616 students from colleges and universities from 26 states in India participated. It was found that the percentage of students experiencing high level of stress was maximum in case of job and career factor. Stress had direct positive correlation with various types of effects. The main effects were behavioral and psychological. In order to cope with stress, students mainly watched videos and films on U Tube, television, Netflix, etc. Talked to someone, used social media. They scored low on negative coping styles like consumption of cigarette/tobacco, drugs and alcohol.