Sergeyev Nicole, Bodek Hannah, Krishnan Anjali, Rabin Laura, Fasano Katherine, Jones Jaia, Miles Rona
Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
BMC Psychol. 2025 Jul 31;13(1):851. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03142-9.
Academic stress among some college students has intensified in the post-pandemic landscape. While stress management strategies for college students have been explored, it remains essential to investigate which resources students utilize to reduce academic stress and which are most helpful, particularly in diverse populations. Additionally, it is important to explore how mental health literacy (MHL), a contributing factor in the recognition of mental health issues and improving mental health outcomes, influences help-seeking behaviors, specifically for academic stress.
This study aims to help fill these knowledge gaps by exploring the relationships between academic stress, help-seeking behaviors, and MHL in a diverse sample of 450 undergraduate students (M = 21.47, 64.7% female, 76% non-white). Participants completed in-person assessments of a modified scale for academic stress and the Mental Health Literacy Assessment-college (MHLA-c) and reported their preferred academic stress reduction methods and demographics. Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to assess academic stress scores across demographic (gender, ethnicity) and academic (year in school, major) groups, while binary regression analyses were conducted to assess the predictive power of MHL in endorsing stress-reduction resources.
Greater mental health knowledge significantly predicted using both informal (e.g., peer/family) and formal (e.g., counseling services) stress-reduction methods to alleviate academic stress. Hispanic and female students reported significantly higher levels of academic stress, primarily driven by concerns over assessments and pressure to meet personal expectations. Students predominately relied on social support and counseling services to reduce this stress and found peer and familial support the most helpful.
These findings are critical in shaping targeted intervention approaches to enhance MHL and in addressing the needs of high-risk groups to reduce academic stress burdens and consequences.
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-025-03142-9.
在疫情后的环境中，一些大学生的学业压力有所加剧。虽然已经探索了大学生的压力管理策略，但调查学生利用哪些资源来减轻学业压力以及哪些资源最有帮助仍然至关重要，特别是在不同人群中。此外，探索心理健康素养（MHL）这一在识别心理健康问题和改善心理健康结果方面的影响因素如何影响求助行为，特别是对于学业压力的求助行为，也很重要。
本研究旨在通过在450名本科生（平均年龄21.47岁，64.7%为女性，76%为非白人）的多样化样本中探索学业压力、求助行为和MHL之间的关系，来填补这些知识空白。参与者完成了一份修改后的学业压力量表和大学生心理健康素养评估（MHLA-c）的现场评估，并报告了他们首选的学业压力减轻方法和人口统计学信息。进行了Kruskal-Wallis检验，以评估不同人口统计学（性别、种族）和学业（年级、专业）组的学业压力得分，同时进行二元回归分析，以评估MHL在认可压力减轻资源方面的预测能力。
更高的心理健康知识显著预测了使用非正式（如同伴/家人）和正式（如咨询服务）压力减轻方法来缓解学业压力。西班牙裔和女性学生报告的学业压力水平显著更高，主要是由于对评估的担忧和满足个人期望的压力。学生主要依靠社会支持和咨询服务来减轻这种压力，并发现同伴和家庭支持最有帮助。
这些发现对于制定有针对性的干预方法以提高MHL以及满足高危群体的需求以减轻学业压力负担和后果至关重要。
在线版本包含可在10.1186/s40359-025-03142-9获取的补充材料。
