STUDENTS PERCEIVED ACADEMIC STRESS, SENSE OF BELONGING, ADAPTABILITY, SPORTS AND DEPRESSION IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC

Abstract

"The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for academia. Educators and students hopes for a short duration of the pandemic were disappointed soon and in 2021, one year after the onset of the pandemic, most universities were still restricted to online teaching. At the same time, ensuing restrictions due to COVID-19 coupled with uncertainty about the duration of these adverse circumstances, brought high pressure for many students. Within this background, the present study focuses on the question, to which degree students could develop and use coping mechanisms in these adverse circumstances and draw on personal resources such as sense of belonging, adaptability, and stress-outbalancing behaviors like sports. The aim of this study was to evaluate Austrian students perceived academic stress and was conducted from May to July 2021. Altogether, 202 students, 71 males (35.1%) and 131 females (64.9%) between 18 to 52 years old (M=23.74, SD=5.26) participated. Statistical analyses found significant correlations between perceived academic stress and sense of belonging (socially and organizationally), adaptability, depression, but no significant correlation with sports. In the regression, three variables significantly contributed to the assessment of academic stress. Adaptability and sense of belonging to a peer-group as well as adaptability decreased perceived academic stress. In contrast, depressive symptoms were positively related to academic stress. Altogether, 34.0% of the variance could be explained by the regression equation. Higher levels of perceived academic stress could mostly be explained by a lack of adaptability to the actual situation and sense of belonging to a peer group but a higher amount of perceived depression. These results point at measures that can be taken to alleviate students’ stress. Perceived academic stress and mental-health problems like depressive symptoms should not be taken too lightly, as they do not only concern only individual students, but have consequences for the university as a whole."