Predictors of Stress in College Students

Bibliographic Data

ID23356176
AuthorsDalia Saleh (0000-0002-8459-5835, Latakia University, corresponding author), Nathalie Camart (Université Paris Nanterre), Lucia Romo (0000-0002-9432-0528, Université Paris Nanterre)
Year2017
Volume8
Pages19-19
Publication date2017-01-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1664-1078 • E-ISSN: 1664-1078
PublisherFrontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00019
PMID28179889
OpenAlexW2581297649
LanguageEN
Citations received69
References cited50

University students often face different stressful situations and preoccupations: the first contact with the university, the freedom of schedule organization, the selection of their master's degree, very selective fields, etc. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a model of vulnerability to stress in French college students. Stress factors were evaluated by a battery of six scales that was accessible online during 3 months. A total of 483 students, aged between 18 and 24 years (Mean = 20.23, standard deviation = 1.99), was included in the study. The results showed that 72.9, 86.3, and 79.3% of them were suffering from psychological distress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. More than half the sample was also suffering from low self-esteem (57.6%), little optimism (56.7%), and a low sense of self-efficacy (62.7%). Regression analyses revealed that life satisfaction, self-esteem, optimism, self-efficacy and psychological distress were the most important predictors of stress. These findings allow us to better understand stress-vulnerability factors in students and drive us to substantially consider them in prevention programs.

Linguistics · Stress (linguistics) · Applied Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Grit, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation · Health and Well-being Studies · Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction · Psychology · Social Psychology