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Stressors among Young Australian University Students: A Qualitative Study

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Title: Stressors among Young Australian University Students: A Qualitative Study
Language: English
Authors: Logan, Bonnie, Burns, Sharyn (ORCID 0000-0002-1551-2805)
Source: Journal of American College Health. 2023 71(6):1753-1760.
Availability: Taylor & Francis. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 8
Publication Date: 2023
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, Universities, Mental Health, Stress Variables, Well Being, Self Esteem, Interpersonal Relationship, Financial Problems, Employment Problems, Foreign Students, Time Management, Student Responsibility
Geographic Terms: Australia
DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1947303
ISSN: 0744-8481
1940-3208
Abstract: Objective: To explore stressors among young university students. Participants: Twenty-nine 18- to 25-year-old university students. Method: Four focus group discussions (n = 29) were conducted to explore mental health and stressors among domestic and international university students. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify emerging themes and relationships. Results: Five primary stressors emerged from the data--Balance, Interpersonal Relationships, Future Prospects, Performance Pressure and Financial Issues and Employment. Although many distinct relationships were identified between themes, "Balance" affected and influenced most other stressors. Conclusions: Five stressors were identified, most of which related to a lack of balance and time-management. Too many competing commitments and difficulty prioritizing were key influences. Interventions and policy to address stressors in students may reduce student psychological stress. Universities can provide support for students to prioritize commitments, provide flexible study opportunities and offer financial guidance.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2023
Accession Number: EJ1400412
Database: ERIC
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  Value: <anid>AN0171952243;acl01aug.23;2023Sep19.05:38;v2.2.500</anid> <title id="AN0171952243-1">Stressors among young Australian university students: A qualitative study </title> <p>To explore stressors among young university students. Twenty-nine 18- to 25-year-old university students. Four focus group discussions (n = 29) were conducted to explore mental health and stressors among domestic and international university students. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify emerging themes and relationships. Five primary stressors emerged from the data: Balance, Interpersonal Relationships, Future Prospects, Performance Pressure and Financial Issues and Employment. Although many distinct relationships were identified between themes, "Balance" affected and influenced most other stressors. Five stressors were identified, most of which related to a lack of balance and time-management. Too many competing commitments and difficulty prioritizing were key influences. Interventions and policy to address stressors in students may reduce student psychological stress. Universities can provide support for students to prioritize commitments, provide flexible study opportunities and offer financial guidance.</p> <p>Keywords: Balance; mental health; qualitative research; stressors; students; university; young adults</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-2">Introduction</hd> <p>Adolescence and young adulthood is a critical time for change in regards to self-esteem, autonomy and maturation. Consequentially, manifestation of mental illness is common between 12 and 20 years of age.[<reflink idref="bib1" id="ref1">1</reflink>] The National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing reports 45% of Australians had a mental disorder at some point in their life, while 20% did so in the previous 12 months. Younger people reported higher rates of recent mental disorders, with 26% of Australian youth aged 16–24 being affected.[<reflink idref="bib2" id="ref2">2</reflink>]</p> <p>Young students are at particularly high risk with one Australian study finding university students to be up to four times more likely to be distressed than their age-matched non-student counterparts.[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref3">3</reflink>] Similarly, other Australian research[<reflink idref="bib4" id="ref4">4</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib5" id="ref5">5</reflink>] along with studies in the United States,[<reflink idref="bib6" id="ref6">6</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib7" id="ref7">7</reflink>] Canada,[<reflink idref="bib8" id="ref8">8</reflink>] central Europe[<reflink idref="bib9" id="ref9">9</reflink>] and the United Kingdom[<reflink idref="bib10" id="ref10">10</reflink>] demonstrate concerns around mental health problems among young university students. Despite high rates of distress, there is a low rate of help-seeking and medical diagnosis among university students.[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref11">3</reflink>] Much of this research employs quantitative measures.[<reflink idref="bib3" id="ref12">3</reflink>],[[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref13">11</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref14">13</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib15" id="ref15">15</reflink>]]</p> <p>Data from three national surveys on distress levels found being younger, the presence of financial stress, and part-time or casual employment were associated with higher levels of distress among Australian university students.[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref16">12</reflink>] Stressors among university students are complex,[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref17">12</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib16" id="ref18">16</reflink>] although some student distress may be attributed to high academic demand, limited flexibility and lack of downtime.[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref19">12</reflink>] Australian studies found academic concerns, including time demands, amount of content required to learn,[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref20">17</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref21">18</reflink>] conflict with other activities[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref22">18</reflink>] and other's expectations to be stressors.[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref23">17</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref24">18</reflink>] Similarly a South African study reported the most common stressor for first year students to be financial difficulty, including high tuition fees and living expenses. Other common stressors included physical, emotional and mental difficulties.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref25">11</reflink>] Academic stressors and difficulty transitioning were found to be key themes associated with student stress among UK medical students. These students identified a lack of support for students from university administration.[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref26">14</reflink>]</p> <p>Some increases in stressors for this generation of students may be associated with the changing university environment. Australian universities now enroll greater numbers of students from more diverse backgrounds including mature age, international, regional, online and many "first-in-family" students. Many of these students juggle financial and community obligations in addition to family care responsibilities.[<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref27">19</reflink>] A review of mental health in Australian universities found rural/regional; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander; and law and medicine students to be at increased risk of mental health problems. Students from low socio-economic background and those which physical disabilities are also likely to be at increased risk. International students are influenced by a range of determinants that place them at increased risk.[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref28">20</reflink>]</p> <p>International students comprise approximate 26% of the Australian higher education student population. Risk factors which may exacerbate stressors include language barriers as well as displacement and disconnection from culture, religion and family.[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref29">20</reflink>] For example, Chinese international students at a Melbourne university (n = 224) were found to experience high levels of acculturation, which negatively affected mental wellbeing. Factors contributing to stress and poor mental wellbeing included difficulty with language barriers, a change in learning-style, social interactions and cultural differences when moving to Australia.[<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref30">21</reflink>]</p> <p>Young domestic and international university students are at increased risk of stressors.[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref31">20</reflink>] Thematic analysis was employed to explore stressors impacting 18- to 25-year-old Australian university students. Student perceptions of, and relationships between, these stressors was explored. Exploration of stressors may highlight sources of student distress and poor mental wellbeing. This information may assist universities optimize mental health support systems and guidelines to improve student wellbeing.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-3">Methods</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0171952243-4">Participants</hd> <p>Twenty-nine participants were recruited to participate in four focus groups of 6–8 participants undertaken over 8 weeks. Inclusion criteria required participants to be aged 18–25 years, and currently enrolled in a university course. Three groups comprised domestic students and one international students. International and domestic students were separated as literature suggests they may experience different difficulties or stressors.[<reflink idref="bib13" id="ref32">13</reflink>] It is suggested 2–3 focus groups is sufficient to address 80% of all themes, and 3–6 groups is sufficient to address 90% of themes.[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref33">12</reflink>] Sample size was also influenced by time and participant availability.</p> <p>Recruitment occurred via poster advertisements around a Western Australian university and on Facebook. Posters were also advertised in on-campus accommodation offices to target residential students. Participants were given a $25 movie voucher for volunteering their time.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-5">Data collection</hd> <p>Focus group discussions (FGDs) were utilized to collect qualitative information regarding mental health and stressors within young students. Demographic information, such as age, gender, international/domestic student, primary language and country of birth were collected by a short questionnaire. The interview guide was informed by the literature. Students were initially asked questions about what they thought mental health means and what young people do to care for their mental health. Students have been found to experience stressors at university, at home, and at work,[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref34">11</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref35">12</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref36">14</reflink>] hence some questions were asked to explore barriers and enablers related to these key constructs. Participants were also asked about programs they were aware of. The focus of this paper is on stressors for young university students.</p> <p>FGDs were approximately 40 minutes in duration and were all conducted by the first author, were audio recorded and later transcribed verbatim using the NVivo transcribing tool.[<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref37">22</reflink>] Transcriptions were member-checked with all participants, by verifying the transcript accurately represented the session's conversation.[<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref38">23</reflink>]</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-6">Data analysis</hd> <p>The FGD data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The use of thematic analysis enables a rich and detailed account of the data. A realist method was employed with the aim of reporting experiences and the reality of participants. The transcriptions and coding was managed using the NVIVO software.[<reflink idref="bib22" id="ref39">22</reflink>] Themes were formulated using an inductive approach, hence data was coded without a preexisting coding frame. Themes were identified using a semantic approach.[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref40">24</reflink>]</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-7">Rigor</hd> <p>To ensure robust and meaningful results, qualitative studies must be considered to be credible, transferable, dependable and confirmable.[<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref41">23</reflink>] Braun and Clarke's guidelines for thematic analysis were employed.[<reflink idref="bib24" id="ref42">24</reflink>] Initially the authors familiarized themselves with the data. Member-checking with participants was implemented to ensure transcriptions were representative of FGDs. The data analysis process, including the transcription and theme formulation, was cross-referenced with the second author to maintain confirmability. Initial codes were generated. Line-by-line analysis was employed to generate descriptive codes. Words and phrases were explored to determine shared meanings and perceptions. Using the initial codes, the authors summarized codes into meaningful themes. Original data was reviewed against preliminary themes before final themes were defined and named. Tree nodes were created to explain the themes, with five primary themes emerging. Transferability was ensured by providing detailed description of the research methods and results.[<reflink idref="bib23" id="ref43">23</reflink>]</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-8">Ethical considerations</hd> <p>Ethics approval was obtained from the Curtin University Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC-2017-0586). Participants were informed of the nature of the project and how data was to be collected and used via a participant information sheet and signed a consent form.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-9">Results</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0171952243-10">Participants</hd> <p>Participants (n = 29) took part in one of four FGDs; three domestic and one international student group. International and domestic students were separated to enable exploration of different difficulties or stressors. Most participants were domestic students (n = 22), and reported English as their primary language (n = 26). All participants were university students, and 65.5% (n = 19) were completing health-related studies. Approximately half (51.7%; n = 15) identified as female; the remainder as male. A breakdown of individual focus group demographics is presented in Table 1.</p> <p>Table 1. Demographics by focus group.</p> <p> <ephtml> <table><thead><tr><td /><td>Group 1 (n = 8)</td><td>Group 2 (n = 7)</td><td>Group 3 (n = 8)</td><td>Group 4 (n = 6)</td><td>Total sample</td></tr></thead><tbody valign="top"><tr><td>Gender, % (n)</td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Male</td><td char=".">62.5 (5)</td><td char=".">28.6 (2)</td><td char=".">25 (2)</td><td char=".">83.3 (5)</td><td char=".">48.3 (14)</td></tr><tr><td> Female</td><td char=".">37.5 (3)</td><td char=".">71.4 (5)</td><td char=".">75 (6)</td><td char=".">16.7 (1)</td><td char=".">51.7 (15)</td></tr><tr><td>Age, years</td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Mean</td><td char=".">22.4</td><td char=".">21.1</td><td char=".">21.8</td><td char=".">22.7</td><td /></tr><tr><td>Student-type, % (n)</td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Domestic</td><td char=".">100 (8)</td><td char=".">100 (7)</td><td char=".">100 (8)</td><td char=".">0</td><td char=".">79.3 (23)</td></tr><tr><td> International</td><td char=".">0</td><td char=".">0</td><td char=".">0</td><td char=".">100 (6)</td><td char=".">20.7 (6)</td></tr><tr><td>Primary language, % (n)</td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> English</td><td char=".">87.5 (7)</td><td char=".">100 (7)</td><td char=".">100 (8)</td><td char=".">66.7 (4)</td><td char=".">89.6 (29)</td></tr><tr><td> Non-English</td><td char=".">12.5 (1)</td><td char=".">0</td><td char=".">0</td><td char=".">33.3 (2)</td><td char=".">10.3 (3)</td></tr><tr><td>Faculty of study, % (n)</td><td /><td /><td /><td /><td /></tr><tr><td> Health-related<sup>a</sup></td><td char=".">87.5 (7)</td><td char=".">71.4 (5)</td><td char=".">87.5 (7)</td><td char=".">0</td><td char=".">65.5 (19)</td></tr><tr><td> Non health-related</td><td char=".">12.5 (1)</td><td char=".">28.6 (2)</td><td char=".">12.5 (1)</td><td char=".">100 (6)</td><td char=".">34.5 (10)</td></tr></tbody></table> </ephtml> </p> <p>1 Health-related disciplines included biomedical sciences, medical sciences, psychology, public health, social work, physiotherapy, sports science, nursing and occupational therapy.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-11">Mental health and wellbeing</hd> <p>Focus groups began with an introduction to the topic of mental health and wellbeing by discussing "what is mental health, and what does it mean to you?" Overall, participant's concepts of mental health were positive, focusing on mental wellbeing, emotional stability and resilience.</p> <p>Most participants considered being mentally healthy highly important for performance at university, work and generally in life. Participants discussed that poor mental health can damper confidence and productivity, which can further influence other aspects of life.</p> <p>If you don't have good mental health, you don't really feel like going through with work or university. Nothing really motivates you. It's sort of a vicious cycle, that further worsens your mental health and that demotivates you even more. (P16, male, domestic student)</p> <p>After establishing the importance of mental health and wellbeing, the groups discussed how they work to keep mentally healthy. Many participants discussed activities such as exercise, social activity, hobbies and relaxing. These activities assisted in providing an opportunity to "forget" about the stressors and issues in their life. As explained by P22, female, domestic student:</p> <p>Because I think taking a day and forgetting about what you're stressed about, it reminds you that that thing isn't your entire life. It shows there are so many aspects to life other than whatever it is that's getting you down.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-12">Stressors</hd> <p>Five primary themes explaining stressors emerged from the data; interpersonal relationships, balance, performance, future prospects and financial stress and employment.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-13">Balance</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0171952243-14">Lack of balance</hd> <p>Finding balance between different aspects of life was a source of stress for many students. Due to the nature of university life, and the presence of multiple other commitments, many students felt they were unable to adequately balance their lives.</p> <p>Participants expressed the difficulty of maintaining balance between work and study commitments, relationships and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, discussed the difficulty in dealing with multiple commitments, for example:</p> <p>Finding a balance. Between uni, work, family, friends, everything. Trying to stay healthy, exercising, eating well is difficult in between all of that. (P13, female domestic student)</p> <p>Balance and scheduling was identified as a major issue, and was often related to other issues. Many students felt a lack of balance negatively affected other aspects of their life, such as their ability to work or maintain relationships. Often, study would take priority over work, leisure or social activity to maintain good grades. P26, a male international student, explained his current situation:</p> <p>Now in final semester of engineering and commerce I can't be working every day. I can barely manage working twice a week; it's like doing what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.</p> <p>Along with negative influences of other commitments, participants felt the lack of balance was affecting their physical and mental health. The lack of free time resulted in a lack of self-care among students. Activities such as eating well, exercising, socializing, relaxing and sleeping were difficult with the busy schedule. The lack of free time and unhealthy lifestyle negatively impacted student mental wellbeing, with many students feeling "burned out." P16, a male domestic student, explained that self-care is not a priority to young people, when compared to maintaining grades and earning income:</p> <p>Even if the work itself isn't really stressing you, there is that good part of your life you have to sacrifice. People at a young age don't realise the importance of exercise or sleeping, seeing friends or family- you don't realise that. That's the first thing you sacrifice because you want to work and do uni. And that ends up affecting you negatively.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-15">Independence</hd> <p>Some participants attributed their inability to balance commitments with a newfound independence, gained from moving out or transitioning to university. Young people are faced with new responsibilities, such as managing finances, earning income, meal-planning, household management and decision-making.</p> <p>This new-found independence and lack of guidance resulted in poor decision-making and scheduling. They needed to adjust to incorporating these activities into their schedule, while maintaining other commitments. Students also felt that they tended to make poor decisions when prioritizing particular activities, for example:</p> <p>I think also when you start studying and you move out of your parents it also some difficulties, because you are not used to doing everything by yourself. Especially, because nobody is supervising you, you may invest time in stuff that is not maybe a good thing or supporting your uni life or career. (P28, male international student)</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-16">Interpersonal relationships</hd> <p></p> <hd id="AN0171952243-17">Conflict</hd> <p>Conflict at home was identified as a considerable stressor for some students. This included conflict between family members, or with housemates. Participants felt that even if they weren't personally involved with the conflict, it could still negatively affect them. P21, a female domestic student, explained how a marriage breakdown between her parents has affected her:</p> <p>My parents haven't broken up yet, but it's hard to deal with and I know now what a lot of people went through in high school. To know- which side do I take? Who's right? Who's wrong? Is there a right or wrong?</p> <p>Conflict with housemates was also identified as a common issue. P18, a female domestic student, explained that issues such as cleanliness, noise, and differences in lifestyle were common in her household. Although these factors often caused discomfort to P18, she admitted to not discussing these issues to her housemates as to avoid argument:</p> <p>So, if you're very [clean] but also if you're a person who likes going to bed early and they like staying up late making lots of music. You don't want to start conflict in the house, but you want your own way in certain things. You have to compromise some things, being in that atmosphere.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-18">Lack of understanding</hd> <p>Participants also discussed a lack of understanding of students from their families, friends and lecturers. Many participants feel as if they are misunderstood by peers with regard to time availability, flexibility, commitments and difficulty. These often involved conflict with non-university friends and family members. Some participants expressed that they would often feel pressured into dedicating time to their friends and family, regardless of university and work commitments. This was expressed by P1, a male domestic student:</p> <p>Like all my uni friends tend to understand how it can get. It's always the non-uni friends that can sometimes be a bit like "oh why can't we hang out." Because I have no time.</p> <p>Participants also tended to feel pressure from their lecturers when they were unable to come to classes. Some students expressed that some lecturers were inflexible when they had other commitments, such as work. P3, a male domestic student, discussed his experience with this issue:</p> <p>I have lecturers that are relentless- like I failed a unit this semester because I had to keep working. I kept trying to talk to the lecturer and said "I have to work on these dates." And it's like "Nuh I don't care, you do uni or you do work." And I was like "if I don't work I don't do uni. And if I don't do uni I don't work."</p> <p>This attitude was also expressed by employers, who misunderstood the university commitments students are required to uphold. Employers also tended to be inflexible with their student employees, and expected them to prioritize work. P3, a male domestic student, also had an experience with this situation:</p> <p>So I got fired this semester because I got rostered on when I had an exam. And when the boss told me I had the choice of working or doing my exam, I told him the exam. Then he called me and said "never come back to this venue again."</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-19">Making friends</hd> <p>International students, in particular, discussed the difficulty of making friends when they come to Australia. Once coming to Australia, the students had no family or friend connections. Therefore, meeting people and finding social groups was very difficult. Some students also admitted they tended to act differently to fit into a social group. P27, a male international student, described his experience:</p> <p>The major one I feel is just trying to fit in to a social group. A lot of people try to be like someone else instead of being themselves. Because everyone wants to fit in.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-20">Financial stress and employment</hd> <p>Financial stress was seen to be a considerable stressor for young students. As an extension, difficulties with employment was related to, or a direct cause of financial instability.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-21">Financial stress</hd> <p>Students expressed their frustration with difficulty budgeting and managing their finances. Stress often was associated with a lack of income, or difficulty saving money for important expenses. Some students also expressed that financial instability often had negative effects on their physical and mental health, as they could not afford basic necessities. P3, a male domestic student, explained how financial stress influenced his wellbeing:</p> <p>I failed all my units the whole year because I didn't have any income. So I wasn't eating, and then I kept getting sick. And then my mental health deteriorated because I couldn't eat.</p> <p>Some students explained that an inability to budget may stem from a transition into independence. As many move from their parent's homes, where they are financially supported, they are required to learn new skills to budget their expenses, for example:</p> <p>I think, especially moving straight from where your parents are financially supporting you a lot. I moved to university and my parents don't support me anymore. (P5, female domestic student)</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-22">Finding employment</hd> <p>Some students expressed the difficulty of finding employment as a student. Along with the competitive nature of finding internship positions, finding casual employment was also difficult. Some students discussed that employers tended to prefer non-students when hiring, this is highlighted by P3, a male domestic student:</p> <p>[Employers have] said "Oh you're a uni student?." I'm like "Yeah." And they're like "oh we're not interested in that."</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-23">Inconsistent hours</hd> <p>Those with employment also were impacted by the inconsistency and instability of casual employment. Some students would often receive a large number of hours one week, and then very little other weeks. This caused both financial stress, difficulty planning and budgeting, and difficulty planning schedules. P21, a female domestic student, explains her frustration:</p> <p>That's one of the biggest stressors in my life, is having income and a stable job, where I'm not gonna have one shift 1 week and nothing for months.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-24">Conflict at work</hd> <p>Conflict at work was another factor which caused stress for students. Workplace cohesion often influenced ability to enjoy work, build workplace relationships and mental wellbeing. Some students also felt their age affected how they were treated in the workplace as they were not respected by peers and customers, due to being young, being a student, and having less experience in the industry. This was evident by P4's comments, a male domestic student:</p> <p>I think sometimes being younger in the workforce, as you said "P3," people don't really respect that as much- respect you as much. Because maybe you haven't been in the industry as long, or because you're at uni.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-25">Future prospects</hd> <p>Future prospects regarding study and career were commonly discussed with competitiveness for jobs and internships enhancing stress about their future career. Participants felt uncertain whether they could obtain a job in their field once they graduated, whether their grades were adequate, and expressed concern around the transition from study to work. This theme also related to "performance pressure." P17, a female domestic student, discussed her concerns about the future:</p> <p>Also when you come to the end of your degree, I think there's a lot of anxiety about stopping studying and going into the workforce... and then it's like, what if the market is really saturated and you can't get a job?</p> <p>Career and study choice is also consequentially a primary stressor for students. Competitiveness and interest in discipline were considered to be major concerns when making career choices. However, many students were indecisive and unsure about choosing a discipline, which enhanced stressors. P16, a male domestic student, described the "directionless" feeling when he was unsure about his career-choice:</p> <p>One of the biggest ones for me was feeling directionless. Even if you're directionless, you put yourself in a groove- in a stream- and not being happy with that direction your life is taking. And not knowing how to change that- sometimes you feel helpless in that sense.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-26">Performance pressure</hd> <p>Performance pressure, particularly self-pressure, was a common stress experienced by students. Participants expressed that they often compared their performance with their peers, and this caused feelings of inadequacy.</p> <p>International students, in particular, felt they had an obligation to perform well, due to the high tuition fees. Failing a unit results in repaying fees, difficulties with visa and extension of the degree:</p> <p>There's that unsaid pressure like you can't fail because that's another 4k... It's more the time that you have to spend and the visa troubles. (P29, male international student)</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-27">Discussion</hd> <p>Five key themes were identified to explain student stressors. Themes were consistent for international and domestic students and included: financial issues, balance, interpersonal relationships, performance pressure and future prospects. Figure 1 outlines the relationships between these themes.</p> <p>PHOTO (COLOR): Figure 1. Model of contributing stressors experienced by young students.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-28">Balance</hd> <p>Balance also linked to other themes, such as relationships, employment and performance pressure (Figure 1). These factors impacted balance, as deadlines and commitments negatively affected time management. Balance also negatively affected other aspects, as students had less time to commit to work, impacted ability to perform well in studies and time available to spend with friends and family.</p> <p>Compared to other studies, balance was the most emphasized concern.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref44">11</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref45">14</reflink>] Similarly, a qualitative study of Australian medical students identified balance as a major concern, however, students prioritized many other commitments, such as family, part-time work, relaxation and socialization and were generally unwilling to exclude any aspects of their lifestyle.[<reflink idref="bib25" id="ref46">25</reflink>] This may be associated with the complexity of university life in Australia which has been highlighted in this study and elsewhere.[<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref47">19</reflink>] Students at Australian universities may experience more balance and time-management issues when compared to international samples, due to their range of commitments and inflexibility. Time-management has been identified as a stressor in another Australian study with some students feeling time-management issues may potentially threaten their ability to continue their education in the future.[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref48">17</reflink>] A lack of life balance has correlated with anxiety, depression and poor life satisfaction, in studies in working adults.[<reflink idref="bib26" id="ref49">26</reflink>]</p> <p>Many students, both domestic and international, in this study lived away from home and financially supported themselves. This may have also contributed to the emphasis on balance as a major stressor with many students juggling paid work, study and socialization.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-29">Financial issues and employment</hd> <p>Financial issues and employment were related to balance and interpersonal relationships (Figure 1). Balance influenced ability to work, while interpersonal relationships involved managing relationships within the workplace and with employers. Poor workplace relationships and lack of understanding from employers tended to influence desire or ability to work. The presence of financial issues as a stressor is consistent with other studies.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref50">11</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref51">12</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref52">18</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref53">27</reflink>] Similar to this study, financial issues have been found to significantly increase the risk of moderate and high distress with a large number of Australian university students experiencing financial issues, likely due to study priorities and lack of regular employment.[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref54">12</reflink>] As for other studies,[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref55">28</reflink>] the cost of university education in addition to living expenses, placed students in this study under financial pressure. Other research suggests students who are required to complete practicums as a component on their degree to suffer increased financial distress during these placements largely due to loss of income and transport costs. Work-related expenses and childcare were also identified as financial stressors.[<reflink idref="bib29" id="ref56">29</reflink>] While not an immediate finding of this study, this highlights the complexity of study commitments and financial pressure for young students.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-30">Interpersonal relationships</hd> <p>Interpersonal relationships were related with balance and employment and financial stress (Figure 1).</p> <p>Our study found conflict with friends and family to be stressors. Similarly, Nelson and Hughes[<reflink idref="bib30" id="ref57">30</reflink>] found family conflict to have a strong influence on psychological stress and adjustment in university students. However, students in this study also highlighted conflicts with housemates. This may be due to many of the domestic and international students participating in this study, living away from home.</p> <p>Similar to this study, conflict and a lack of understanding from university staff has been found in student populations.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref58">11</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref59">27</reflink>] Student relationships with university staff also tended to influence learning, stress and sense of belonging.[<reflink idref="bib31" id="ref60">31</reflink>] Our study also found friends, especially those who were not currently studying to lack understanding around university pressures.</p> <p>For international students in this study, making friends was a common issue. Similarly, others have also found international students often felt isolated due to difficulty initiating social interactions, language-barriers and cultural differences.[<reflink idref="bib21" id="ref61">21</reflink>] Changes in class structure including larger class sizes and flexible learning opportunities also reduces opportunities for on campus interactions.[<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref62">32</reflink>]</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-31">Performance pressure</hd> <p>Students in this study found performance pressure to be related to balance and future prospects (Figure 1). High work load tended to influence balance, while poor time management negatively impacted performance. Ambitious future prospects and competitiveness heightened pressure to perform well, while poor performance influenced stress about the future.</p> <p>Performance pressure has previously been reported as a primary stressor for students.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref63">11</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref64">17</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib27" id="ref65">27</reflink>],[[<reflink idref="bib33" id="ref66">33</reflink>], [<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref67">35</reflink>]] Dietetics students reported self-imposed expectations enhanced their level of stress.[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref68">28</reflink>] Bergin and Pakenham[<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref69">35</reflink>] attributed high academic demand and stress to higher level of depressive and anxiety symptoms in law students.[<reflink idref="bib28" id="ref70">28</reflink>] Like students in this study, almost all students rated their stress as a result of academic demand as "moderately" to "extremely stressful."[<reflink idref="bib35" id="ref71">35</reflink>] International students in this study highlighted the pressure to perform which was associated with family expectations and cost of the degree. Others have found family investment for international education to be substantial.[<reflink idref="bib32" id="ref72">32</reflink>]</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-32">Future prospects</hd> <p>Future prospects was included as a sub theme of the theme "performance pressure." Students were primarily concerned about career-choice and finding employment in their field. There is limited literature describing university student stressors and future prospects however one study suggested career indecisiveness, or "directionlessness" as referred by a student, could be related to lack of information, career-readiness and difficulty in general decision-making.[<reflink idref="bib36" id="ref73">36</reflink>] Students in this study expressed concern around employment at the conclusion of their degree, which reflects a concerning trend that while university graduates general hold better job prospects than their peers, there has been a reduction in Australian graduates finding full time employment in recent years.[<reflink idref="bib37" id="ref74">37</reflink>]</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-33">Strengths and limitations</hd> <p>Qualitative investigation into student stressors is limited and mainly includes international studies.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref75">11</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref76">14</reflink>] The qualitative approach employed in this study provided opportunity to understand subjective aspects of student stress and underlying causes. In addition, this study provides perspectives of domestic and international students.</p> <p>Faculty of Health, students who spoke English as their primary language and domestic students were over represented compared to other groups. In the international student group, however, males and those studying non-health-related courses were over-represented. These differences may bias results, and may not provide an accurate representation of young university student views.[<reflink idref="bib38" id="ref77">38</reflink>] While the qualitative design limits applicability of results to young students from other universities, the method allowed deep insights into stressors for young students.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-34">Implications</hd> <p>The findings highlight the need for greater understanding of the complexity of student stressors, and the student's subjective experiences. In particular, students in this study were found to struggle with balance and time-management and were concerned about future prospects. Importantly, themes were consistent for young domestic and international students. While there is a need to include some targeted strategies for each of these groups, universal approaches to address these issues is imperative.</p> <p>A greater focus on addressing time-management and balance issues in university students is necessary. This may include university policies to ensure student workload is appropriate to allow for relaxation and social and recreational activities. While recommendations that educators minimize contact hours when designing curriculum, to ensure students have enough time for personal commitments and downtime,[<reflink idref="bib19" id="ref78">19</reflink>] there is also a need for universities to offer innovative and contemporary courses which produce skilled and resourceful graduates.[<reflink idref="bib39" id="ref79">39</reflink>] Individual universities should embed mental health within broader policy frameworks and the core business of the institution.[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref80">20</reflink>] Existing resources such as the <emph>Framework for Promoting Student Mental Wellbeing in Universities</emph>, which advocates a whole-of-university approach to mental health ranging from promotion and prevention to service provision should be implemented.[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref81">20</reflink>]</p> <p>Financial hardship and pressure to work a large number of hours in paid employment also highlights the requirement for better financial support systems for students. For example, students in receipt of youth allowance, the Australian financial assistance for young students, have previously reported high levels of financial distress and hardship.[<reflink idref="bib40" id="ref82">40</reflink>]</p> <p>While individual universities play an important role; recognition of mental health through National higher education policy is imperative.[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref83">20</reflink>] Australia has facilitated increased access and equity around university education[<reflink idref="bib41" id="ref84">41</reflink>] which has resulted in increased diversity and numbers of students; financial stress; pressure on academic staff; and demand on university support services.[<reflink idref="bib20" id="ref85">20</reflink>] While increased access is commendable, the mental health implications need to be addressed.</p> <p>Further qualitative research around student stressors in specific post-compulsory student groups in Australia, such as TAFE groups, low socio-economic students and international students is important to enrich and diversify current findings.</p> <p>Investigation of the effectiveness and efficacy of current intervention and programs on addressing student stress is necessary. Interventions which focus on balance, career-choice and finance management may be beneficial to the young student population.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-35">Conclusion</hd> <p>Five themes describing student stressors were identified to explain stressors for 18- to 25-year-old university students in this study. Although all stressors influenced student stress, the most emphasized and inter-related theme was "balance." The findings suggest young students attending Australian universities have difficulty with maintaining balance, and managing time which is likely associated with taking on too many commitments, in addition to difficulty prioritizing commitments. These stressors are also likely to be associated with the changing nature of university environments which are attracting more students and a greater diversity in student population, many of whom need significant paid employment to enable completion of their studies.</p> <p>Identified stressors reflect similar findings in other Australian and non-Australian studies.[<reflink idref="bib11" id="ref86">11</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib12" id="ref87">12</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib14" id="ref88">14</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib17" id="ref89">17</reflink>],[<reflink idref="bib18" id="ref90">18</reflink>] Similar to the interrelated theme of "balance," time-management was identified as a significant stressor. However, this study further emphasized the relationships between balance and other prominent stressors.</p> <p>Interventions focusing on time management and prioritizing commitments may be beneficial for Australian students. Universities may also play a significant role in reducing student stress and supporting students' lack of time management. For example, universities have a responsibility to help students manage their study loads, provide learning support and equity services, and enhance students' time management skills.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-36">Conflict of interest disclosure</hd> <p>The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of Australia and received approval from the Institutional Review Board of Curtin University.</p> <hd id="AN0171952243-37">Data availability</hd> <p>The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author [SB]. 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Canberra, Australia : Australian Government; 2008.</bibtext> </blist> </ref> <aug> <p>By Bonnie Logan and Sharyn Burns</p> <p>Reported by Author; Author</p> </aug> <nolink nlid="nl1" bibid="bib10" firstref="ref10"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl2" bibid="bib11" firstref="ref13"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl3" bibid="bib13" firstref="ref14"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl4" bibid="bib15" firstref="ref15"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl5" bibid="bib12" firstref="ref16"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl6" bibid="bib16" firstref="ref18"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl7" bibid="bib17" firstref="ref20"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl8" bibid="bib18" firstref="ref21"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl9" bibid="bib14" firstref="ref26"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl10" bibid="bib19" firstref="ref27"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl11" bibid="bib20" firstref="ref28"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl12" bibid="bib21" firstref="ref30"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl13" bibid="bib22" firstref="ref37"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl14" bibid="bib23" firstref="ref38"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl15" bibid="bib24" firstref="ref40"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl16" bibid="bib25" firstref="ref46"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl17" bibid="bib26" firstref="ref49"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl18" bibid="bib27" firstref="ref53"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl19" bibid="bib28" firstref="ref55"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl20" bibid="bib29" firstref="ref56"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl21" bibid="bib30" firstref="ref57"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl22" bibid="bib31" firstref="ref60"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl23" bibid="bib32" firstref="ref62"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl24" bibid="bib33" firstref="ref66"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl25" bibid="bib35" firstref="ref67"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl26" bibid="bib36" firstref="ref73"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl27" bibid="bib37" firstref="ref74"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl28" bibid="bib38" firstref="ref77"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl29" bibid="bib39" firstref="ref79"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl30" bibid="bib40" firstref="ref82"></nolink> <nolink nlid="nl31" bibid="bib41" firstref="ref84"></nolink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22College+Students%22">College Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Universities%22">Universities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+Health%22">Mental Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Stress+Variables%22">Stress Variables</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Well+Being%22">Well Being</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self+Esteem%22">Self Esteem</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interpersonal+Relationship%22">Interpersonal Relationship</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Financial+Problems%22">Financial Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Problems%22">Employment Problems</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Students%22">Foreign Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Time+Management%22">Time Management</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Responsibility%22">Student Responsibility</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Australia%22">Australia</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1947303
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0744-8481<br />1940-3208
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Objective: To explore stressors among young university students. Participants: Twenty-nine 18- to 25-year-old university students. Method: Four focus group discussions (n = 29) were conducted to explore mental health and stressors among domestic and international university students. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify emerging themes and relationships. Results: Five primary stressors emerged from the data--Balance, Interpersonal Relationships, Future Prospects, Performance Pressure and Financial Issues and Employment. Although many distinct relationships were identified between themes, "Balance" affected and influenced most other stressors. Conclusions: Five stressors were identified, most of which related to a lack of balance and time-management. Too many competing commitments and difficulty prioritizing were key influences. Interventions and policy to address stressors in students may reduce student psychological stress. Universities can provide support for students to prioritize commitments, provide flexible study opportunities and offer financial guidance.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2023
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1400412
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1400412
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1947303
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 8
        StartPage: 1753
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Universities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Stress Variables
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Well Being
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self Esteem
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interpersonal Relationship
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Financial Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Employment Problems
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Time Management
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Responsibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Australia
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Stressors among Young Australian University Students: A Qualitative Study
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Logan, Bonnie
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Burns, Sharyn
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Type: published
              Y: 2023
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 0744-8481
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1940-3208
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 71
            – Type: issue
              Value: 6
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Journal of American College Health
              Type: main
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