Perceived Academic Stress Predicts State Anxiety via Self-Compassion in High-Achieving Junior School Students: A Daily Diary Study
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| Title: | Perceived Academic Stress Predicts State Anxiety via Self-Compassion in High-Achieving Junior School Students: A Daily Diary Study |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Junyao Zhou (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Adolescence. 2026 98(5):1780-1790. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 11 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Grade 9 High Schools Junior High Schools Middle Schools Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Stress Variables, Anxiety, Grade 9, High Achievement, Altruism, Predictor Variables, Junior High School Students, Adolescents |
| DOI: | 10.1002/jad.70180 |
| ISSN: | 0140-1971 1095-9254 |
| Abstract: | Background: Previous research has demonstrated the association between perceived academic stress and anxiety. However, the relationship and mechanism between daily self-compassion and daily state anxiety in adolescents, especially high-achieving students, remains unclear. Methods: This study employed a 21-day daily diary design and multilevel modeling to explore whether and how daily perceived academic stress is associated with daily state anxiety. Data were collected from 2025. A total of 106 high-achieving ninth-grade students whose academic achievement ranked in the top 8.68% (59 males, 47 females; ages 14-17 years, M = 15.02, SD = 0.59) completed daily measures of perceived academic stress, self-compassion, and state anxiety across 21 consecutive days. Results: Multilevel regression analysis showed that daily perceived academic stress significantly positively predicted daily state anxiety (b = 0.68, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the 1-1-1 multilevel mediation analysis indicated that daily self-compassion mediated the relationship between daily perceived academic stress and daily state anxiety (within-level: b = 0.05, 95% CI = [0.036, 0.074], between-level: b = 0.31, 95% CI = [0.118, 0.528]). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing self-compassion, such as Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), may help reduce state anxiety in adolescents. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 20260101 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1510782 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Background: Previous research has demonstrated the association between perceived academic stress and anxiety. However, the relationship and mechanism between daily self-compassion and daily state anxiety in adolescents, especially high-achieving students, remains unclear. Methods: This study employed a 21-day daily diary design and multilevel modeling to explore whether and how daily perceived academic stress is associated with daily state anxiety. Data were collected from 2025. A total of 106 high-achieving ninth-grade students whose academic achievement ranked in the top 8.68% (59 males, 47 females; ages 14-17 years, M = 15.02, SD = 0.59) completed daily measures of perceived academic stress, self-compassion, and state anxiety across 21 consecutive days. Results: Multilevel regression analysis showed that daily perceived academic stress significantly positively predicted daily state anxiety (b = 0.68, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the 1-1-1 multilevel mediation analysis indicated that daily self-compassion mediated the relationship between daily perceived academic stress and daily state anxiety (within-level: b = 0.05, 95% CI = [0.036, 0.074], between-level: b = 0.31, 95% CI = [0.118, 0.528]). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing self-compassion, such as Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), may help reduce state anxiety in adolescents. |
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| ISSN: | 0140-1971 1095-9254 |
| DOI: | 10.1002/jad.70180 |
