Academic Stress and Students' Mental Health

Insights from Private University Students in Bangladesh

Abstract

The mental health of students is an issue of concern worldwide. At the tertiary level, students face several stresses, including academic stress.  Frequent changes in curriculum and examination systems put pressure on students’ mental health. In this study, we aim to explore the relationship between mental health and academic stress. The study is conducted on the students of six private universities located in Dhaka and Chattogram. An adopted questionnaire is used to measure the academic stress and mental health of the students. A Google form questionnaire designed in a five-point Likert scale is sent to the students by using convenient sampling techniques. SPSS version 23 is used for statistical analysis. A total of 297 responses are considered for statistical analysis. Multiple Regression Models are used to analyze the data. The study finds a positive significant correlation between four dimensions of academic stress and the mental health of the respondents. The finding provides educational institutions with an insight into creating mechanisms through which actual and potential mental health issues among students can be addressed. The study includes a small sample size and is conducted only on business students of private universities. Further research may be conducted on the students of other disciplines of both public and private universities and a larger sample.