Academic stress and mood in college students

Abstract

Academic stress is a common phenomenon present in students when faced with school demands. On the other hand, mood is a prolonged, stable, and less reactive psychological state than emotions. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between academic stress and mood in university students through a non-experimental investigation, with a quantitative approach, descriptive-correlational scope, and cross-sectional design. For this purpose, the Systemic Cognitivist Inventory for the Study of Academic Stress, Second Version of 21 items (SISCO SV-21), and the Mood Assessment Scale (EVEA) were administered to 150 university students aged 18 to 64. The results showed that there is a slight positive correlation between academic stress and certain mood dimensions such as anxiety, hostility, and depression, while academic stress had no correlation with joy; the predominant level of academic stress was moderate; moreover, the prevailing mood in the population was joy. On the other hand, significant differences were observed according to gender, as it was evident that women exhibit higher levels of academic stress compared to men.