Academic Stress is defined as mental distress related to examinations, assignments, study, classroom environment, failure, and reduced academic performance, which in turn contributes to the major reason for general stress in students. A normal amount of stress is good for adequate performance, but when it exceeds the individual’s ability to cope, it becomes distressful and detrimental to the student’s academic performance and mental health(Nagale and Sharma, 2018).
Joel (2022) surveyed 350 9th-grade students on Academic Stress in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and found that they were experiencing moderate levels of academic stress. Academic stress is a negative predictor of academic performance. (Nagale and Sharma, 2018). It has been associated with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, self-harm and suicide. (Ghosh, 2016; Nagale and Sharma, 2018). Mayya et al.(2022) studied perceived academic stress among 11th and 12th-grade students in Karnataka among 1859 students and revealed that 28% of 11th-grade students and 26% of 12th-grade students in the Science stream experienced high or extreme stress.
Reasons for Academic stress are inadequate support, pressure on academics, lack of extracurricular activities, parental pressure, competition between peers to perform better(Joel,2022)and the school environment. These can act as risk factors but can also be turned into protective factors with effective interventions. (Ghosh,2016). Lack of revision time, questions from their neighbours about their academics were also mentioned. The male gender is highlighted in traditional cultures to provide for the family; hence, their academic stress is said to be relatively higher.
The following interventions are suggested at three levels to help school students cope with academic stress. Efforts were taken to identify interventions in the South Asian context. Some of the research consisted of interventions for college students. Since there was literature supporting mindfulness for adolescents, the interventions were adapted for the school settings.
Read More: Effective Bullying Interventions in Schools
Universal Intervention
Universal interventions consist of interventions that can be applied across different age groups that focus on prevention
- Physical exercise is also suggested to reduce academic stress (Joel, 2022).
- Yoga could be promoted among all students in school as it helps to reduce academic stress. 10 weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes each showed a significant reduction in academic stress along with other forms of stress(Brems, 2015).
- Specific stalls could be set up in school to provide awareness on academic stress, and this could be conducted on the days when the school conducts parents-teacher meetings.
- Kaur (2019) made suggestions on strategies for dealing with academic stress for students in an Indian context. Hence, that could be considered as the content for workshops, awareness programs and prevention for academic stress, which would be targeted towards parents, teachers and students.
- Some workshops can be conducted for students, teachers and parents across the school on tips to manage stress, and modules can include relaxation, study skills, study environment, study methods, task management and memorisation techniques; good habits, coping, cognitive restructuring and reappraisal; social relations, problem solving and dealing with failure (Manjula, 2016).
Read More: Psychology-Driven Classroom Management Strategies
Targeted interventions
Targeted interventions focus on specific groups that might be at risk of developing academic stress. This can be aimed at high school students since they are appearing for their board exams and would have to think about college and their future career. A Zentangle® intervention workshop could be conducted by inviting a Zentangle® Certified Therapist. It is a one-time collaboration and hence it would not require much time or resources.
Zentangle was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas in 2003. It was used to remove blocks to ensure creative flow, which includes self-criticism, fear of failure, lack of immediate positive feedback, worrying about outcomes, frustration with lengthy training, lack of inspiration and doubts about the future. It draws from the principles of mindful art therapy. This is considered a simple but effective tool for reducing academic stress.
A Zentangle® intervention was conducted on academic stress among high school students in Chennai. First, they conducted a 2-hour online workshop. The next 5 sessions were conducted for an hour every day, where the participants engaged in creating tangles. There was a significant decrease in academic stress in the treatment group. It suggested that if the participants engage in tangling on their own, the effects would be longer. It has also been shown to improve psychological well-being and promote a positive attitude..(Bennett, n.d.)
Gratitude intervention can also be conducted. A gratitude intervention for academic stress was conducted in Rawalpindi among 162 high school students. It was a four-week intervention program which included counting your blessings, writing Gratitude Letters, and Loving Kindness Meditations. Count your blessings consists of where students write three things they are grateful for every day for two weeks.
In writing Gratitude letters, they are asked to write letters to people they are grateful for. Loving-kindness meditations consist of meditating for 15-20 minutes. It consists of: Receiving loving-kindness, sending loving-kindness to Loved Ones, Neutral People, and All Living Beings. It is guided by instructions. Results showed it helped in reducing academic stress related to expectations and pressure from parents and oneself.
Participants specifically favoured these interventions as it was carried out in a context where there are limited counselling services. It suggests having some follow-up sessions. (Sahar et al.2022). Both interventions have not involved parents or teachers, but the interventions can be adapted so that parents and teachers can also engage in creating tangles with the students, along with expressing gratitude, along support groups where students come to talk about their different challenges. Creating support groups consisting of teachers, parents and older students who are also involved and interact in workshops, seminars, and conferences on techniques in managing stress would also be helpful(Kaur, 2019).
Read More: Alternative interventions to Journaling
Individualized Intervention
This intervention is provided to a group of individuals who are already experiencing higher levels of academic stress. This group is formed through measurement of academic stress on a standardised scale or based on drastic changes in academic performance, along with suggestions from teachers and counsellors based on student interactions and classroom observations.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention programs could be conducted by the counsellor or necessary certified person. There is a certification program that provides a license to practice MBSR. MBSR does not discuss the involvement of stakeholders, but they could be given awareness, psychoeducation and simple strategies from MBSR so that they also help the students and themselves when they experience stress.
If the student is still experiencing high levels of stress after these interventions, they would be referred to a clinical psychologist for individual counselling and therapy after consultation with relevant stakeholders. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) is said to be effective for teens (Biegel et al., 2014). It suggested that MBSR can be used in Adolescents and Young Adults, and mindfulness-based interventions can be applied in school settings and clinical settings as well. (Chi et al., 2018).
A study in Iran showed that MBSR training has been effective in significantly reducing academic stress for 80 8th-grade students. (Hashemi et al., 2019). MBSR improves in response to stressors and perceived reduction in stress. (Ying et al., 2018). The intervention followed the 8-week course and consisted of eight meetings and a day-long meditation class between meetings six and seven (Santorelli & Kabat-Zinn, 2009).
Participants share their experience with the MBSR therapist along with other participants. It would consist of how to practice mindfulness and will involve sharing experiences with internal and external stressors. (e.g., feeling pressured from parents, trembling, thoughts while giving exams and receiving grades). This intervention helps students to freely experience thoughts and feelings and not judge or change them. They will be introduced to practices such as mindful eating, body scan, sitting meditation, and yoga. Some of them will be delivered through audio recordings.
Stress responses and the effects of stress on the body are discussed throughout the course. Between the sixth and seventh sessions, a whole day of practice is offered. (Dundas et al.,2016). MBSR is considered to be beneficial in managing the symptoms of many psychological disorders, such as depression, anxiety, etc(Chi et al., 2018). Ackerman (2022) discusses how individuals can get certified and trained to provide MBSR intervention.
Read More: Building Resilience After Adverse Childhood Experiences: Psychological Interventions & Healing
Conclusion
Research shows that while there are numerous studies conducted to discuss the causes of academic stress, risk factors and establishing relationships, there are very limited studies that provide interventions for academic stress. Solutions are hardly mentioned in papers. Hence, this article consisted of designing an intervention for academic stress in the Indian context for school students.
Mindfulness is suggested since it helps individuals relax and be present in the moment(Dundas et al.,2016). Blackburn(2020) discussed that higher levels of mindfulness are associated with lower levels of academic stress.(Vestad & Tharaldsen, 2021). The current interventions were suggested for schools with low resources. Policy level changes are required, such as fewer exams, reducing syllabus, practical-oriented teaching, effective learning strategies and building teacher-student relationships to help in reducing academic stress. Otherwise, it might leave institutions and parents with no choice but to continue with the status quo.
References +
Ackerman, C. E., MA. (2022, September 12). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: The Ultimate MBSR Guide. PositivePsychology.com. Retrieved October 14, 2022, from https://positivepsychology.com/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-mbsr/
Bennett, T. (n.d.). Effect Of Zentangle Intervention on Academic Stress among High School Students ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tanya-Bennett/publication/363521029_EFFECT_OF_ZENTANGLE_INTERVENTION_ON_ACADEMIC_STRESS_AMONG_HIGH_SCHOOL_STUDENTS/links/63210ddd0a70852150ef95cb/EFFECT-OF-ZENTANGLE-INTERVENTION-ON-ACADEMIC-STRESS-AMONG-HIGH-SCHOOL-STUDENTS.pdf
Biegel, G. M., Chang, K., Garrett, A., & Edwards, M. (2014). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Teens. Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches, 189–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-416031-6.00009-8
Brems, C. (2015, January 1). A Yoga Stress Reduction Intervention for University Faculty, Staff, and Graduate Students. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 25(1), 61–77. https://doi.org/10.17761/1531-2054-25.1.61
Blackburn, T. (2020). The Relationship Between Mindfulness, Academic Stress, and Attention. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/7940/
Chi, X., Bo, A., Liu, T., Zhang, P., & Chi, I. (2018, June 21). Effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01034
Dundas, I., Thorsheim, T., Hjeltnes, A., & Binder, P. E. (2016). Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction for Academic Evaluation Anxiety: A Naturalistic Longitudinal Study. Journal of college student psychotherapy, 30(2), 114–131. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2016.1140988
Ghosh, S.M.(2016). Academic Stress among Government and Private High School Students. International Journal of Indian Psychology, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.25215/0302.146
Hashemi, F., Dortaj, F., Farrokhi, N., & Nasrolahi, B. (2019). Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training on Procrastination and Academic Stress. Educational Psychology, 15(52), 1–13. https://jep.atu.ac.ir/article_10304.html
Joel, E. (2022). Academic Stress of High School Students. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Educational Research, 11(2), 1–4. http://ijmer.s3.amazonaws.com/pdf/volume11/volume11-issue2(1)/10.pdf
Kaur, H. (2019). Strategies for Coping with Academic Stress, Stress Management. International Journal of Research and Review, 6(10). https://www.ijrrjournal.com/IJRR_Vol.6_Issue.10_Oct2019/IJRR0026.pdf
Manjula, M. (2016). Academic Stress Management: An intervention in Pre-University College Youth. Journal of the Indian Academy of Applied Psychology, 42(1). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292987402_Academic_Stress_Management_An_intervention_in_Pre-University_College_Youth
Mayya, S., Mayya, A., Martis, M., & Lakshmi, R. (2022). Academic stress and associated sociodemographic variables: A study of pre-university students in Karnataka, India. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 11(1), 230. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_87_22
Sahar N, Baranovich, D. L., & Tharbe, I. H. A. (2022). Does Gratitude Work at School? Piloting the Modified Interventions for Managing Academic Stress in Pakistani High Schools. Journal of Muslim Mental Health, 16(2). https://doi.org/10.3998/jmmh.430
Vestad, L., & Tharaldsen, K. B. (2021). Building Social and Emotional Competencies for Coping with Academic Stress among Students in Lower Secondary School. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 66(5), 907–921. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2021.1939145
Ying, C., Liu, C. J., He, J., & Wang, J. (2018). Academic stress and evaluation of a mindfulness training intervention program. NeuroQuantology, 16(5). https://doi.org/10.14704/nq.2018.16.5.1311
