Stressors among young Australian university students: A qualitative study

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.

Keywords:

• Balance
• mental health
• qualitative research
• stressors
• students
• university
• young adults

Conflict of interest disclosure

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.

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author [SB]. The data are not publicly available due to the qualitative nature of the data which could compromise the privacy of research participants.

Additional information

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.