Psychological Well-being and Perceived Stress: A Cross-Sectional Comparison of Postgraduate Athletes, Science and Social Science Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60081/SSHA.3.2.2025.556-564Keywords:
Psychological factors, Psychological well-being, Perceived Stress, Postgraduate StudentsAbstract
Background: Psychological well-being and stress are vital determinants of student mental health. University students frequently encounter various academic and extracurricular pressures, which can differently impact their stress levels and overall well-being. However, limited research has compared variations across athletes, science, and social science students.
Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 277 postgraduate students from three distinct groups, aiming to investigate various factors relevant to their academic experiences. This study evaluated psychological well-being using Ryff's 18-item Psychological Well-being Scale, which focuses on six key dimensions of psychological well-being. We evaluated stress levels using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, a well-established tool for measuring subjective stress. The researchers analyzed the data using one-way ANOVA and then conducted post-hoc tests to explore the differences between the groups.
Results: The assumptions of normality and homogeneity were met (p > 0.05). The ANOVA findings revealed significant variations in perceived stress among the groups (F (2, 274) = 3.21, p = 0.042). Post hoc analyses indicated that students in science experienced notably greater levels of stress in comparison to those in Social Science (p = 0.04). Nonetheless, the distinctions between Athletes and the other categories were not noteworthy. Regarding psychological well-being scores, there were no substantial variations among the groups (F (2, 274) = 0.27, p = 0.75), although athletes had marginally higher average scores.
Conclusion: The results suggest that students in science face greater stress levels than those in Social Science. However, their overall psychological well-being is similar across both groups. These results underscore the importance of implementing targeted stress management strategies for students in demanding academic disciplines, as well as universal approaches that foster coping skills and social support for all students.
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