INVESTIGATING LEVEL OF ACADEMIC STRESS AND COPING STRATEGIES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN LAHORE

Abstract

In developing nations like Pakistan, where students must contend with increasing academic demands, financial limitations, and sociocultural pressures, academic stress is a growing concern among university students worldwide. The objectives of research are to measure the level of academic stress among university students in Lahore; To identify the coping strategies used by university students to manage academic stress; To examine the relationship between different coping strategies and the level of academic stress. It is a quantitative cross-sectional study which examines the level of academic stress and coping mechanisms used by Lahore university students. Data was gathered from a diverse sample of graduate and postgraduate students using a structured questionnaire based on the Brief COPE Inventory and Tumisang Modise's Academic Stress Response Scale. The demographic distribution was examined using descriptive statistics, and the internal consistency of the scales was validated by Cronbach's alpha. Pearson’s Correlational analysis showed that there is a significant negative correlation with adaptive coping strategies and moreover a positive correlation with maladaptive coping strategies. Coping mechanisms explain 29% of the variance in academic stress levels, according to regression analysis. Additionally, one-sample t-tests showed that students actively use both adaptive and, to a lesser extent, maladaptive coping mechanisms while experiencing stress levels that are noticeably above average. The results highlight the critical need for colleges to foster student resilience, support effective stress management initiatives, and offer context-sensitive mental health care. This study advances knowledge of the dynamics of academic stress in Pakistan and has applications for institutional policy and student welfare.