Academic Stress And Mental Well-Being Among Senior High School Students: A Descriptive Correlational Study

Abstract

The senior high school students are greatly concerned about academic stress as they try to balance the needs of the different types of classes and prepare themselves for college and their future careers. This study investigated the degree of academic stress, the degree of mental health, and the correlation between the two variables among senior high school students in selected schools in the Philippines. A quantitative descriptive-correlational research design was utilized as 95 students from Grades 11 and 12 in the STEM, ABM, HUMSS, and TVL strands were surveyed. These students were randomly selected and evenly distributed across four groups. Academic stress was measured using an adapted Academic Stress Scale and mental health was measured using an updated Psychological Well-Being Scale. The reliability of both instruments was tested using Cronbach’s alpha. Results revealed that the respondents had low overall academic stress level (overall weighted mean = 2.21) and high to moderate level of mental health (overall weighted mean = 4.28). The Pearson correlation coefficient was -0.92 (p < 0.001) which indicates very strong negative relationship between academic stress and mental health. The results showed that the mental health of the respondents significantly deteriorates as academic stress increases. The study emphasizes the significance of mental health programs, the supportive classroom environment, and the manageable academic standards of SHS students to sustain their mental health well-being.