Carrying the Weight of the Exam: Stress, Coping, and Help-Seeking Among Civil Services Aspirants in Thiruvananthapuram
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Preparing for the Civil Services Examination is long, costly, and uncertain, yet little research has listened to aspirants in India's Tier 2 cities. This descriptive survey asked 523 aspirants enrolled in coaching in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, about their stress, coping, attitudes to professional mental-health support, and the support their institutions offer. More than half (55.8%) called the past month very or extremely stressful, and financial strain, family expectations, and fear of judgement were prominent. Aspirants coped through peers, breaks, and planning, yet 84.3% felt they had not found a strategy that worked. Most (90.6%) thought professional help reasonable, but only 23.9% had used it, mainly held back by fear of peer judgement, cost, and confidentiality worries. Most (84.1%) rated stress-related support from their institutions as inadequate or absent. The findings are descriptive, not causal, and suggest support should change the conditions of preparation as well as strengthen individual coping.
Author: Jinaraj B
Language: English
Topic: Student Stress and Coping
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7224994741