Academic stressors and social diversity groups of university students: dataset
Year: 2026
Type: dataset
Abstract: Academic stress arises from coping with study-related tasks and may vary with university students’ social status. It is also shaped by organisational conditions, as became apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study compared difficulties with academic stressors across two cohorts. Data from two anonymous cross-sectional online surveys conducted in 2022 and 2025 among N = 5,496 Leipzig University students were analysed. Multifactorial ANOVAs compared perceived difficulties in five academic stressors (learning activities; academic organisation; contact and cooperation; academic expectations and practical relevance; pressure to perform and failure) across six social diversity groups (e.g. migration history, gender, (pre-)diagnosed mental disorder). Students with (pre-)diagnosed mental disorders reported greater difficulties across five stressors. International students reported the greatest difficulties in four stressors. Field of study differences emerged for three, and gender differences for two stressors, with gender-diverse students reporting greatest difficulties. Students with somatic conditions reported greater difficulties with performance pressure. Parental status showed one negligible association. Neither cohort differences nor interactions were found. The study shows personal demands were harder to handle than organisational ones, which highlights the need for tailored psychosocial counselling while recognising university structures as potential sources of academic stress. Practical implications for health promotion in universities are discussed.
Institutions: Leipzig University, University Hospital Leipzig
Language: English
Topic: Student Stress and Coping
Subfield: Developmental and Educational Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225323629