Socio-psychological and personal risk factors of stress development in students

Students report high levels of stress, with a prevalence of up to 90% in various countries. Objective. To identify risk factors affecting students’ stress levels, considering socio-demographic characteristics, self-assessment of quality of life and lifestyle, psychosocial characteristics, and religious beliefs. Materials and methods. The study included 626 students of both sexes. It assessed their socio-demographic, economic, and psychosocial characteristics and attitudes to religion. The stress level was assessed using the PSS (Perceived Stress Scale). Ordinal regression was used to identify the relationship between stress levels, psychosocial characteristics, lifestyle, and attitudes toward religion. Results. In total, 30.2% of students reported a low level of stress, 35.3% reported an average level of stress, and 34.5% reported a high level of stress. Females had a higher stress probability than males (OR=2.56; 95% CI 1.82—3.60); high income is associated with lower stress indicators (OR=0.43; 95% CI 0.28—0.66), and living separately from parents reduces stress. A decrease in quality-of-life score is associated with increased stress levels. The more favorable the employment prospects are, the fewer students will be in the high-stress group. Atheist students are more likely to experience an increase in stress compared to religious individuals (OR=1.46; 95% CI 1.08—1.97). Conclusion. Good family relationships, hobbies, religious beliefs, and a lack of concern for the future are associated with lower levels of stress, while poor financial conditions, the need to find work, and a lack of support significantly increase the level.