The Relationship between Spiritual Intelligence and Academic Stress Among Female Secondary School Students in Selected High Schools in Tabas in 2023

Background and Aims: Spiritual intelligence fosters hope, enhances problem-solving capabilities, and enables rational coping with life’s challenges by imbuing life with meaning, raising awareness, and improving resilience in the face of stress. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between spiritual intelligence and academic stress among female secondary school students in selected high schools in Tabas in 2023. Materials and Methods: This research employed a descriptive-correlational design and was conducted in 2023 with a sample of 150 female secondary school students from Tabas City who met the inclusion criteria. Five schools were randomly selected based on population characteristics, and participants were drawn in accordance with Morgan’s sampling table. Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire that included demographic information, a self-report measure of spiritual intelligence, and an academic stress questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. Result: A significant negative Pearson correlation was found between spiritual intelligence and its four dimensions with academic stress. Specifically, the correlation between academic stress and transcendental awareness was -0.442, while the weakest was with existential critical thinking at -0.318 (p < 0.001). Consistent with the study’s aim, the strongest correlation appeared between overall spiritual intelligence and academic stress, with a value of -0.796 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings corroborate the negative correlation between spiritual intelligence and academic stress. Therefore, it is imperative to implement measures aimed at strengthening spiritual intelligence as a strategy to mitigate and manage academic stress.