269. Empirical study on the regulatory effects of university student organizations on academic stress among college students

Abstract Background Academic stress is a key psychological factor affecting college students’ mental health, learning engagement, and academic performance. Prolonged exposure to high levels of academic stress may lead to anxiety, emotional exhaustion, and reduced learning motivation. University student organizations, as important platforms for extracurricular engagement and social participation, are considered to play a positive role in emotional regulation, social support acquisition, and identity development. However, existing studies remain largely descriptive, and systematic empirical evidence on the quantitative relationship between the intensity of student organization participation and academic stress regulation is limited. Therefore, this study empirically examines the regulatory effects of student organization participation on academic stress and its underlying mechanisms, aiming to provide evidence for optimizing student organization development and psychological support systems in universities. Methods A total of 312 undergraduate students from a comprehensive university were recruited using a cross-sectional survey combined with a group comparison design. Participants were recruited through a combination of in-class distribution and online questionnaires, and all participation was voluntary. Based on the level of involvement in student organizations, participants were divided into a high-participation group (≥3 hours per week, n = 148) and a low-participation group (<1 hour per week, n = 164). Academic stress and learning engagement were assessed using standardized scales. In addition, perceived academic workload, self-rated time management, and basic demographic information were collected to control for potential confounding variables. Data were analyzed using independent-samples t-tests, analysis of variance, and correlation analysis to examine the relationship between participation intensity and academic stress, with the significance level set at p<.05. Results The results showed that academic stress scores in the high-participation group were significantly lower than those in the low-participation group (56.42 ± 8.37 vs. 63.15 ± 9.04, p<.001), while learning engagement was significantly higher (p=.002). Analysis of variance indicated a significant main effect of participation intensity on academic stress (F = 17.86, p<.001), with no significant interaction effects of gender or academic year (p>.05). Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between participation duration and academic stress scores (r = −0.41, p<.01) and a significant positive correlation with learning engagement (r = 0.38, p<.01). Further analysis indicated that perceived emotional regulation partially mediated the relationship between student organization participation and academic stress. Discussion The findings indicate that participation in university student organizations can effectively alleviate academic stress and enhance learning engagement among college students. Student organizations exert a positive regulatory effect on academic stress by facilitating emotional regulation, strengthening perceived social support, and improving learning experiences. This study provides empirical evidence for the functional value of student organizations in psychological adjustment and supports the use of organizational engagement as a practical approach to promoting student mental health in higher education. Future studies should adopt longitudinal designs and multisource data to further examine the long-term effects and mechanisms of academic stress regulation through student organization participation. Funding No. 24YJA710051; No. 2024JG50.