Effects of Academic Stress on Psychological Distress and Suicidal Ideation in University Students: The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies

Background: University students have been recognized as a population vulnerable to mental health problems. This study explored the direct and indirect effects of academic stress on psychological distress and suicidal ideation in Colombian university students, emphasizing the mediating role of adaptive coping strategies. Methods: A total of 1,170 undergraduates (M age = 24; SD = 7.77) from a private university completed validated self-report instruments assessing academic stress (SISCO), coping strategies (ACEA), depression, anxiety, and stress (DASS-21), and suicidal ideation (PANSI). Path analysis was conducted using AMOS with bias-corrected bootstrapping (5,000 resamples). Results: Results showed that academic stress symptoms were positively associated with perceived stress, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation, while negatively associated with adaptive coping. Seeking social support and positive reappraisal partially mediated the relationship between academic stress and psychological outcomes. The strongest mediation effect was found between academic stress and depression (VAF = 65.4%), followed by suicidal ideation (VAF = 22.3%) and perceived stress (VAF = 2.18%). Moreover, perceived stress served as a key intermediary, reinforcing its role as a transdiagnostic mechanism linking academic stress to emotional vulnerability. The model demonstrated excellent fit (CMIN/DF = 0.089; RMSEA = 0.000; CFI = 1.00), supporting the proposed mediation structure. Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of enhancing students’ coping capacities—especially social support and cognitive reappraisal—to reduce psychological distress and suicide risk in academic settings. Interventions targeting stress appraisal and adaptive coping may improve emotional well-being and resilience among university students.