Narratives of distress and coping in contemporary university life

This study explores how psychological distress is experienced, narrated, and managed by university students enrolled in education-related degree programmes. Drawing on a qualitative, narrative-based methodology developed within the SPAU project, the study examines the academic, relational, and future-oriented dimensions shaping students’ experiences of distress. The findings suggest that psychological distress is influenced not only by individual factors, but also by academic pressures, competitive peer dynamics, employment uncertainty, and broader socio-environmental concerns. Academic stress emerges as a pervasive and cumulative experience with emotional, cognitive, and bodily manifestations that affect students’ engagement with learning and motivation. Participants’ accounts also reveal the ambivalent nature of peer relationships, where competitiveness coexists with collaborative practices that may function as important sources of emotional support. Concerns related to future employment and eco-anxiety further intensify students’ experiences of uncertainty and emotional strain. In response to these challenges, students primarily rely on informal coping strategies centred on social support, cognitive organisation, and emotional self-regulation, while professional psychological support remains comparatively limited. Overall, the study highlights the importance of relational, contextual, and care-oriented approaches to student wellbeing within higher education.