Page 99 - GHES-3-2

Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Student anxiety/stress/depression

al. (2017) reported that working students experience
increased levels of stress. The present study confirmed
that working students exhibited higher anxiety, stress, or
depression values than unemployed students, but not at
statistically significant levels. As previously mentioned,
Furr et al. (2001) evidenced with a sample of 1,455 students
(N = 1,455) that 50% of students were identified as depressed
Figure 5. Student perceptions of the sources of stress, anxiety, or at some point in their studies. However, only 18.1% of the
depression at their educational institutions and the relaxation techniques participants in the present study displayed moderate and
they employed.
elevated depression levels. The introduction section of this
paper referenced a study conducted by Dimitriou et al.
institution, 36.1% of the participants answered the duration (2020) that highlighted the correlation between anxiety
of the examinations, 35.2% the number and difficulty of and the application of relaxation techniques. However,
assigned tasks, and 18.1% the mandatory course attendance only 2.2% of the participants in the present study reported
(Figure 5). Only 10.6% of the participants answered that that they could not relax, and most participants employed
they did not feel anxiety, stress, or depression. Of this practices that helped them unwind. Yikealo et al. (2018)
small cohort, 87.05% were students without children. reported that educational institutions could themselves
When asked about their relaxation activities, 31.9% of the present sources of stress for students, and the present study
participants favored staying at home, 46.2% performed attempted to identify these factors, which are presented
activities and spent time with their family and friends, in Figure 5. Finally, a 2012 survey revealed that reduced
21.2% actively engaged in sports and exercises, and 8.5% study times result in increased anxiety (Bonesrønning &
participated in other outdoor activities. Only 2.2% of the Opstad, 2012). However, the present study did not address
participants did not register any means of relaxation.
this aspect.
4. Discussion Moreover, the data for this study were collected through
The present study aimed to evidence that students who self-report tests, which present limitations mainly because
have children experience increased levels of anxiety, stress, it is difficult for people to remain unbiased when reporting
or depression during examination periods compared to their personal experiences (Devaux & Sassi, 2016). These
students who do not have children. However, the study limitations primarily concern the honesty of participant
results demonstrated that students who do not have children responses, the lack of introspection by respondents, their
recorded statistically significantly higher anxiety values interpretations of questions, the response scales, their
than students who have children (p = 0.005). However, this biases, and the sample type (Salters, 2023). For example,
study found no statistically significant differences between many people are likely to tender socially acceptable or
the two groups in their stress (p = 0.164) and depression preferable answers (Devaux & Sassi, 2016). Many scholars
(p = 0.197) levels. Therefore, the original hypothesis of suggest that self-report questionnaires should be combined
the study was rejected. Thus, it is concluded that students with behavioral observations and biometric data collection
who do not have children exhibit higher anxiety values to avoid these limitations (Althubaiti, 2016).
than students who are parents. No statistically significant This study highlighted elevated anxiety levels
differences were found between these two groups by experienced by students who do not have children.
any other measure employed for this study. Therefore, Therefore, future research endeavors could attempt to
no conclusion can derived about why students without discover the reasons for this finding, essentially targeting
children sense more stress than students who are parents. the sources of such anxiety but also determining the ways

The relatively small number of participants is deemed in which students who are parents reduce their anxiety
a major limitation of the present study because a total of levels. In addition, the educational community would
94 students answered the questionnaires, of whom 32 had benefit from investigations of the effects of educational
children and 62 did not. Overall, 34.78% of the sample institutions on the anxiety, stress, or depression levels of
comprised parents, a number greater than was reported students and how measures can be devised to combat such
(22%) in the previously mentioned study conducted in the sources and their effects.
United States by Cruse et al. (2019). However, the present
study did not specify the level of education whereas the 5. Conclusion
findings of the aforementioned study conducted in the This study concluded that students who do not have
USA concerned undergraduate students. Săvescu et children experience higher anxiety than those who do. No

Volume 3 Issue 2 (2025) 91 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.4906