Factors associated with college students' perceived stress

Abstract

Stress is a significant problem for college students that can lead to poor academic performance, anxiety, depression, and other serious health outcomes. This study examined the relationship between college students' perceived stress and their daily experiences of pleasure, productivity, and restoration. College students from a Mountain state university (n = 187) completed an online survey that included the Perceived Stress Scale and the Daily Experiences of Pleasure, Productivity, and Restoration Profile. Pearson correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between variables. The amount of pleasure, productivity, and restoration students experienced from their day were each negatively correlated to their total levels of perceived stress, although only weakly (r = -0.15 to -0.25). Regression analysis revealed that of the three experiences, the amount of pleasure students experienced explained the largest amount of the variance in perceived stress; but, it was a weak predictor, explaining only 3% of the variance independently. Implications for students, professionals working with students, and future research are discussed.