“IDENTIFYING THE STRONGEST PREDICTORS OF PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS AMONG HEALTH SCIENCE STUDENTS: A MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS”

Stress is a psychological response that occurs as a result of demands placed on one's capabilities. It may be brought about by factors related to work as well as internal negative emotions. In the context of the American Psychological Association[1], there are three major types of stress: acute, which is triggered by stressful events such as deadlines; episodic, which affects people who live their lives under constant mini crises; and chronic stress, characterized by an inability to handle certain pressures associated with life, like poverty[2]. Physical signs include palpitations and digestive problems, while behavioral manifestations entail social isolation and drug and alcohol abuse. In essence, stress and sleep have a two-way relationship in that stress hormones such as the "fight or flight response" cause insomnia[4], while insufficient sleep makes it difficult for one to handle stress. [4]Emotional intelligence and mindfulness techniques are useful strategies that one may adopt to overcome stress in order to remain productive[3]. These factors are measured by clinicians and scholars using different standardized instruments such as Perceived Stress Scale (PSS)[4], which evaluates stress in one's life; Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), which assesses individuals' emotions; and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Furthermore, perceived social support from family and friends is considered a crucial predictor of psychological well-being during stressful times.[6]

Study Design      : Multivariant analysis

Study Participants            200

Study Duration  : 6months

Study Site           : Pachamuthu college of Pharmacy

 INCLUSION

•         Age 18-25

•         Health science students.

 EXCLUSION

•         Who are not willing in participation

•         Unable to complete the study question

•         Student who are taking medication for any psychological disorder

 Plan of the study:

•         Development of the research question

•         Comprehensive review of literature

•         Preparation of study protocol

•         Development of study materials

•         Informed consent form

•         The scale was used [SLEEP DISTURBANCE, SSETI, PSS10, MAAS, MSPSS].[5]

5.Data collection

•         Administration the validation questionnaire

 6.Data analysis

•         Statistical analysis by SPSS software

 7.Report writing and conclusion

•         Interpretation of findings

•         Drawing conclusion based on the data analysis

 Statistical Analysis:

Descriptive statistics along with multiple correlation and regression have been used to identifying the relationship between stress and Emotional intelligence, Mindfulness, Sleep quality, Social Support, Psychological stress and to identify the strongest predictors among those factors.

 were normal, and the neonate required NICU observation for six days due to the presence of a visible swelling over the back at birth. No respiratory distress, feeding difficulty, fever, seizures, or signs of sepsis were observed during NICU stay.

Fig. No: 3 Normal curve plot                                                 Fig. No: 4 Runs Plot

Karl Pearson’s correlation test is used to analysis the relationship between the psychological stress and predicting factors. Analysis between psychological stress and sleep quality showed a weak positive correlation between Variable A and Variable B (r = 0.18) with p value 0.012, i.e., increase in sleep related impairment shows increase in the psychological stress among students indicating a statistically significant minimal linear association between the two variables.

Test between psychological stress and emotional intelligence shows Very slight negative correlation (r=- 0.003) indicates increase in emotional intelligence shows decrease in the psychological stress with p value

0.96 showed that correlation is not significant indicating that emotional intelligence may not serve as a potential predictor of stress.

Analysis between psychological stress and mindfulness revealed a significant weak to moderate positive correlation between Variable A and Variable B (r = 0.298, p < 0.001), indicating that increases in Variable A are associated with increases in Variable B.”

Test between stress and social support shows no significant correlation between two Variables (r = –0.003, p = 0.96), indicating the absence of a linear association between stress and social support.

All possible regression analysis identified mindfulness as the best single predictor of psychological stress. The model including mindfulness alone was statistically significant (p = 3.76 × 10⁻⁵) and explained 8.4% of the variance in PSS (Adjusted R² = 0.084). Sleep quality was not a significant predictor either alone (p

= 0.149) or when combined with mindfulness (p = 0.785), and its inclusion did not improve model performance.

The present study assessed the distribution of psychological stress among college students and explored its relationship with selected predictive factors,[7] including sleep quality, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, and social support.[8] The findings revealed that the majority of participants experienced moderate levels of stress, with a substantial proportion reporting high stress, highlighting psychological stress as a common concern within this population.[9] The mean PSS score (23.26 ± 5.15) is comparable to values reported in previous studies among undergraduate students, suggesting that academic demands[10], lifestyle changes, and psychosocial pressures may contribute significantly to stress levels in this age group.[11]

The distribution of stress scores demonstrated near-normality, with minimal skewness and kurtosis, and no extreme outliers, indicating good data quality and supporting the use of parametric statistical methods.[12] Visual plots further confirmed that moderate stress predominated, while a smaller but noteworthy group exhibited elevated stress, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions for high-risk students.[13]

Correlation analysis showed a weak but statistically significant positive association between psychological stress and sleep-related impairment[14], indicating that poorer sleep quality is associated with higher stress levels.[15] This finding is consistent with existing literature suggesting a bidirectional relationship between sleep disturbances and stress, where inadequate sleep may exacerbate stress, and heightened stress may, in turn, impair sleep quality.[16,17] Although statistically significant, the small effect size suggests that sleep quality alone may not be a strong determinant of stress but remains a relevant contributing factor.[18]

Psychological stress demonstrated no significant relationship with emotional intelligence, suggesting that, within this sample, emotional intelligence may not play a major protective role against stress. This contrasts with some previous studies that report an inverse association, and the discrepancy may be attributed to differences in measurement tools, sample characteristics, or cultural context.[19] Similarly, social support was not significantly correlated with stress, indicating that perceived support may not directly influence stress levels in this cohort or that its effect may be mediated through other psychosocial variables.[20]

Interestingly, a weak-to-moderate positive correlation between mindfulness and psychological stress was observed, which differs from the commonly reported inverse relationship. One possible explanation is that individuals with higher mindfulness possess greater awareness of their internal emotional states and therefore report stress more accurately.[21] Another plausible explanation is reverse causation, whereby students experiencing higher stress may actively engage in mindfulness-related practices as a coping strategy. Additionally, as mindfulness practice can initially increase awareness of distressing thoughts and emotions, higher mindfulness scores may reflect heightened recognition of stress rather than increased stress itself.[22,23]

 Regression analysis identified mindfulness as the best single predictor of psychological stress, explaining 8.4% of the variance in PSS scores. While this proportion is modest, it indicates that mindfulness contributes meaningfully to stress variability, though a large proportion of stress remains unexplained, suggesting the influence of additional academic, environmental, and personal factors. Sleep quality did not emerge as a significant predictor in regression models, indicating that its effect on stress may be indirect or overshadowed by other variables.[24,25,26]

Overall, these findings underscore the multifactorial nature of psychological stress and highlight the importance of considering both behavioral and psychological constructs when designing stress management programs for students.

The present study demonstrates that moderate psychological stress is highly prevalent among college students, with a considerable proportion experiencing high stress. Sleep-related impairment showed a weak positive association with stress, while emotional intelligence and social support were not significantly related. Mindfulness emerged as the strongest predictor of psychological stress, displaying a positive association, which may reflect increased awareness and reporting of stress among more mindful individuals.

These findings suggest that stress management strategies in college settings should adopt a comprehensive, multidimensional approach, incorporating sleep hygiene education, psychological support services, and appropriately structured mindfulness-based interventions. Future longitudinal and interventional studies are recommended to clarify causal relationships and to further explore the complex interplay between mindfulness, sleep, and psychological stress.

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