The Influence of Academic Stress on Emotional Stability and Self-Acceptance among Undergraduate Students

I examined how perceived academic stress relates to emotional stability and self-acceptance among undergraduate students (N = 100), using a cross-sectional online survey and three standardized measures. Participants reported academic stress at the neutral scale midpoint (M = 2.99), and emotional stability significantly below its midpoint (M = 2.86, p = .036). Stress nonetheless correlated negatively with emotional stability, r = -.20, p = .046, and predicted self-acceptance, R² = .183, p < .001, explaining more than four times as much variance in self-evaluation as in trait reactivity. No differences emerged by gender, year of study, or faculty. Academic stress need not reach severe levels before it is associated with reduced psychological functioning.