A scoping review of stress among college students: With implications for student support programs

Department/Unit

Office of the Counselling and Career Services

Document Type

Article

Source Title

International Journal of Research Studies in Education

Volume

15

Issue

16

First Page

37

Last Page

46

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

The complex landscape of higher education exposes undergraduate students to academic, financial, and socio-emotional stressors that can significantly affect their mental health and academic success. In the Philippines, localized research addressing student distress remains highly fragmented across single institutions and specific disciplines. This scoping review systematically maps the existing literature on stress among university students in the Philippines to identify specific stressors, prevalence, risk factors, and coping mechanisms, ultimately informing the development of localized student support programs. Following the framework by Arksey & O’Malley and the PRISMA-ScR reporting guidelines, a systematic search was conducted across Scopus, PubMed, and APA PsychInfo databases. Literature published between 2019 and 2025 which were empirical, open-access, and full-text studies of Filipino undergraduates were screened. Out of 1472 articles, 16 were included in the study. The results showed that academic demands, heavy workloads, and a sudden shift to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic emerged as the primary stressors. Heightened stress susceptibility was significantly associated with demographics such as female sex, younger age, and lower academic year levels, as well as personal traits like low resilience and perfectionism. Students employed both adaptive strategies (e.g., peer support, religious coping) and maladaptive behaviors (e.g., avoidance and substance use). Only one structural intervention was identified. The findings highlight a critical gap in evaluated institutional interventions. There is an urgent need for higher education institutions in the Philippines to design integrated, target-specific mental health services and cultivate adaptive coping mechanisms to bolster student resilience.

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Keywords

Stress in adolescence; Stress in youth

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