Overview: There has been an increase in the frequency and severity of stress experienced by Canadian post-secondary students, which has adverse implications on their academic success. This work applied the socio-ecological model for health promotion to explore the contextual factors that influence this relationship at the individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and public policy levels. Methods: Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, we conducted 38 semi-structured interviews with undergraduate students and on-campus staff who provide services to this population at a post-secondary institution in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Thematic analysis inductively identified overarching themes among participants’ perspectives. Results: Several positive and negative factors were identified at each socio-ecological model level, demonstrating the complex interplay of demographic, psychological, emotional, social, physical, and academic factors impacting students’ academic stress. Conclusions: A lack of communication and knowledge seems to underlie many factors, highlighting the need to strengthen communication strategies to promote awareness, accessibility, and availability of services and programs on campus. Results also pointed to focusing on proactive, resilience-focused, upstream mental health promotion efforts at post-secondary institutions to reduce stress and improve academic success. This knowledge can help Canadian campuses better address students’ needs.

To synthesize peer-reviewed primary research exploring factors associated with perceived stress impacting post-secondary students’ academic success. Methods: A systematic review identified research...

This survey study measured the association between risk and protective factors of anxiety and its implications on the academic performance of 1,053 students at a four-year, public post-secondary institution in southwestern Ontario. Logistic regression analyses revealed 13 significant variables at the univariable level, while the multivariable model yielded seven significant factors. Students who felt hopeless significantly increased their odds of reporting anxiety adversely affecting their academic performance, while being able to manage daily responsibilities was the only protective factor against anxiety impacting students’ educational attainment. By planning, designing, and implementing proactive programs focusing on thesepredictor variables, such interventions can equip students against the debilitative influence of anxiety on their academic success.

We examined the influence of human and psychological capital variables on the reporting of stress affecting Canadian post-secondary students’ academic performances.This cross-sectional study used t...

Factors related to the ‘typical university experience,’ such as high levels of perceived stress and a lack of sleep, negatively affect student mental health. The present study analyzes mental health risk and protective factors from 2,472 respondents gathered through the National College Health Assessment-II survey to inform the development of a mental health program for post-secondary students at an institution in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Students who reported symptoms or diagnoses of anxiety and depression, above or below average stress, and few nights of restful sleep were more likely to be languishing than moderately mentally healthy, while students who reported average levels of stress and three or more restful nights of sleep per week were more likely to be flourishing than moderately mentally healthy. This work draws on the Health Belief Model in developing effective wellness programs to help students move along the mental health continuum toward flourishing.