Why Is Stress in Students Rising? Psychology & Science Explained
- Nov 1, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 27, 2025
Written by
Amna Khalid
Stress is an unavoidable aspect of life. No matter who you are, where you come from, and what phase of life you are in, it always finds its way to you.
It isn't something negative; it is a natural response of our body to danger. The real issue lies in how we perceive and handle our problems.
The key to live a stress-free life is to understand stress and know how to manage it.
Stress among students is no exception.
It is a real and serious issue, affecting their mental health just as deeply as it does in adults. More often, this academic stress is short-term and disappears with time and counselling.
However, in some cases, negligence by parents and teachers may put a child’s mental or physical health at risk. In this blog, we will discuss what stress actually is, where it comes from, and what are the possible reasons behind it.
The Definition Of Stress:
Stress has many perspectives based on science, psychology, and philosophy. But in a general context, it can be defined as:
“Stress is the way human beings react both physically and mentally to changes, events, and situations in their lives.”
Why Is Stress Among Students Rising?
Stress in students has never been associated with a single factor. Overexpectations, unhealthy competition, and heavy workload are some of the common reasons.
Students usually reside in a state of restlessness and are often dissatisfied with themselves.
These may appear trivial to many, but if not addressed promptly, they may lead to stress or a more severe condition, such as depression.
Good Or Bad Student Stress
Although it may feel strange, stress in students can be either good or bad. It depends on a student’s ability and how they react to a situation or change.
Every student feels it differently. It can be good stress if a student handles it promptly and learns from the experience. On the other hand, it can be bad stress if they fail to manage it and become stuck in it.
Image source: Pexels
How Does Stress Strike Students?
When stress strikes, it first disturbs a student’s emotional stability. It speeds up the body’s mental response and triggers feelings of fear, excitement, guilt, hope, or confusion, depending on the individual’s personality.
The heartbeat and heart rate increase, and the body starts feeling restless. Students who are in good mental and physical states take it lightly and handle it successfully.
But unfortunately, those with weaker health and a lack of social support take it seriously, get stuck in it, and fail to move forward.
It often results in a cycle of self-criticism and unhealthy ways of management, such as isolation, addiction, overeating, or drinking.
The Science Behind Stress
Scientifically, the stress response is controlled by an alarm system in our body known as the amygdala.
On activation, this alarm system sends signals to the hypothalamus, which activates both the endocrine and nervous systems of the body.
The nervous system prepares the body for a fight-or-flight response, such as an increased heart rate, widened pupils, etc.
Meanwhile, the endocrine system produces corresponding stress hormones, primarily adrenaline and cortisol, to produce specific body changes. Together, these systems help a person in managing stress.
When stress is not under control, the system does not behave normally. Both the endocrine and nervous systems stay active for a long time and start harming the body instead of helping it.
The body remains in fight-or-flight mode, resulting in constant alertness, sleep problems, and headaches.
Stress hormones are released at abnormally high levels, which weakens the immune system and may lead to negative physical changes.
Overall, the body gets stuck in a state of imbalance, which can eventually lead to chronic stress or other stress-related issues.
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Common Reasons Why Stress in Students is Rising
Lack of Social Support: Students are in a constant state of learning and development throughout their lives.
They require social support for personal and professional growth. Sometimes, they do not get this support due to family problems, economic conditions, and workload.
They have to struggle emotionally and feel isolated, which eventually results in stress.
Childhood Traumas
Some childhood traumas leave deep mental effects and hinder coping with life changes.
These experiences often lead to strong feelings like anger, frustration, and sadness, and increase sensitivity.
Common examples include losing a loved one, physical or emotional abuse, and experiencing an illness.
Everyday Challenges: Minor irritations and interruptions from family, relatives, or peers can also cause student stress.
Individually, these frustrations might not feel important, but collectively they can cause severe stress.
Institutional Inefficiency: The systematic failure of an institute can also cause stress among students, resulting in lower self-confidence and depression.
The main reasons are over-expectations, unhealthy competition, and lack of recognition from parents and teachers.
Conclusion
In short, stress in students is a common issue that can arise from various sources. Fortunately, our body has a natural ability to manage stress effectively.
We should at least know how to recognize its signs and handle it in a timely manner.
If a student, for any reason, fails to cope with stress, it becomes the responsibility of the parents and teachers to help manage it effectively. Wherever possible, provide them with social support.
For a stress-free learning experience, visit Biocore.
References:
The University of Akron. (n.d.). Stress and its impact on performance [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.uakron.edu/armyrotc/ms1/14.pdf
Greenberg, M. (2016). The Stress-Proof Brain: Master Your Emotional Response to Stress Using Mindfulness and Neuroplasticity. Sounds True.
Featured is from Pexels
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