Relationship between Academic Stress and Mental Health

Moderating Influence of Emotional Regulation and Perceived Social Support

Abstract

This study examined the moderating influence of emotional regulation and perceived social support in the relationship between academic stress and mental health among undergraduate students using cross-sectional data from two hundred and four (204) students. Their ages ranged between 18-25 (Mean = 21.56; SD = 2.32). The results of the moderated regression analysis using PROCESS Macro revealed a significant negative correlation between academic stress and mental health. Emotional regulation was also found to be a significant moderator between academic stress and mental health, and there was no statistically significant moderation influence of perceived social support in the relationship between academic stress and mental health among undergraduates. The study implied that academic stress negatively affects mental health, but this relationship can be significantly weakened if students have strong emotional regulation skills. This points to the importance of holistic student development, combining personal coping strategies with supportive environments.