Academic stress among female university students in China: a qualitative study of coping through psychological capital and social support.
- 1School of Political Science and Public Administration, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China.
- 2School of Education, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China.
- 3School of Political Science and Public Administration, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Academic stress is a pervasive psychological concern among university students, and female students often face additional stressors related to societal expectations, academic demands, and gender roles. However, there is limited qualitative research exploring how female students understand and cope with academic stress in Chinese higher education. This study aimed to explore female university students lived experiences of academic stress and the role of psychological capital and social support in coping.Methods
A qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 15 female students at a Chinese university. Interviews were conducted in both Chinese and English. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework to identify patterns and themes related to academic stress and coping strategies. The analysis was primarily inductive but theoretically informed by the study's focus on psychological capital, social support, and gendered experiences of academic stress.Results
Participants reported that academic stress was driven by high academic expectations, family responsibilities, and sociocultural gender norms. Psychological capital, including resilience, self-efficacy, optimism, and hope, helped students reframe stress and maintain motivation. Social support from family, peers, and mentors provided emotional and practical assistance, buffering stress and promoting adaptive coping. Across participants' accounts, both psychological capital and social support were described as resources for coping with academic demands. Across participants' accounts, both psychological capital and social support were described as resources for coping with academic demands.Conclusions
Female university students experience academic stress shaped by academic demands and gendered family and social expectations. Psychological capital and social support were described as important coping resources. These findings suggest potential implications for university support strategies that are responsive to female students' academic and gender-related pressures.
Related
- Development of a PLS-SEM-ANN hybrid model for predicting college students’ academic achievement from physical exercise through social support and psychological resilience
- Longitudinal relationships between physical exercise, psychological resilience, and academic engagement in Chinese university students: a random-intercept cross-lagged panel study
- Perceived academic demands and psychological distress among Chinese university students: structural associations involving chronic time pressure and leisure-time physical activity.
- From need satisfaction to academic achievement: pathways through wellbeing and engagement among university students across different Italian institutions
- University physical education course experience and resilience-based psychological recovery capacity among students in Chinese higher education: indirect associations through emotion regulation, exercise self-efficacy, and peer connectedness
BibTeX
@article{zeb2026academic,
title = {{Academic stress among female university students in China: a qualitative study of coping through psychological capital and social support.}},
author = {Irum Zeb and Song Ye and Aashiq Khan},
journal = {BMC psychology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1186/s40359-026-05482-6},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972437},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Academic stress among female university students in China: a qualitative study of coping through psychological capital and social support.
AU - Irum Zeb
AU - Song Ye
AU - Aashiq Khan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/05
JO - BMC psychology
DO - 10.1186/s40359-026-05482-6
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42972437
AB - Background Academic stress is a pervasive psychological concern among university students, and female students often face additional stressors related to societal expectations, academic demands, and gender roles. However, there is limited qualitative research exploring how female students understand and cope with academic stress in Chinese higher education. This study aimed to explore female university students lived experiences of academic stress and the role of psychological capital and social support in coping.Methods A qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 15 female students at a Chinese university. Interviews were conducted in both Chinese and English. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework to identify patterns and themes related to academic stress and coping strategies. The analysis was primarily inductive but theoretically informed by the study's focus on psychological capital, social support, and gendered experiences of academic stress.Results Participants reported that academic stress was driven by high academic expectations, family responsibilities, and sociocultural gender norms. Psychological capital, including resilience, self-efficacy, optimism, and hope, helped students reframe stress and maintain motivation. Social support from family, peers, and mentors provided emotional and practical assistance, buffering stress and promoting adaptive coping. Across participants' accounts, both psychological capital and social support were described as resources for coping with academic demands. Across participants' accounts, both psychological capital and social support were described as resources for coping with academic demands.Conclusions Female university students experience academic stress shaped by academic demands and gendered family and social expectations. Psychological capital and social support were described as important coping resources. These findings suggest potential implications for university support strategies that are responsive to female students' academic and gender-related pressures.
SN - 2050-7283
ER -