Academic Stress and Anxiety among Portuguese Students: The Role of Perceived Social Support and Self-Management

Abstract

Adolescents are experiencing increasing levels of anxiety and academic stress, with schools being privileged contexts to foster mental health literacy and hinder stress and anxiety. Social support and self-management skills have been described as protective factors for these phenomena. Therefore, this cross-sectional study examines the relations between social support, self-management skills, academic stress, and anxiety among adolescents, analyzing the mediational role of self-management in the relation between social support, academic stress, and anxiety. Participants included 137 adolescents, with an average age of 12.56 years (SD = 0.68), who completed the Perception of Academic Stress Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Self-Control and Self-Management Scale, Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Results showed that students generally perceive moderate levels of social support from parents, teachers, and peers; moderate levels of academic stress and mild anxiety; and have self-management skills. Findings showed that self-management is related to social support, academic stress, and anxiety, with gender influencing academic stress and anxiety. Self-management was found to mediate the link between social support, academic stress, and anxiety. The results underscore the importance of fostering social support and self-management skills to mitigate academic stress and anxiety.