What is the relationship between indicators of stress and academic performance in third year university students: a follow up study

Previous studies have identified certain factors that influence student's academic performance at university level. These factors have included such things as previous tertiary education, marital status, emotional support, financial support, part time employment, and ENTER or high school leaving results. This study invited all third year students enrolled in the B.Sc (Clinical Sciences) Osteopathy degree at Victoria University in 2003, to participate in a follow up study to previous research that investigated first year students and the factors that influence academic performance. State Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Life Orientation test, Cope scales, external work hours and job satisfaction were used to determine factors that may affect academic performance and were compared against average exam grades. This study also investigated other possible indicators of stress factors including: hours of part time work, job satisfaction, emotional and financial support and any previous education undertaken which may also influence academic performance. The results of this study showed that ENTER scores, job saticfaction (especially in females), part time work hours and denial of coping provided the strongest correlations with academic performance. High levels of anxiety, depression and the use of non-functional coping mechanisms were not demonstrated to have any correlation with academic performance in this cohort. . Similar results were originally identified in first year students of the same program of study. It is important that universities identify these factors as possible indicators of stress that may adversely affect academic performance. This minor thesis was written by a post-graduate student as part of the requirements of the Master of Health Science (Osteopathy) program