Stress among Nursing Students and Engineering Students

Description

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18482129

Trishna Khadka (Mental Health Counselor, Islington College, Kathmandu, Nepal

Prolonged stress can disrupt emotional regulation and contribute to anxiety, irritability, and burnout. College students, particularly those enrolled in demanding programs such as nursing and engineering, are especially vulnerable to stress-related difficulties. This study compared physical, academic, interpersonal, and environmental stress among nursing and engineering students and examined the interrelationships among these stress domains. A comparative cross-sectional design was employed with 210 students (103 nursing & 107 engineering) selected through systematic random sampling from colleges in Kathmandu and Lalitpur, Nepal. Stress was assessed using the Student Stress Inventory (SSI), and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Pearson correlation analyses. Results indicated significant disciplinary differences. Engineering students reported significantly higher academic and interpersonal stress, whereas nursing students experienced greater physical stress. No significant group difference was found in environmental stress. All stress domains were significantly interrelated, suggesting a multidimensional stress experience. The findings highlight the need for discipline-specific stress management interventions to enhance students’ mental health and academic functioning.