The relationship between financial strain, perceived stress, psychological symptoms, and academic and social integration in undergraduate students

• Published in: Journal of American college health Vol. 64; no. 5; pp. 362 - 370
• Main Authors: Adams, Danielle R., Meyers, Steven A., Beidas, Rinad S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Routledge 03-07-2016; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Academic integration; Adult; Anxiety; Brief Symptom Inventory; Case Studies; College students; Computer Software; Coping; Correlation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression (Psychology); Education expenses; Family Financial Resources; Family Income; Female; Financial Management - standards; Financial Services; financial strain; First Generation College Students; first-generation student; Graduation Rate; Higher Education; Humans; Intervention; Likert Scales; Low Income Students; low-income student; Male; Mental Health; Mental health professionals; Money Management; Online Surveys; perceived stress; Perception; Psychological Patterns; Psychological problems; Public Health; Risk; Sampling; School Holding Power; Social integration; Social Isolation - psychology; State Trait Anxiety Inventory; Statistical Inference; Stress; Stress Management; Stress Variables; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Student Behavior; Student Personnel Services; Student Surveys; Students; Students - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Symptoms; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Undergraduate Students; Undergraduate Study; United States (Midwest); Universities - organization & administration; first-generation student; low-income student; Academic integration; financial strain; mental health; perceived stress; social integration
• ISSN: 0744-8481; 1940-3208
• DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2016.1154559

Objective: Financial strain may directly or indirectly (i.e., through perceived stress) impact students' psychological symptoms and academic and social integration, yet few studies have tested these relationships. The authors explored the mediating effect of perceived stress on the relationship between financial strain and 2 important outcomes: psychological symptomology and academic and social integration. Participants: Participants were 157 undergraduate students. Data were collected from December 2013 to March 2014. Methods: Cross-sectional data collection conducted using online survey software. Results: It was found that perceived stress mediated the relationship between financial strain and (a) psychological symptomology and (b) academic and social integration. Both models included first-generation status as a covariate. Conclusions: Results suggest that perceived stress is an important intervention target for reducing psychological symptoms and improving academic and social integration for undergraduate students. Implications for university health centers and mental health professionals include incorporating a public health model to minimize stress risk.