Abstract

From the beginning of the 21st century, there has been an increased level of competition in the world, across all fields and professions (Abercrombie HC, 2003). The high levels of pre-requisite standards have added considerable stress to student life in higher education institutions (Abouserie R, 1994). The current study aimed to encompass previous research conducted in the area of academic stress, with special focus on India (Agolla JE, 2009). A comprehensive literature review conducted using key words academic stress, academic anxiety, sources or causes of stress, coping strategies employed and academic performance (Agrawal RK, 2007). The EBSCO, ProQuest, Google Scholar were the main database sources from which the articles were gathered (Akil H,1999). Coalesced findings from studies conducted after 2000 indicate that across Indian cities, the prevalence rate of student stress ranges from 13% to 45% (Aldwin C, 1987). Most of the literature discussed academic stress quantitatively, and a lesser number of studies explored it qualitatively. Very few proposed strategic intervention in order to control academic stress among higher education students. Critical issues in the area of academic stress have been identified, with discussion on the findings and shortcomings of existing research (Ang RP, 2006). Directions for future research and potential reform implementations in management of academic stress are outlined (Arnett JJ, 1999).

Keywords: Academic stress, Higher education students, Academic performance & coping strategies