Authors:
Ansh Bhalekar (021331025065)
Ayush Bhosale (021331025601)
Krish Shetty (021331025208)
Introduction
Mental health has emerged as a critical concern among college students in recent years, as they navigate a complex combination of academic, social, and personal challenges. The transition to higher education often brings increased academic responsibilities, high performance expectations, and pressure to succeed, which can lead to elevated levels of stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. These challenges are further intensified by competitive job markets, evolving industry requirements, and rapid technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), which have created uncertainty regarding future career prospects.
Despite the growing awareness of mental health issues, many students remain hesitant to seek professional help due to stigma, lack of awareness, or limited access to campus mental health resources. The availability, accessibility, and perceived effectiveness of institutional support systems play a crucial role in encouraging students to seek timely assistance. Understanding students’ comfort levels in accessing these resources is essential for developing more inclusive and supportive mental health initiatives.
This study aims to explore the mental health experiences of college students by examining key dimensions such as academic workload–related exhaustion, sense of social belonging, confidence in managing stress, anxiety regarding future career prospects and AI, and willingness to seek mental health support from campus resources. By analysing these factors, the study seeks to provide valuable insights that can help educational institutions design targeted interventions, promote mental well-being, and create a healthier academic environment for students.
Objectives of the Study
· The primary objectives of this survey are:
· To assess the level of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by academic workload.
· To understand students’ sense of belonging and social connection within their college community.
· To evaluate students’ confidence in managing academic stress.
· To examine the impact of concerns about the future job market and AI on students’ mental well-being.
· To analyse students’ comfort level in seeking mental health support from campus resources.
Literature review
Previous studies show that mental health problems are common among college students due to academic pressure, social challenges, and concerns about the future. Heavy academic workload often leads to stress, tiredness, and emotional exhaustion, which can affect students’ concentration and performance.
Research also highlights the importance of social connection in maintaining good mental health. Students who feel a sense of belonging in college tend to handle stress better, while those who feel lonely or isolated are more likely to experience anxiety and depression.
Studies suggest that students who are confident in managing stress are better able to cope with academic and personal challenges. Poor stress management, on the other hand, increases mental health difficulties.
Data Collection
Following 5 questions are framed on likert Scale
1. I frequently feel physically or emotionally exhausted due to my current academic workload.
2. I feel a sense of belonging and social connection within my college community.
3. I am confident in my ability to manage the stress levels associated with my degree.
4. My concern regarding the future job market (and AI) significantly impacts my daily mental well-being.
5. I feel comfortable seeking mental health support from campus resources if I am struggling.
A Google form was framed with linear scale(5-1)
Data was coded as
1 = Strongly Agree
2 = Agree
3 = Neutral
4 = Disagree
5 = Strongly Disagree
101 students of ITM were surveyed and data was downloaded as excel sheet. For each question, mean, standard deviation, standard error, and t-stat was calculated.
Data Analysis
|
Question |
Q.1 |
Q.2 |
Q.3 |
Q.4 |
Q.5 |
|
Mean |
2.75 |
2.71 |
2.58 |
2.8 |
2.64 |
|
Standard Deviation |
1.123 |
1.018 |
1.046 |
1.025 |
1.159 |
|
Standard Error |
0.112 |
0.102 |
0.105 |
0.102 |
0.116 |
|
T-statistic (vs 3) |
-2.227 |
-2.849 |
-4.015 |
-1.951 |
-3.105 |
Conclusion
|
Sr no. |
Question |
Conclusion |
|
|
1 |
I frequently feel physically or emotionally exhausted due to my current academic workload. |
The mean score is significantly lower than the neutral midpoint (3.0). This suggests that, on average, students are not strongly agreeing that they are frequently exhausted. While exhaustion exists, the group as a whole leans slightly more toward “Disagreeing” with the statement that they are frequently exhausted due to workload. |
|
|
2 |
I feel a sense of belonging and social connection within my college community. |
There is a statistically significant lack of belonging among the students. Since the score is below the neutral 3.0, it indicates that students generally feel a lower-than-average sense of connection to their college community. This identifies a potential area for improvement in social integration |
|
|
3 |
I am confident in my ability to manage the stress levels associated with my degree. |
This is the lowest mean in your dataset and is highly significant. Students express a clear lack of confidence in their ability to manage degree-related stress. This is a critical finding, suggesting that stress management resources or mental health interventions are strongly needed |
|
|
4
|
My concern regarding the future job market (and AI) significantly impacts my daily mental well-being.
|
This question has the highest mean (2.80) and is the only one that is not statistically significant at the 95 confidence level. This means the students’ concern about the job market is very close to “Neutral.” While it still impacts well-being, it is not as dominant or consistent a factor as the lack of stress management confidence.
|
|
|
5 |
I feel comfortable seeking mental health support from campus resources if I am struggling. |
The score is significantly below neutral, indicating that students do not feel comfortable seeking mental health support from campus resources. There may be barriers such as stigma, lack of awareness, or lack of trust in the available resources that prevent students from reaching out. |
|
Reference
Recent studies, such as the 2024-2025 Healthy Minds Study, indicate a complex shift in student well-being. While severe depression symptoms among college students have dropped (from 23% in 2022 to 18% in 2025), overall “flourishing”—a measure of optimism and purpose—has also declined. This suggests that while fewer students are in acute crisis, a larger portion remains in a state of “languishing.”
As traditional campus counselling centres reach capacity, the literature has shifted toward Scalable Digital Interventions and Stepped Care Models. Meta-analyses from 2025 demonstrate that digital mental health tools are no longer just “placeholders” but effective primary treatments for moderate anxiety and depression.