Impact of Academic Stressors on Anxiety and Depression in University Students from Cuba and Ecuador
Keywords:
Academic stressors; anxiety; depression; university students; Cuba; EcuadorAbstract
Introduction: Academic stressors are relevant to university students' mental health, but evidence on their differential association with anxiety and depression remains limited in Latin American contexts.
Objectives: To identify the academic stressors that predict anxiety and depression levels in university students from Cuba and Ecuador, as well as to evaluate the influence of gender and country of residence as moderating variables.
Material and Methods: The target population consisted of undergraduate students from the University of Havana (Cuba) and the Universidad Bolivariana del Ecuador (Ecuador), aged 18 years or older and enrolled at the time of the study who provided informed consent. A total of 687 students participated and were assessed using the Academic Stressors Scale, the GAD-7, and the PHQ-9, through nonparametric analyses, multiple linear regression, and LASSO regression. The study followed the Declaration of Helsinki, with ethical approval from both institutions.
Results: All dimensions of academic stressors were significantly associated with anxiety and depression, with beliefs about academic performance emerging as the most consistent predictor in both models; other stressors showed differential associations depending on symptomatology. No gender differences were found in anxiety or depression levels, although differences did emerge in the perception of some stressors and country-level differences were found, with higher levels of stressors, anxiety, and depression among Cuban students.
Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of considering specific academic stressors, particularly beliefs about academic performance, in the design of preventive interventions in higher education. Country, but not gender, was associated with differences in anxiety and depression, underscoring the need for approaches that are sensitive to the educational and sociocultural context.
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