Udvikling af en forebyggelsesindsats mod stress hos universitetsstuderende - strukturelle forandringsforslag til danske universiteter

Abstract

Problem: Næsten hver femte studerende på en dansk videregående uddannelse oplever ofte eller altid stærke stress symptomer i hverdagen på studiet, hvor eksamen hyppigt rapporteres som årsag. Længerevarende stresstilstande kan nedsætte livskvalitet, medføre fysiske og psykiske gener, øget risiko for depression, hjertekarsygdom, hjerneblødning, luftvejssygdom og øget mortalitet. Længerevarende stress hæmmer desuden studerendes indlæringsevne og øger risikoen for frafald på universiteterne. Forståelsen af årsager til eksamensrelateret stress og forebyggelse heraf er derfor vigtigt for de studerendes sundhed, helbred og udbyttet af deres uddannelse. Formål: Formålet med dette speciale er at danne viden, der kan anvendes til udviklingen af en praksisrelevant intervention, der tilsigter at forebygge eksamensrelateret stress hos universitetsstuderende og bidrage med praksisrelevante forandringsforslag til danske universiteter. Metode: Med udgangspunkt i en kritisk realistisk videnskabsposition udarbejdes en realistisk syntese, inspireret af Højmark et al. (1), af 24 artikler, for at danne viden om sammenhænge mellem studerendes oplevelser af eksamensfaktorer og stress. Derudover gennemføres fem individuelle interviews af personer med indflydelse på tilrettelæggelse og afholdelse af eksamener på et dansk universitet, omhandlende muligheder og barrierer for implementering af strukturelle forandringer på universitetet. Interviewdata blev analyseret med tematisk analysestrategi af Braun et al. (2). Resultater: Den realistiske syntese viste, at studerende oplever tilstedeværelsen af andre ved eksamen, eksamensformen, sværhedsgraden af eksamen, at dét at dumpe har konsekvenser, bedømmelsesformatet og tilrettelæggelsen af eksamen som faktorer af betydning for graden af oplevet stress. Analysen af interviews resulterede i identificeringen af en række muligheder og barrierer for strukturelle forandringer på universitetet. Konklusion: Resultaterne peger på en række strukturelle forandringstiltag der kan foretages på universitetet for at forebygge stress hos de studerende. Trods validitetsudfordringer og usikkerheder omkring overførbarheden til dansk kontekst, vurderes resultaterne at kunne anvendes som inspiration og udgangspunkt for fremadrettet udvikling af strukturelle forebyggelsestiltag mod studerendes stress samt afføde debat på universiteterne omkring håndtering af eksamensrelateret stress hos deres studerende.

Problem: Almost every fifth student enrolled in Danish higher education often or always experience strong symptoms of stress in their daily academic lives, with examinations often reported as a cause. Prolonged states of stress can diminish quality of life and lead to physical and mental health issues, increased risk of depression, cardiovascular disease, cerebral haemorrhage, respiratory illness, and increased mortality. Furthermore, chronic stress impairs students' learning abilities and heightens the risk of dropout rates at universities. Understanding the causes of examination-related stress and how to prevent it is therefore crucial for students' health, well-being, and the overall benefit of their education. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to generate knowledge, that can be utilized in the development of a context relevant intervention aimed at preventing examination-related stress among university students and provide Danish universities with practical suggestions for change. Method: Based on a critical realist epistemological stance, a realist synthesis inspired by Højmark et al. (1) was conducted, analysing 24 articles to develop an understanding of the relationships between students' experiences of examination factors and stress. Furthermore, five individual interviews were conducted with individuals involved in the organization and administration of examinations at a Danish university, focusing on the opportunities and barriers for implementing structural changes within the institution. Data from the interview was analysed using thematic analysis as outlined by Braun et al. (2). Results: The realist synthesis indicated that students perceive the presence of peers during examinations, the format of the exam, its difficulty level, the consequences of failing, the assessment format, and the organization of the exam as significant factors influencing their levels of perceived stress. The analysis of the interviews led to the identification of various opportunities and barriers for structural changes at the university. Conclusion: Results of the thesis suggests a range of structural changes that could be implemented at the university to prevent stress among students. Despite challenges related to validity and uncertainties regarding the transferability of the results to the Danish context, the findings are considered usable as inspiration and a foundation for further development of structural prevention measures against student stress and for fostering discussions within universities on how to manage examination-related stress among their students.

A master thesis from Aalborg University

Udvikling af en forebyggelsesindsats mod stress hos universitetsstuderende - strukturelle forandringsforslag til danske universiteter

[Development of an Initiative to Prevent Stress among University Students: Recommendations for Structural Change for Danish Universities]