Effectiveness of Self-talk Techniques in Reducing Academic Stress among Undergraduate Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35891/gmay5r06Keywords:
academic stress, self-talk, undergraduate studentAbstract
High academic demands in higher education often constitute a primary source of stress that negatively affects students’ psychological well-being. Despite the increasing prevalence of academic stress, many students lack effective cognitive strategies to independently manage such pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of self-talk techniques in reducing academic stress among university students. This study employed a quantitative approach using a pre-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design. The participants were students experiencing moderate to high levels of academic stress who underwent a self-talk intervention across several sessions. Academic stress levels were measured using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) and analyzed using the Wilcoxon test. The results indicated that the self-talk technique significantly reduced students’ academic stress. This reduction was reflected in a shift toward milder stress categories after the intervention. These findings support the hypothesis that self-talk is an effective mechanism for reducing psychological pressure. Consequently, this technique may serve as a viable strategy for improving students’ mental health issues. The findings further suggest that higher education institutions should integrate cognitive-based interventions into student counseling programs to foster mental resilience in the face of increasing academic pressures.
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