THE CORRELATES OF SUICIDAL INCIDENTS AND ACADEMIC STRESS

OF GRADE 9 STUDENTS IN LARAYAN EXTENSION

 CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SCOPE

Introduction

Academic pressure is a serious issue for students around the nation. According to Xin et
al. (2022), academic stress is the depletion of a student's psychological reserves as a result of
persistent social and self-imposed pressure in the school setting.

Due to the pressures placed on students, stress has become a part of their academic lives,
according to the researchers. There are several causes of stress among students. In school, tests,
quizzes, and reports are the most stressful for students. In addition, students have homework,
cleaning, and other household obligations to complete after 10 hours of school. Physical or
psychological difficulties can be brought on by academic stress, or both. Fatigue, severe
headaches, and loss of appetite are some of the physical issues that students may encounter due
to academic pressure. Students with psychological issues suffer from despair, anxiety, bad
relationships, and suicidal ideation.

Many issues, including depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, and irritability, have been
reported by students with significant academic stress (Huang et al.,2018). In accordance with
this, the prevalence of suicidal ideation among 50,054 university students was found to be 21%,
with 4.2% of them have attempted suicide (Sivertsen et al.,,2019). This is consistent with the
survey on the prevalence and correlates of suicide ideation among Malaysian university students,
which indicated a substantial correlation between suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety
(Mazelan and Lee,2022). Although a certain level of stress can inspire students to perform at
their best, when it is not managed well owing to a lack of resources to deal with the stress, it can
have negative implications for both the students and the institution (Reddy, Menon &
Thattil,2018).

Multiple students across the globe committed suicide as a result of overwhelming

academic pressure. The objective of the study is to make everyone aware that academic stress is
a significant issue that must be addressed. In addition, to inform the pupils that suicide is not a
viable solution to a problem.
 Conceptual Framework of the Study
Figure 1 presents the paradigm of independent, intervening, and dependent variables on the
Correlates of Suicidal Incidents and Academic Stress of the Grade 9 students of Larayan Extension

Independent Variables Dependent Variables

Level of Academic Stress

Academic Stress
*High
*School work
*Moderately High
*Household Responsibilities
*Very High

Interviewing Variables

Profile of the Students

Age:
Sex:

Figure 1
In terms of school work and household responsibilities, academic stress serves as a
paradigm of independent variables, and the level of academic stress as the dependent variable.
the profile of the students as the interviewing variables in terms of age and sex.
Statement of the Problems
This study aims to examine the correlates of suicidal incident and academic stress of the Grade 9
students of Dapitan City National Highschool Larayan Extension during the academic year 2022-202.

This study seeks to answer the following question:

1. What is the level of academic stress of the respondents?

2. What are the factors contributory to academic stress of the students in terms of:

2.1 Schoolwork:
2.2 Household Responsibilities:

3. Is there a significant relationship between the level of academic stress of the students and
their profile?
Null Hypothesis
This study tested a 0.05 level of significance

HO1: There is no significant relationship between the level of academic stress and the profile of the
Grade 9 students of Larayan Extension.
Significance of the Study
This research will benefit the following:

Future Researchers
Researchers who intend to conduct a study relating to the correlation between suicidal
incidents and academic stress will find this research a beneficial source of information.

Parents
This study will help parents understand what academic stress is and how it affects their
children. They can also assist their children in coping with stress so it does not lead to any
physical or psychological problems.

School Administrators
This study will benefit school administrators since it will help them address educational
numbers that are not easy to solve like academic stress. By having knowledge about the topic,
school administrators can help reduce the problem of the students on their academics by advising
the teachers to lessen the number of activities they assign.

Students
It is beneficial for students to have knowledge and understanding of how to manage
academic stress in order to prevent suicidal incidents.

Teachers
This serves as a guide for teachers to have a deeper understanding of academic stress.
And as a second line of support for students, teachers can assist those who feel academically
stressed by speaking calmly to them about their problems and offering sup
 CHAPTER 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURES AND STUDIES
This chapter presents the list of related literature that serves as a guideline to the
proponents to pursue the topic.

School Work
The current educational system is loaded with difficulties, demands, stress, and other
unpleasantries. Students today face many stressful situations as a result of a fast-paced modern
lifestyle, and their balance is frequently disturbed (Agnihotri, 2018). They concurred that the
main source of stress is an overload of subjects and tight deadlines for completing assignments
and projects. Additionally, they have been under stress because they have to study at the last
minute due to the irrelevant subjects and time attending academic events and activities(Bakae et
al.,,2021). Test anxiety is also one of the factors causing students to perform poorly. Students
who suffer from test anxiety frequently experience destruction in exams and problems in
preparing for exams which later on lead to stress(Zadeh et al.,,2019). Most students also
experience poor self-efficiency when doing homework (Moe and Katz,2018). In addition,
homework stress reduces the beneficial effects of homework and increases disaffection leading
to procrastination and stress (Moe et al.,2022).

According to Scott(2022)School and extracurricular activities account for a large portion

of high school students’ stress. This chronic stress can last into college years and cause academic
disengagement as well as mental health issues. High school students must complete fierce and
demanding classes, spectacular extracurricular activities, study and pass college placement
exams, and make significant and life-altering decisions about their futures. They simultaneously
negotiate the social difficulties that come with being in high school.

Household Responsibilities
Researchers found that most students are more focused on household work than
school activities, to the point of working a significant number of hours each day will leave them
with less time for studying period.
As stated by Wichmann et al(2019). Household chores may negatively affect
development because, in addition, to have little time for leisure, adolescents who perform
household chores have their school performance affected, more frequently miss classes,
experience school failures, and have less time to do school work.
Sex
Nationwide, medical students have been shown to have poor mental health. This study
investigated the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms among medical students
attending a public university in Upper Egypt, as well as the association between these
morbidities and the students' fundamental socio-demographic features. Participating in this cross-
sectional survey were 700 pupils. A socio-demographic questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety
Stress Scale (DASS 21), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire were used
for evaluation purposes. High rates of depression (65%), anxiety (73%), and stress (59.9%) were
reported. The stress ratings were significantly higher than the depression and anxiety scores
(P=0.00). 55.7% were lousy sleepers. In univariate analysis, females in the preclinical years who
resided on the university campus or in a student residence had higher DASS and PSQI scores
than their male counterparts. Significant associations were discovered between stress and
depression, anxiety, and PQSI scores (P=0.0001). In a multivariate study, stress ratings were
significantly associated with female sex, sadness, and anxiety levels. We conclude that
depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms are more prevalent among medical students at Assiut
University than at other schools, and that the female gender is highly associated with these
findings. (2017) Fawzy and Hamed
The mean CES-D score of the sample, as reported by Acharya et al., (2018), was
16.24, indicating severe depression symptoms. Female students reported more depressive
symptoms than male students, while international students reported more depressive symptoms
than domestic students. Significant stressors encountered by more than fifty percent of the
sample were found, and gender and domestic/international status disparities in stress levels were
examined.

According to Kumari (2017). The purpose of this study was to determine whether male
and female students perceive stress differently. The move from high school to university or
college is a significant event in the lives of students. It provides students with numerous options
for psychological growth and educational experiences. Nonetheless, this change produces a
number of difficult situations in their life. Students at a university were questioned about their
normal responses to stress. This study was conducted using a sample of 140 college students, 70
of whom were male and 70 of whom were female. Singh Personal Stress Source Inventory was
used to obtain the response. The statistical examination of the data revealed that male students
had greater levels of stress than their female counterparts. The findings were evaluated in light of
prior studies.
Age
The link between age and PMSS sum scores at T1 and T2 in our study was statistically
significant, but modest, according to Kotter et al., (2017). However, it is well-known that older
medical students face issues that younger students do not, such as financial difficulties and a lack
of social integration and, in some cases, difficulties in developing effective study habits due to
the length of time between high school graduation and medical school admission. Our result that
age also predicts M1 grade is hence less surprising. The relationship between age and academic
performance may be modulated by the capacity to endure and recover from elevated stress
levels.

This study aimed to establish whether there are age and study level disparities in the
academic stress experienced by undergraduates at Edo State's public universities. In this study, a
descriptive survey research design was used. There were 53,588 ordinary undergraduate students
enrolled in Edo State's public universities for the 2018-2019 academic year. 536 pupils were
selected as the study's sample size. 2% of the total number of students in each of the institution's
faculties were selected using proportionate random sampling. For data collection, a questionnaire
dubbed "Academic Stress Questionnaire - ASQ" was used. The test-retest reliability coefficient
of 0.88 demonstrates the dependability of the device. To evaluate the hypotheses at a
significance level of 0.05, the t-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied to two
independent samples. The results suggested that undergraduates at public universities in Edo
State reported varying levels of academic stress based on their age and study level. Additionally,
it was found that academic stress decreases with student age, but academic stress increases for
first-year students, declines in the second and third years, and then increases again in the final
year. It was suggested that guidance and counselling units be well-established in each university
department to support professors in the field of course advising students so as to lessen lecturer-
related, examination-related, and school-relationship-related stress that students may experience.
(Onolemhenhen and Abel,2022)
SYNTHESIS

Modern-day students face a multitude of demands and pressures, both in and out of the
classroom. One area of particular concern is the balance between school work and household
responsibilities, as it has been shown to be a significant source of stress for many students.
Through comprehensive analysis, of previous studies, this synthesis will provide insight into the
current state of research on this important issue and contribute to the ongoing dialogue. On how
to best support the mental health and well-being of students. Thus, the academic demands placed
on students have been shown to be a major source of stress. Studies have found that excessive
schoolwork contributes to a range of negative outcomes for students. According to Bakar et al.,
(2021). The main source of stress is an overload of subjects and tight deadlines for completing
assignments and projects. Furthermore, they have experienced stress from having to study at the
last minute due to the irrelevant subjects and time spent participating in academic activities and
gatherings. High school students face intense competition to succeed in demanding classes,
spectacular extracurricular activities, study for and pass college placement exams, and make
important and life alternating-decisions about their future while also negotiating the social
challenges that come with being a high school student. (Scott,2022)

Household responsibilities can have a significant impact on the stress level of the student.
Studies have found that students who are expected to take on a high level of household
responsibilities, often in addition to their school work and extracurricular activities, can
experience a range of negative outcomes. Researchers found that students have less time for
studying because they are more focused on doing household work. In addition to having little
time for leisure, adolescents who perform household chores have their school performance
affected.

The research reveals that male and female students may experience and behave
differently to academic stress. (Aharya et al.,2018) More depressed symptoms were reported by
female students than male students. In univariate analysis, female preclinical students residing on
campus or in a student residence had higher DASS and PSQI scores than male peers. Stress was
found to be significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and PQSI scores (P=0.0001). Stress
evaluations were substantially associated with female sex, unhappiness, and anxiety levels in a
multivariate research. We conclude that depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms are more
prevalent among medical students at Assiut University than at other institutions, and that female
gender is strongly associated with these results. (2017),Fawzy and Hamed. While Statistical
analysis of the data revealed that male students had higher levels of stress than their female
counterparts, according to Kumari (2017).

Academic stress is a regular occurrence among students of all ages; nevertheless,

research indicates that there may be differences in how children at different developmental
stages experience and react to this stress. According to Kotter et al. (2017), older medical
students face issues that younger students do not, such as financial difficulties and a lack of
social integration, as well as, in some cases, difficulties in developing effective study habits due
to the time between high school graduation and medical school admission. According to the
findings of Onlemhenhen and Abel(2022), undergraduates at public universities in Edo State
reported variable degrees of academic stress depending on their age and study level. In addition,
it was discovered that academic stress reduces with student age, but increases for first-year
students, lowers for second- and third-year students, and then climbs again for seniors.
 CHAPTER 3

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Relevant to the research, this chapter describes the numerous approaches utilized for data
collection and analysis. Methodologies will include such topics as a study location, research
design, sampling and sample size, data types, data gathering method, and data management.

RESEARCH DESIGN
This study will utilize a descriptive approach. It is descriptive because it intends to
describe the impact of suicide episodes and academic stress on high school pupils in terms of
schoolwork and family obligations. This survey will be administered to ninth graders at Dapitan
City National High School Larayan Extension.

RESEARCH ENVIRONMENT
This study will be conducted on the 9th-grade students of Dapitan City National
Highschool Larayan Extension, was founded in 1997 and is a public secondary school. It
is based in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, and has branch campuses in Bacong, Bucana, and
Larayan.

This study will investigate the relationships between suicidal behavior and
academic stress among high school students this study, the researchers will focus on ninth-grade
Larayan Extension students. Larayan Extension consists of four grade levels, including seventh,
eighth, ninth, and tenth grades, which each have one section. Due to the sample size calculation
utilizing the solvens technique, only 38 out of a total of 41 ninth-grade students will be surveyed.