Perceived Stress of the Undergraduate Students in Greece Due to the Economic Crisis

The purpose of the current study was to identify whether Greek undergraduate students realized increased stress levels in 2013 compared to 2009 due to the economic crisis. The USQ-83 instrument was used to assess the commonness and the severity of the undergraduate perceived levels of stress related to college and non-college activities. Demographic variables like gender, year of study, place of residence and economic status were considered. The main differences between the years 2009 and 2013 were identified. The participants were 223 undergraduate students of Business Administration Department for the year 2009, and 200 for 2013. A multiple linear regression analysis was applied, and all necessary tests have been performed in order to validate the results. Regarding commonness and severity, females, seniors and students with low family income perceived higher levels of stress in relation to college and non-college activities for both years, noting that acuter stress was observed for 2013. Students living at the local town, away from their families, realized high levels of stress only for 2013. The results indicate that the policy makers and the academic staff should consider developing a suitable and efficient stress management program which is necessary for reducing stress and its adverse effects due to the economic crisis.