Stress levels in high-school students after a semester of home-schooling

There has been an increase in stress in adolescents since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing and home-schooling are just two of many stress factors for this age group. The aim of this study was to assess stress in high-school students after a semester of home-schooling. A cross-sectional online survey (February 3rd to 28th 2021) was performed, measuring stress with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) in Austria. In total, N = 2884 students (age: M = 16.47 (SD = 1.44); 70.4% females) completed the survey. Mean PSS-10 score was M = 23.50 (SD = 7.47) [females: M = 24.69 (SD = 6.80); males: M = 20.11 (SD = 7.93); p < 0.001]. 11.0% reported low stress (females: 7.2%; males 20.9%), 52.5% moderate stress (females: 51.5%; males: 57.3%), and 36.5% high stress (females: 41.3%; males 21.8%); p < 0.001. Around one-third of high-school students suffer from high stress level, females almost twice as often as males. Psychological support should particularly focus on stress and possibilities to reduce it.

Automated summary

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in stress among adolescents, largely due to social distancing and home schooling. A survey conducted after a semester of home schooling revealed that about one-third of high school students are experiencing high levels of stress, with females being nearly twice as likely to report high stress levels compared to males. Psychological support should focus on addressing stress specifically and exploring ways to reduce it.