The rapid growth of social media has transformed communication and information sharing; however, excessive use can promote procrastination and avoidance of academic tasks, contributing to increased test anxiety among students. This study explores how social media use and procrastination contribute to test anxiety among the said population. A cross-sectional design was employed with sample of 284 university students (M = 110, F = 160) with a mean X age=20.8 years selected through convenience. Social media was measured through Social Media Use Questionnaire (Xanidis and Brignell, 2016), procrastination was assessed using the Lay Procrastination Scale (Lay, 1986) and test anxiety was evaluated by Westside Test Anxiety Scale (Driscoll, 2004). Data was analyzed using correlation and regression analysis. The results revealed significant positive correlation between social media use, procrastination, and test anxiety. Regression analysis showed that both the use of social media and procrastination significantly forecasted test anxiety, indicating that an increased occurrence of problematic digital engagement and reduced self-control leads to academic stress. These findings highlight the fact that university-level interventions encourage healthier digital habits and stronger individual control of students. Also, it emphasizes the need for parents and educators to promote effective study habits and self-regulation, as excessive social media use limits students’ available study time.
Digital technologies have become integral to higher education, yet the psychological strain they create for students is still poorly understood from the students’ own perspective, particularly in developing countries. This qualitative study explored university students lived experiences of digital stress (used interchangeably with technology stress and technostress to denote stress arising from digital devices and technology-based academic systems), including its sources, psychological impacts, and coping strategies. A phenomenological qualitative design was employed. Fifteen students (7 male, 8 females; aged 19–28 years) enrolled in BS, MS/MPhil, and PhD programmes at public and private universities in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan, were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed using semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The data were analysed using the thematic analysis approach of Braun and Clarke (2006). Five themes were identified: (1) Academic Digital Overload, (2) Technological Anxiety and Uncertainty, (3) Emotional and Cognitive Exhaustion, (4) Constant Connectivity Pressure, and (5) Coping Strategies for Digital Stress. Students described managing multiple platforms and a continuous digital workload, fear of technical failure during examinations and submissions, mental fatigue, reduced concentration and irritability, and an expectation of being permanently available. Despite these stressors, students used time management, digital breaks, and peer support to cope. Interpreted through Technostress Theory and the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, the findings show that digital stress is a multidimensional phenomenon shaped by academic demands, technological environments, and coping resources. Universities should develop student-centred digital learning systems that reduce technology-induced stress and promote psychological well-being.
Digital technologies are now at the center of university teaching and learning. They can also cause technostress, a strain that arises when technology demands outpace a person's capacity to cope. This study examined how technostress relates to psychological well-being in undergraduates and how these variables differ across demographic and academic groups. The study used a cross-sectional survey design. Using multi-stage sampling, the study selected 1001 undergraduate students (317 male and 684 female). They were enrolled in the faculties of Education, Arts, and Science at two public and two private universities in Lahore District, Pakistan. The study used a 21-item scale to assess technostress across five creators: overload, complexity, uncertainty, insecurity, and invasion. Well-being was assessed with the 42-item form of the Ryff scales. In a pilot sample of 300 students, internal consistency was .71 for technostress and .880 for well-being. Analyses were run in SPSS version 21 and included correlation, t tests for two groups, and ANOVA for more than two groups. The pilot study aimed to determine the instrument’s Cronbach's alpha reliability (TS = 0.705 and RSPW = 0.840). Experts were consulted to confirm the instrument's validity. The study tested the hypotheses using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed a weak positive relationship between technostress and psychological well-being among undergraduate students (r = 0.22), which was statistically significant. There was no significant difference between male and female students in technostress and psychological well-being. However, the mean values indicate that females (M = 68.38) have slightly higher technostress than males (M = 67.16). Therefore, universities should foster a supportive digital environment that helps diminish the negative effects of technostress on students’ psychological well-being.
Nurses delivered much of the direct care to COVID-19 patients and were repeatedly exposed to death, infection risk, and shortages of equipment, yet little is known about how Pakistani nurses experienced and managed posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). This qualitative study explored PTSS, experiences of trauma, perceived psychological impact, and coping strategies among nurses who cared for COVID-19 patients during peak pandemic waves. Eight registered nurses working in COVID wards and intensive care units of public hospitals in Islamabad and Rawalpindi were recruited through purposive sampling and took part in individual semi-structured interviews conducted in Urdu and basic English. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Four themes were generated: (a) symptoms related to trauma (altered sleep, changes in temperament, emotional reactivity, diminished interest in social life, flashbacks); (b) threats and stress due to COVID-19 (increased workload, direct threat to self and others, sense of isolation, lack of knowledge and equipment); (c) psychological impact of trauma (increased mental health concerns, burnout and compassion fatigue, elevated death anxiety, lack of optimism about the future); and (d) strategies to cope (sharing workload with the team, emotional support from colleagues). Seven of eight nurses described flashbacks, and accounts spanned several DSM-5 symptom clusters, although no diagnostic assessment was used. Peer teamwork and emotional support were the only coping resources reported, and no participant had received formal counselling. Peer solidarity seems to have been an informal resource of resilience where organizational support was absent and institutional psychological services should be built around it.
The present study investigated the predictive role of trait mindfulness in relation to depression, anxiety, and stress among Pakistani young adults. The following hypotheses were formulated: H1: Trait mindfulness will significantly and negatively predict depression among Pakistani young adults. H2: Trait mindfulness will significantly and negatively predict anxiety among Pakistani young adults. H3: Trait mindfulness will significantly and negatively predict stress among Pakistani young adults. A sample of 405 participants (189 males, 216 females; aged 18–30 years, M = 22.39, SD = 2.823) completed an online survey including the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). Reliability and normality assessments confirmed the adequacy of the measures. Linear regression analyses revealed that trait mindfulness significantly and negatively predicted depression (R² = .237, p < .001), anxiety (R² = .210, p < .001), and stress (R² = .201, p < .001). These findings were consistent with the hypotheses formulated and the theoretical perspectives. The study adds value to global evidence in relation to the Pakistani context, highlighting trait mindfulness as a preventive factor against negative emotions and emphasizing the need for culturally adapted mindfulness-based interventions to enhance psychological resilience among young adults.
