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Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic stress and perceived resilience among social work students, and to identify social support as a protective factor of resilience on this relationship. A conceptual model of moderation was used to test the role of social support as protective. Methods: The sample consisted of 314 social work students (BSW=144; MSW=170) from three accredited schools/programs in the southern United States. Voluntary survey data were collected on demographics and constructs of academic stress, family support, friend support, and resilience. Hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to show the composite impact of demographic and model factors on the resilience outcome. Moderation was tested using a traditional regression series as guidelines of moderation with continuous variables. Path analyses illustrated main effects and moderation in the study’s conceptual model. Results: The sample reported moderate levels of academic stress and social support, and a fairly high level of resilience. Academic stress negatively related to social support and resilience. Social support positively influenced resilience. Academic stress accounted for the most variation in resilience scores. Friend support significantly moderated the negative relationship between academic stress and resilience. Conclusion: The current study demonstrated the likelihood that friend support plays a protective role with resilience amid an environment of academic stress. Implications for social work faculty and internship agency practitioners are discussed.
Highlights
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic stress and perceived resilience among social work students, and to identify social support as a protective factor of resilience on this relationship
The current study examined the protective nature of two resources: the magnitude of available family and friend support and their potential, moderating functions bounded concurrently by academic stress and resilience
While the reported high level of RS15 scores is informative in terms of a descriptive appreciation of the sample’s elevated self-perception of successful adjustment, it may be difficult to generalize results from the moderation model given this limited variation in outcome scores
Summary
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between academic stress and perceived resilience among social work students, and to identify social support as a protective factor of resilience on this relationship. A number of demands reportedly comprise academic stress: course requirements; time management issues; financial burdens; interactions with faculty; personal goals; social activities; adjustment to the campus environment; and lack of support networks (Kariv & Heiman, 2005; Misra, 2000; Von Ah, Ebert, Ngamvitroj, Park, & Hang, 2004). Specific to this latter demand is an implicit assumption that existence or upsurge of social support may moderate, to some degree, academic stress. MacGeorge et al explained that “the association between academic stress and depression decreased as informational support increased” (p. 369). Cahir and Morris (1991) stated that a principal component of stress among graduate psychology students is limited by emotional support from friends
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