Academic Stress and Emotional Adjustment: A Gender-Based Post-COVID Study

BACKGROUND: The worldwide spread of COVID-19 infection and its preventive measures has resulted in global disruption of overall functioning of the individuals. In the post-COVID period, several stressors associated with the pandemic have exacerbated adjustment problems in students and impacted their mental health. PURPOSE: The study aims to assess the Academic Stress and Emotional Adjustment of male and female secondary school students in Uttar Pradesh, post-COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. METHODS: A sample of 500 students from various schools in Uttar Pradesh pursuing high school were included in the study. A purposive sampling technique was employed for data collection based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Scale for Assessing Academic Stress and the Adolescents Emotional Adjustment Inventory were used to assess the academic stress and emotional adjustment of secondary school students post-COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. RESULTS: The results of the study revealed that there was a significant difference in academic stress and emotional adjustment between male and female secondary school students. A significant positive relationship between academic stress and emotional adjustment was found, which indicates a high level of academic stress perpetuates emotional maladjustment. Furthermore, it was found that the level of academic stress and emotional adjustment were higher among females as compared to males. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that the extended impact of COVID-19 has led to a surfeited level of distress propounding that females are more predisposed to academic stress and tend to have poor emotional adjustment than their male counterparts.