Assessment of Perceived Stress level among undergraduates in a Nigerian University and its relationship with academic performance, Depression, Anxiety and Suicidal Behavior

ABSTRACT Stress fundamentally shapes the academic outcomes and psychological well-being of undergraduates, yet empirical data regarding its relationship with anxiety, depression, and suicidal behavior among Nigerian university students remains sparse. To address this gap, a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to assess perceived stress levels and evaluate these psychological connections among 500 undergraduates at Osun State University in Osogbo, Nigeria. Participants were selected via stratified random sampling, and data were gathered using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS- 10), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Suicidal Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R). Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and logistic regression, were executed using SPSS version 21 with significance set at p < 0.05. The findings revealed that 69.9% of the students experienced moderate to high stress. Furthermore, 59.8% exhibited abnormal depressive symptoms, 9.9% suffered from clinically significant anxiety, and 17.7% reported strong suicidal tendencies. Perceived stress was significantly associated with gender and academic achievement (p = 0.011), with higher stress levels disproportionately affecting females (91.1%) and students maintaining lower CGPAs between 2.0 and 2.99 (100%). Elevated stress displayed a positive correlation with depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior (p < 0.001). Logistic regression models demonstrated that being male reduced the likelihood of experiencing high stress (OR= 0.012; 95% CI: 0.003–0.041), whereas enrollment in health-related courses (OR = 31.317; 95% CI: 9.119–107.552) and younger age (OR = 0.884; 95% CI: 0.788–0.991) emerged as significant predictors of heightened stress. Ultimately, a substantial proportion of these undergraduates experience severe stress that is intimately linked to depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, highlighting an urgent need for tailored, gender-responsive, and faculty-specific mental health interventions.