Social support, self-efficacy and assertiveness as mediators of student stress

Measurement of the relative effect of exogenous stressors and mediating factors on stress symptoms and academic performance among 247 first year college students, indicated that external stressors (life events and situational demands) were significantly linked with stress symptoms, but not with academic performance, furthermore symptom levels showed no relationship with examination performance. Among psychosocial mediators influencing coping (social support, self-efficacy and assertiveness), social support and self-efficacy were significantly linked with both academic performance and symptoms. Whereas perceived coping incapacity was a stronger-determinant of emotional symptoms and of poor academic performance, lack of social support showed a more significant association with psychosomatic symptoms. Assertiveness displayed no direct relationship with symptoms but was significantly linked with lack of social support.