Associations of academic stress and parental social support with psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents

Abstract

Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental period in which academic demands may contribute to stress and psychosomatic symptoms. Parental social support may help adolescents cope with stress and protect their well-being.

Purpose: To determine the associations of academic stress and parental social support with psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents.

Method: A quantitative observational analytic study with a cross-sectional design was conducted among 81 students at an integrated Islamic junior high school in Indonesia. Participants were selected using simple random sampling. Academic stress, parental social support, and psychosomatic symptoms were assessed using the Educational Stress Scale for Adolescents (ESSA), the parent-support subscale of the Child and Adolescent Social Support Scale (CASSS), and the Indonesian Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (ISSS-8), respectively. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test with a significance level of p < 0.05.

Results: Most respondents were male (60.5%), aged 13 years (30.9%), and in Grade 7 (39.5%). Moderate academic stress was most common (69.1%), while 60.5% reported high parental social support. Academic stress was significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms (p = 0.010), as was parental social support (p = 0.030).

Conclusion: Academic stress and parental social support were significantly associated with psychosomatic symptoms among adolescents. School-based screening and collaboration with parents are recommended to support adolescent well-being.