A Study to Examine Concept and Correlates of Complicated Stress: An Exploratory Study
Amresh Shrivastava, Manjistha Datta, Avinash De Sousa, Manushree Gupta, Sheetal Jagtap, Milind Nemade, Nilesh Shah.
Background: University students face a high burden of stress that can manifest not only as psychological distress but also as impaired functioning and diminished resilience. The concept of complicated stress—stress that coexists with psychiatric symptoms and reduced adaptive capacity—offers a more comprehensive framework for early identification and intervention.
Objective: To examine the nature and prevalence of complicated stress in a university student population and to investigate the relationship between stress severity and psychological resilience using the MASS battery.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 442 university students using validated tools from the MASS (Mental Health Assessment Scales for Students) battery, including the Severity of Stress Scale and the Positivity and Resilience Scale. Psychometric analyses, descriptive statistics, and correlation tests were conducted.
Results: Over 75% of participants reported high-frequency cognitive-affective symptoms such as overthinking, nervousness, and emotional exhaustion. Female students reported significantly higher stress levels compared to males (p < 0.01). The Resilience and Positivity Scale demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.87) and a unidimensional factor structure. A significant inverse correlation (r = -0.41, p < 0.01) was found between resilience and stress severity.
Conclusion: The findings support the operational definition of complicated stress as involving symptom burden and reduced functioning. Resilience plays a crucial protective role, inversely related to stress severity. This underscores the need for holistic mental health strategies in academic institutions that target not only stress but also associated symptoms and psychological resilience.
