Financial Stress and Mental Health Outcomes Among Hostel-Dwelling University Students: Buffering Effect of Resilience

Abstract

Financial strain is a significant concern among university students, as it can negatively affect their mental health and overall functioning. This study aimed to examine the influence of financial pressure on depression and anxiety amongst hostel-residing university students and also find out the moderating role of resilience. For this purpose, the research design adopted was cross-sectional, and 300 university students residing in hostels were selected through purposive sampling to collect data. After obtaining informed consent, information was collected using standardized self-report measures like the APR Financial Stress Scale for financial issues (Heo et al., 2020). The PHQ-9 was used to measure depressive symptoms (Kroenke et al., 2001), anxiety measured by using the GAD-7 (Spitzer et al., 2006), and the BRS for resilience (Smith et al., 2008). The study variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, regression, and moderation analysis using the PROCESS macro (Model-1) to study the relationships among the variables. The outcomes indicated that financial stress positively predicts depression (r = .52, p < .01) and anxiety (r = .43, p < .01). Moderation analysis revealed that resilience did not significantly moderate the relationship between financial stress, depression, and anxiety. So, according to my study, resilience does not buffer the impact of financial stress in the present sample. This investigation showed the direct influence of financial stress on student psychological outcomes and emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to reduce financial stress and promote mental well-being among university students.