University of Twente Student Theses
The Impact of Academic Stress on Neurodivergent Students in Higher Education
Wyk, Alexis Catherine van (2025) The Impact of Academic Stress on Neurodivergent Students in Higher Education.
This is the latest version of this item.
|
PDF
1MB |
| Abstract: | Neurodivergent students face significant challenges in higher education due to a lack of fundamental support within their institutions, often leading to heightened academic stress. This study explored this experience by conducting online semi-structured interviews with 13 university students from various institutions. Thematic analysis was applied to the transcripts identifying prominent themes. Key findings highlight the impact of academic factors like assessments and deadlines on academic stress and barriers such as challenges with group dynamics, social cues, sensory factors, and emotional elements. The findings emphasize the value of support and belongingness in the academic environment. Overall, the findings suggest that many institutions still lack the inclusive design to accommodate neurodivergent students and that a more proactive and targeted approach could aid in achieving this by involving neurodivergent students and providing tailored academic options that meet diagnostic needs. A strength of this study is its person-centered, holistic approach which amplified neurodivergent students’ voices in sharing their lived academic experiences, providing direct insight into causal factors of academic stress. Cultural influence on views towards neurodivergence in higher education, and solutions that cater to both mental health challenges and neurodivergence is recommended for future research. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology, 81 education, teaching |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/104955 |
| Export this item as: | BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager |
Show download statistics for this publication
Show download statistics for this publicationRepository Staff Only: item control page