Role of Guidance and Counseling in Reducing Academic Stress and Improving Mental Well-Being of Undergraduate Students at Higher Education Institutions of Peshawar, Pakistan

Abstract

Academic stress is a major threat to the mental health of undergraduate students, and guidance and counseling services are intended to help students cope with it. This study examined students’ perceptions of the role of guidance and counseling in (1) reducing academic stress and (2) improving mental well-being at higher education institutions in district Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A descriptive quantitative design was used. Using proportional stratified random sampling, 191 eighth-semester BS students were drawn from three government degree colleges and completed a 30-item, five-point Likert questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.92). Data were analyzed through frequencies and percentages. On the ten academic-stress items, an average of 76.8% of students agreed or strongly agreed that counseling helped them, with the strongest agreement (82.2%) that counseling is helpful in dealing with academic stress. On the ten mental well-being items, an average of 70.7% agreed, with agreement ranging from 67.0% to 72.8% across items. Students reported lower anxiety, better coping skills, improved confidence, and a more positive mindset after counseling. The findings suggest that counseling services are perceived as effective in reducing academic stress and supporting mental well-being, and the study recommends making guidance and counseling an integral part of curricular and co-curricular activities in higher education.