Coping with Stress and Optimizing Quality of Life in Students

Dear Colleagues,

Objective

To analyze stress coping processes and their contribution to optimizing quality of life in students through the generation of multidisciplinary scientific evidence examining individual, social, educational, and historical-cultural factors—including technological, educational, health, socio-environmental transformations and structural inequalities—thereby enabling the emergence of evidence-based knowledge, experiences, and interventions that guide the design of interventions, public policies, and educational practices focused on promoting psychological well-being and mental health throughout development.

Scope

This Topic proposes a multidisciplinary and conceptually rich approach to the study of stress coping and its impact on the quality of life of students in contemporary educational contexts (Kupcewicz et al., 2020; Dubey et al., 2022; Mastorci et al., 2024), characterized by accelerated change, structural uncertainty, and increasing socio-historical complexity. From the convergence of social sciences, health, and education, the aim is to advance toward a comprehensive understanding of the adaptive mechanisms that mediate the relationship between contextual demands and psychological well-being throughout the life cycle.

Contributions are invited that critically analyze the impact of the widespread use of artificial intelligence on teaching and learning processes (Cukurova, Miao & Brooker, 2023; Ma & Lei, 2024; Norabuena-Figueroa et al., 2025; Raman et al., 2025), considering both its potential as a cognitive support resource and its effects on mental overload (Mu et al., 2022; Girela-Serrano et al., 2024), self-regulation, and the construction of academic identity. Likewise, the inclusion of research examining the implications of climate change on the mental health of children and adolescents is encouraged (Clemens, von Hirschhausen & Fegert, 2022; Jia, 2025), particularly in territories exposed to armed conflict and/or extreme events (Sandoval-Obando, Zacares & Iborra Cuellar, 2022; Dam et al., 2023; Lass-Hennemann et al., 2024), as well as studies focused on experiences of forced migration, social or economic inequalities (Nutakor et al., 2023), displacement, and social exclusion, in which coping with stress takes on specific and distinct characteristics.

This Topic emphasizes the analysis of social and educational inequalities in democratic systems (Bulathwela et al., 2024; Levy et al., 2023; Kirchgasler & Choi, 2025), recognizing their influence on the distribution of psychosocial resources, learning opportunities, and well-being trajectories (Repo et al., 2025). Within this framework, research that incorporates a gender perspective as a cross-cutting analytical axis is valued, highlighting structural gaps and situated experiences related to stress and mental health.

Furthermore, studies that examine the role of generativity, meaning in life, academic engagement, and other psychological resources in promoting adaptive, resilient, and sustainable life trajectories are expected (Wang, 2024; La Rosa & Zammitti, 2025; Sandoval-Obando et al., 2025a; 2025b). Robust methodological designs will be prioritized, including longitudinal approaches, multilevel analysis, structural equation modeling, and mixed methods designs, to capture the complexity of the phenomena under study.

Finally, this Topic seeks to articulate evidence that contributes to the development of comprehensive models for intervention and the promotion of well-being in diverse educational contexts, with direct implications for public policy formulation, pedagogical innovation, and the construction of equitable, inclusive, and sustainable educational environments.

References

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Clemens, V., Von Hirschhausen, E., & Fegert, J. M. (2022). Report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change: Implications for the mental health policy of children and adolescents in Europe—a scoping review. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 31(5), 701-713. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01615-3

Cukurova, M., Miao, X., & Brooker, R. (2023). Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Schools: Unveiling Factors Influencing Teachers’ Engagement. En N. Wang, G. Rebolledo-Mendez, N. Matsuda, O. C. Santos, & V. Dimitrova (Eds.), Artificial Intelligence in Education (Vol. 13916, pp. 151-163). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-36272-9_13

Dam, V. A. T., Dao, N. G., Nguyen, D. C., Vu, T. M. T., Boyer, L., Auquier, P., Fond, G., Ho, R. C. M., Ho, C. S. H., & Zhang, M. W. B. (2023). Quality of life and mental health of adolescents: Relationships with social media addiction, Fear of Missing out, and stress associated with neglect and negative reactions by online peers. PLOS ONE, 18(6), e0286766. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286766

Dubey, V. P., Kievišienė, J., Rauckiene-Michealsson, A., Norkiene, S., Razbadauskas, A., & Agostinis-Sobrinho, C. (2022). Bullying and Health Related Quality of Life among Adolescents—A Systematic Review. Children, 9(6), 766. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060766

Girela-Serrano, B. M., Spiers, A. D. V., Ruotong, L., Gangadia, S., Toledano, M. B., & Di Simplicio, M. (2024). Impact of mobile phones and wireless devices use on children and adolescents’ mental health: A systematic review. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(6), 1621-1651. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-022-02012-8

Jia, F. (2025). Integrating Interdisciplinary Insights into Sustainability: Psychological, Cultural, and Social Perspectives. Sustainability, 17(6), 2529. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062529

Kirchgasler, C., & Choi, S. (2025). Performing a global learning crisis: Citizen-led assessments, social accountability, and directing democracy. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 55(5), 719-736. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2024.2314015

Kupcewicz, E., Grochans, E., Kadučakova, H., Mikla, M., & Joźwik, M. (2020). Analysis of the Relationship between Stress Intensity and Coping Strategy and the Quality of Life of Nursing Students in Poland, Spain and Slovakia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(12), 4536. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124536

La Rosa, V. L., & Zammitti, A. (2025). Future Thinking and Sustainable Career Perceptions in Emerging Adults: The Mediating Role of Environmental Concern. Sustainability, 17(11), 5146. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17115146

Lass-Hennemann, J., Sopp, M. R., Ruf, N., Equit, M., Schafer, S. K., Wirth, B. E., & Michael, T. (2024). Generation climate crisis, COVID-19, and Russia–Ukraine-War: Global crises and mental health in adolescents. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 33(7), 2203-2216. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02300-x

Levy, B. L. M., Busey, C. L., Cuenca, A., Evans, R. W., Halvorsen, A.-L., Ho, L.-C., Kahne, J., Kissling, M. T., Lo, J. C., McAvoy, P., & McGrew, S. (2023). Social studies education research for sustainable democratic societies: Addressing persistent civic challenges. Theory & Research in Social Education, 51(1), 1-46. https://doi.org/10.1080/00933104.2022.2158149

Ma, S., & Lei, L. (2024). The factors influencing teacher education students’ willingness to adopt artificial intelligence technology for information-based teaching. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 44(1), 94-111. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2024.2305155

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Mu, H., Jiang, Q., Xu, J., & Chen, S. (2022). Drivers and Consequences of Short-Form Video (SFV) Addiction amongst Adolescents in China: Stress-Coping Theory Perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14173. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192114173

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Repo, J., Smith, E., Reimer, D., & Kilpi-Jakonen, E. (2025). Persistent Trends or Pandemic Effects? A Multi-Cohort Longitudinal Study on Student Well-being, Inequality, and Educational Transitions. Social Indicators Research, 180(1), 139-158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-025-03617-7

Sandoval-Obando, E., Barros-Osorio, C., Castellanos-Alvarenga, L., Villalta Paucar, M., & Vega-Munoz, A. (2025). Generativity and Psychological Well-Being in Primary and Secondary Teachers: A Systematic Review. Societies, 15(11), 320. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15110320

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Sandoval-Obando, E., Zacares, J. y Iborra Cuellar, A. (2022). Generatividad y Desarrollo Humano. Experiencias y Modelos Actuales para el Bienestar Psicologico. Santiago de Chile: RIL Editores/Ediciones Universidad Autonoma de Chile. https://doi.org/10.32457/UA.112

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Dr. Eduardo Enrique Sandoval Obando
Dr. Maria Boada-Cuerva
Dr. Alejandro Vega-Muñoz
Topic Editors