Stress Experiences of University Students and Islamic Resilience Strategies

Stress is a common feeling of tension that arises from difficult situations, events, challenges, or demands, often accompanied by a sense of pressure or threat, such as meeting deadlines. In academic settings, students frequently encounter various stressors due to different circumstances. The objectives of the study were to identify the stress level among university students, find the causes of stress through interviews, and then apply Islamic Strategies as an Intervention. The study was delimited to M.Phil students studying at the University of Science and Technology, Bannu. This study employed a Concurrent Embedded Mixed Method design. Stressed students were identified using a portion of the DASS-21 scale specifically related to stress. Only five students at the M.Phil level had a moderate level of stress, who were the participants of the study. After identifying these students, they were asked to complete an interview protocol to uncover the causes of their stress at the university. Following this, a two-week intervention focused on Islamic resilience strategies was implemented, during which data were recorded. After the intervention, the DASS-21 results for the stressed students returned to normal levels, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Islamic resilience strategies.