Stress im Sportstudium - empirische Studien zu Stressoren, Stressreaktionen und der Rolle von körperlicher Aktivität

Stress during studies is a common phenomenon that has been proven to have a negative impact on students' mental and physical health. Current literature shows that almost half of all students in Germany experience a high level of stress. The acute consequences of stress during studies are known to be physical (e.g. neck pain or headaches) and psychological symptoms (e.g. nervousness or concentration problems). In the long term, stress during studies can have a negative impact on academic performance or promote the development of mental illnesses (e.g. depression). The extent to which sports students experience stress as a result of their studies and the consequences of this have not yet been investigated. The aim of this dissertation was to investigate stress in sports studies in more detail with the help of empirical studies. The results of the dissertation show that sports students experience stress due to the specific demands of their studies and that study-related stress is a predictor of overall mental health. General (e.g. due to the organization of everyday life), academic (e.g. due to examination phases) and sports-related academic stressors (e.g. physical demands) were identified as causes of context-related stress during sport studies. Stress reactions depend on the context of the stressor. Physical activity in general has a positive influence on the affective well-being of sports students. However, if physical activity was carried out in the context of their studies and a stressor was perceived at the same time, sports students showed negative changes in their affective well-being. The results of this dissertation show that when considering stress (in sports studies), it is important to consider the context and the type of stressors and stress reactions that occur. Based on the results presented, further studies should include the individual appraisal of stressors so that comparability with other groups (e.g. students of other disciplines) is possible. Furthermore, it has been proven that general physical activity is associated with positive well-being of sports students. However, the stress-regulating effect of physical activity that carried out within the study context is limited. In connection with stressors that occur, physical activity in the context of study does not have a stress-buffering effect on the connection between stressors and stress reactions of sports students. Further ambulatory assessment studies are needed that specifically investigate when (e.g. during exercise classes or examinations) and under what circumstances (e.g. type or intensity of physical activity) physical activity can have positive or negative effects on the physical and mental health of sports students. Here, physical activity should be recorded as event-based as possible and also objectively in order to generate more specific findings on the stress-regulating effects. On the one hand, it is important to train sports students in dealing with stressors and stress reactions during their studies in order to avoid long-term negative health consequences of stress and to enable them to successfully start their careers. On the other hand, it is important that target group-specific services for the prevention of stress and mental illness are offered in the context of the university, in order to identify (sports) students at risk at an early stage and maintain their mental health in the long term.