Academic Stress and Mental Health in Higher Education: Integrative Approaches from Neurobiology to Institutional Contexts

Academic stress is one of the most prevalent and impactful forms of stress experienced in higher education, with growing evidence linking it to adverse outcomes in mental health, cognitive functioning, emotional regulation, and academic performance. Traditionally addressed from a psychological lens, recent studies have demonstrated that academic stress also has biological, behavioral, and contextual dimensions, reflecting its complexity as a multifactorial phenomenon.This Research Topic aims to gather interdisciplinary contributions that explore academic stress in university students through integrative frameworks. We welcome original research, reviews, and theoretical perspectives examining:• psychobiological markers of stress (e.g., cortisol, BDNF, sleep, circadian rhythms)• emotional and behavioral correlates (e.g., anxiety, depression, food-related behaviors, burnout)• protective and resilience factors (e.g., self-efficacy, engagement, institutional support)• preventive interventions, educational strategies, and systemic approaches. Studies that incorporate mixed-methods or longitudinal designs, cross-cultural analyses, or are situated in educational contexts that remain underrepresented in mainstream literature are particularly encouraged. We welcome contributions from diverse global settings, including but not limited to Latin America, Africa, Asia, and other regions where higher education systems face unique structural, social, and institutional challenges. By fostering this international and inclusive perspective, the Research Topic aims to broaden our collective understanding of academic stress and its contextual variability, while promoting equity in the visibility of research from all parts of the world.By bringing together insights from neuroscience, mental health, behavioral science, and educational research, this Topic seeks to promote a deeper understanding of how academic stress affects student wellbeing, and how it can be addressed through evidence-based, context-sensitive interventions. Topic editors: Claudio Bustos, Víctor José Villanueva-Blasco Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/73161/academic-stress-and-mental-health-in-higher-education-integrative-approaches-from-neurobiology-to-institutional-contexts