Descriptive Study of Curriculum Overload, Mental Health Awareness and Academic Stress among Undergraduates in Imo State Universities

The present study titled Descriptive Study of Curriculum Overload, Mental Health Awareness and Academic Stress among Undergraduates in Imo State Universities examined four research questions on the extent of curriculum overload, integration of mental health awareness components, levels of academic stress and psychological well-being, and the relationships among these variables. The population consisted of all undergraduates in Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, and Imo State University, Owerri, with a combined estimated population of approximately 34,000 students. Using multi-stage sampling, a sample of 600 undergraduates participated in the study, with 552 fully completed questionnaires retained for analysis. Data were collected through four validated self-report questionnaires: The Curriculum Overload Scale, the Mental Health Awareness in Curriculum Scale, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS). The instruments demonstrated good reliability, with Cronbach alpha coefficients ranging from 0.79 to 0.88. Results indicated a high level of curriculum overload (overall mean = 3.31), low extent of mental health awareness components (overall mean = 2.01), high academic stress (mean = 28.4), and moderate psychological well-being (mean = 42.6). Pearson correlation analysis revealed a strong positive relationship between curriculum overload and academic stress (r = 0.62), a moderate negative relationship between mental health awareness and academic stress (r = –0.41), and significant associations with psychological well-being. The study concludes that curriculum overload and limited mental health awareness contribute substantially to elevated stress and constrained well-being among undergraduates. Practical recommendations include urgent curriculum review by the National Universities Commission to reduce content volume, mandatory integration of mental health modules, and strengthened counselling services in Imo State universities. These findings provide empirical evidence for policy reforms aimed at creating healthier learning environments in Nigerian higher education.

Keywords: Soft Skills, Family Sustainability, Impact, Secondary Education, Career Development.