Journal of Nepal Medical Association · Published 2026-07-29 · DOI 10.31729/jnma.v64i300.9623
Trishna KC, Jebish Pradhan, Uttam Neupane, Tunam Khadka, Mili Koirala, Yasab Khadka
Introduction: Psychological well-being of university students is a growing public health concern, with engineering students particularly vulnerable due to rigorous academic demands. Evidence of mental health burden among Nepalese students is increasing, but data on engineering undergraduates remain scarce. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of perceived stress and test anxiety among undergraduate engineering students at a university in western Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 202 undergraduate engineering students in western Nepal after ethical approval from the Nepal Health Research Council (Registration No. 690). Proportionate stratified random sampling was used. Perceived stress and test anxiety were assessed using the PSS-14 and TAS-10. Data were analyzed in SPSS version 20.0 using descriptive statistics, 95% CIs, the Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and Spearman’s correlation. Results: Among 202 students, unhealthy test anxiety prevalence was 18 (8.91%) with median TAS score 24 (IQR:12), and 175 (86.63%) had moderate-to-high perceived stress, with mean PSS-14 score 26.56±8.08. Unhealthy anxiety was present in 10 (4.95%) females and 8 (3.96%) males, whereas, no anxiety in 13 (6.44%) females and 44 (21.78%) males. High perceived stress was reported by 8 (3.96%) students with family/peer pressure and 7 (3.47%) with personal interest as reason for choosing engineering, and low perceived stress by 6 (2.97%) and 21 (10.40%) respectively. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of undergraduate engineering students experienced moderate-to-high perceived stress and test anxiety. Gender-sensitive and targeted mental health interventions are recommended, and multicentre studies are needed to assess the generalisability of these findings across engineering colleges in Nepal.
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KC, T., Pradhan, J., Neupane, U., et al. (2026). Perceived Stress and Test Anxiety among Undergraduate Engineering Students at a University in Western Nepal: A Cross-sectional Study. Journal of Nepal Medical Association. https://doi.org/10.31729/jnma.v64i300.9623