ACADEMIC PRESSURE AND MENTAL HEALTH: AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACTS OF ANXIETY ON UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Introduction: Entering higher education marks a phase of intense personal, social, and academic transformations in students' lives. Anxiety can become pathological when it exceeds certain limits, compromising emotional well-being, academic performance, and individuals' quality of life. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) has stood out for its effectiveness in treating anxiety. Objective: To understand how academic pressure contributes to the emergence or intensification of anxious symptoms in university students, as well as the effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) techniques in addressing this issue. Methodology: This is a qualitative literature review that aimed to gather, analyze, and synthesize scientific works on the relationship between health psychology and the mental health of university students, focusing on anxiety and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Data collection was conducted through books, dissertations, theses, and articles indexed in the SciELO, BVS, LILACS, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases, from 2015 to 2025, in Portuguese and English. The descriptors “Anxiety,” “Academic pressure,” “University students,” “Mental health,” and “Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy” were used according to DeCS. Conclusion: Academic pressure significantly influences the onset and intensification of anxiety symptoms in university students, being associated with workload, competitiveness, social and family expectations, and uncertainty regarding their professional future.