Higher Education (HE) students face growing stress and burnout levels due to academic, social (such as economic uncertainty, evolving job markets, increased competition) and personal pressures, further amplified by the persistent effects of COVID-19 pandemic (Haugas & Kendrali,2024; Eurofound,2021,2024; OECD,2021).

In response, there is growing interest in studying students’ mental health and discussing preventive measures, including integrating mental health topics into curricula (Morgan & Houghton,2011). Such measures aim, for instance, to address critical concerns like student suicide (e.g.,MacPhee et al.,2021). For example, University of Porto-Portugal implemented the “BAMBUP Boost, Meet & Bloom” program in 2024, offering integrated psychological health support for students. These measures aim to benefit biographical/academical paths of HE students.

Theoretically, it is important to remember that stress, as conceptualized by Lazarus and Folkman’s(1984), is a transactional model and not merely a reaction to external stimuli, being a dynamic process shaped by an individual’s appraisal of stressors and available coping resources-when demands outweigh resources, stress manifests and harm mental health and academic performance. 

Burnout, a chronic response to prolonged stress, was initially studied in occupational contexts (Maslach,1974) and is defined by WHO(2019) as an occupational phenomenon, but has become increasingly relevant in academic settings (Madigan et al.,2024), particularly among teachers and, more recently, among students especially in HE. Recent research characterizes burnout by exhaustion, mental distance, emotional impairment, and cognitive impairment (DeBeer et al.,2024), which complements Maslach’ definition of the core dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced personal efficacy. Among HE students, burnout is linked to reduced engagement, poor academic outcomes, and compromised mental health (Madigan et al.,2024), with the COVID-19 pandemic intensifying these effects (Eurofound,2021). These challenges underscore the importance of resilience-focused programs in addressing student vulnerabilities within European contexts (Morote et al.,2022) and proactive strategies to address systemic inequities, as seen during the pandemic (Mitescu-Manea et al.,2021).

Coping strategies are central to understanding how individuals manage stress and prevent burnout (Lazarus & Folkman,1984). According to Endler and Parker’s(1990) model, coping strategies fall into three coping domains: task-focused, which involves problem-solving and action-oriented behaviors; emotion-focused, aimed at managing emotional responses; and avoidance-based, which includes disengagement and distractions. While task-focused coping is generally associated with positive outcomes, emotion-focused and avoidance-based coping have been linked to maladaptive patterns, exacerbating stress and burnout (Innes,2017). Importantly, Machovcová and colleagues(2024) highlight the complex interplay of these coping strategies during the transition to HE, particularly among first-generation students, who face additional psychological/social barriers.

Finally, the potential of innovative technologies like virtual reality(VR) to support mental health has recently gained attention. VR offers immersive environments that engage multiple senses, fostering relaxation and cognitive disengagement from stressors, using environments that can simulate calming scenarios (e.g.,natural landscapes), aiding emotional regulation and stress reduction (Riva et al.,2019). Moreover, in clinical contexts, VR has been shown to alleviate anxiety and improve mood (e.g., O’Meara et al.,2024). However, its application in educational contexts remains underexplored, particularly as a tool to address mental health in HE students. This research aligns with the EU’s Youth Strategy 2019–2027,which prioritizes mental health and resilience, advocating for inclusive and innovative approaches to support youth wellbeing (EU,2019) and it also offers insights into integrating mental health education into curricula to better equip students for future challenges.

This study aims to:

1)        Investigate the relationships between stress, burnout, and coping strategies among HE students using validated instruments.

2)        Assess the effectiveness of a VR-based relaxation session in promoting wellbeing, contributing empirical evidence to support its integration into health and wellbeing education.

3)        Offer evidence-based recommendations for educational practices that align with European policies, fostering resilience and equipping students with adaptive coping strategies.

This quantitative cross-sectional empirical study surveyed HE students enrolled in Bachelor's and Master's programs, spanning 1st to 5th years, in Psychology at University of Porto, Portugal. The sample is composed by 57 university students (aged 19–51, 87.7% women), recruited voluntarily and screened to ensure they had no contraindications for the VR session. A questionnaire was administered, including socio-demographic information, questions about the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, current psychological well-being, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, Cohen et al., 1983), Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT, Schaufeli & DeWitte, 2023) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS-21, Endler & Parker, 1990). Participants then engaged in a 10-minute VR-based relaxation session featuring the immersive scenario "Secret Garden" (Riva et al., 2019, Portuguese version of Faria et al., 2022), designed to promote mental health through calming visuals and sounds that enhance relaxation. After the session, participants answered a question about current psychological well-being, completed the PSS again and open-ended responses were collected to understand the subjective feedback on the VR experience. Thus, the study was conducted in three phases: the baseline assessment where the participants completed the PSS, BAT, and CISS; the VR Intervention, where participants experienced the "Secret Garden" scenario in a controlled environment; and the post-intervention assessment, where the PSS, a subjective wellbeing question and open-ended questions about the experience were administered to measure immediate changes. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS v.29, using descriptive analysis, Pearson’s correlation to examine associations between stress, burnout, and coping strategies, and paired t-tests to evaluate changes in stress and wellbeing pre- and post-intervention. Qualitative feedback from participants provided additional insights into the VR experience.

Participants reported moderate stress and burnout levels, with emotional exhaustion and psychological complaints scoring highest. Most participants (56.1%) reported improved mental well-being comparing with the most critical pandemic period(2020-2022), and 8.8% reported the pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health. However, these results can be influenced by the transition from high school to university, especially studying in their selected course. Significant correlations were found between coping strategies and burnout: task-focused coping had a significant negative correlation with burnout, emphasizing its protective role in mitigating stress and burnout; both emotion-focused and avoidance-based coping strategies correlated positively and significantly with burnout, indicating their maladaptive impact on students’ well-being. The results highlight the importance of promoting adaptive coping mechanisms in HE settings, as task-focused strategies (e.g.,problem-solving and proactive stress management) can buffer against the adverse effects of psychological distress. Conversely, using emotion-focused or avoidance-based coping (e.g.,dwelling on stressors or disengaging from them)may exacerbate feelings of exhaustion and burnout. The VR session demonstrated potential as a complementary tool for enhancing student well-being. Although no statistically significant differences were observed in PSS scores pre- and post-session, subjective reports indicated improved psychological well-being post-session, including reports of calmness and relaxation, consistent with previous research (e.g., O’Meara et al.,2024; Riches et al.,2021). Results align with Morote and colleagues (2022), on resilience as a key burnout alleviator, and with Machovcová and others(2024) on the need for adaptive coping during HE transitions. By emphasizing task-focused coping and considering technologies like VR, teachers/educators and policymakers can foster resilience and better equip students to navigate mental health challenges. Future research should explore longitudinal designs, broader participant demographics, and the long-term impacts of combining mental health courses and VR as an innovative, sustainable, low-cost tool into curricula and broader pedagogical frameworks to enhance student mental health outcomes.

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