Party Lines and Stress Signs: Demographic Effects on Political Orientation and Academic Struggles

Students in today’s universities encounter a variety of stressors that can affect their level of academic engagement. Understanding the influence of individual characteristics on students’ levels of stress and academic engagement can help universities develop effective strategies to support their well-being and academic success. This paper explores the dynamics between demographic factors, political orientations, stress, and academic disengagement among first-year undergraduate students in the western U.S. Through a survey administered to 337 students, we found demographic differences in stress levels, political orientations, and academic disengagement. In addition, students’ political orientation mediated the relationship between gender and stress for heterosexual students, but not for sexual minorities. We discuss implications for theory and practice.

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