Niki Nikbakht - Master of Family Counseling, Department of Psychology, Islamic Azad University, Khomeini Shahr Branch, Isfahan Province, Iran

Psychological stress in psychology means feeling a kind of pressure and nervous tension. Tension and any stimulus that causes tension in humans is called stressful. When a person's basic needs are not met or when a person's peace of mind is disturbed for any reason, the person is under psychological pressure. Illness, divorce, bankruptcy, addiction, failure, family discord, stuttering, migration, organ failure, death of people around and even more insignificant reasons such as hunger and noise pollution can also be among the causes of nervous pressure, usually mental pressure despite the anxiety related to before It is a calamity or danger, it happens after a calamity or danger. In today's modern society, academic stress has become a common thing among students. Stress is something that exists in all people of different ages. People should have enough information about this disease and try to fix and improve it. The current study examines the effect of academic and family stress on students' depression levels and the subsequent effect on their academic performance based on Lazarus' theory of cognitive stress assessment. To collect data from undergraduate and graduate students, a non-probability sampling method was used using a modified questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. This study used the SEM method to investigate the relationship between stress, depression and academic performance. It was confirmed that academic and family stress leads to depression in students, which negatively affects their academic performance and learning outcomes. This research provides valuable information to parents, educators, and other stakeholders who are concerned about their children's education and performance.

Academic Stress, Depression, Academic Performance, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM)