Mental Health Stress in college life

 May 23rd, 2021

As per research, 34% of American college students are depressed and have a stressful college life. Purdue University did a study with 631 students from Oct 2014- March 2015 to identify important stressors associated with depression of college students. The study found that college students who included many international and female students were stressed with depressive symptoms and eight different types of stressors. Depression can lead to anxiety issues, abuse, poor academic performance, suicides, risks, and violent behaviors, and other mental disorders in future life. Therefore, mental health campaigns are needed for international, female, and diverse students in colleges and universities. The students are more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms, anxiety with risky and violent behaviors.

         Depression is in many college students and is considered the most frequently noted psychiatric disorder among them. Studies show the depression is a recurring problem among college students across the United States. About 34.5% of US college students showed signs of depression which made it difficult to function. College students’ depression could result in anxiety problems, substance abuse, poor academic performance, suicides, risky and violent behavior. In addition, the symptoms can put them more at risk of mental disorders later in life. Studies also show the students the depressed form of students is more likely to attempt suicide, which is a leading cause of death for college students. Depression also manifests in violent acts which may threaten the security of the campus and larger society. In addition, depression at an early age has long-term effects on well-being, leading to several negative consequences associated with weak interpersonal abilities and poor work achievement. Other studies have noted an increase in the growing number of college students accessing college and university counseling centers. A survey conducted by Associated Press and mtvU in 2008 Approximately 40% of college students throughout the United States reported that they frequently felt stressed, and 10% reported suicidal thoughts. Previous studies have found that many college students' stressors include feeling lonely, missing family and friends, experiencing interpersonal relationship conflicts, academic pressure, worrying about financial problems, and personal health, which may be associated with depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. For college students forming a counseling center for students can be a good idea as many show depression with anxiety and other violent behaviors. The poor academic performance of the students can also lead to depression as per the studies. 

         As per the research article published in 2016, “the female students had higher academic stress than male students.” The factors like academic stress, locus of control, life satisfaction, and achievement motivation were considered. As per the 2016 Joshua Watson paper, 334 students participated in the study, and the participants were from different colleges and departments. As per the studies, “Gender was significant in the female college students had higher physiological stress than their male counterparts.” The researcher collected the data and analyzed multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and multiple linear regression models. As per the research, they also conducted a one-way MANOCA to determine significant differences between men’s and women’s levels of academic stressors. They found that females had frustrations, conflicts, pressures, changes, self-imposed, physiological, emotional, behavioral, and appraisal stressors. As per the study, the student’s family was also pressuring as many were first in the family to attend college, which can be stressful for students. Educators and counselors are well trained to help students develop a more internalized locus of control and enhance their Lad 3 academic success (Witmer, Cook, Schmitt, & Clinton, 2015). The studies have shown that academic achievement and positive psychological functioning relate to the internal locus of control. Cavazos, Johnson, Fielding, et al. (2010) interviewed college students and found the internal locus of control had helped students succeed in college life for education. They had complete control of their academic future, which motivated them to work hard. (Mehmet A. Karaman, Eunice Lerma, Javie Cavazos Vela, and Joshua C Watson 2016). Researchers have found life satisfaction was one of the stressors as per the articles by (Frish et.al 2005). The articles stated, “life satisfaction is related to academic achievement, college retention. (Frisch et al., 2005), academic satisfaction, college self-efficacy (Ojeda, Flores, & Navarro, 2011), and college persistence (Ojeda, Edwards, Hardin, Pina-Watson 2014”). They found that students with lower life satisfaction had higher levels of academic stress. In the research by (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin , 1985) to measure life satisfaction, they used Satisfaction with the life scale. This is a five-item self-questionnaire that finds the estimate of the individual’s perceived level of satisfaction. The scoring is then summed up, and the highest score indicates greater life satisfaction. The female students had higher stressors, and they also had physiological factors for the stress. Colleges can also implement many wellness models, which can include five domains of well-being. These are cognitive well-being, physical wellbeing, emotional well-being, social well-being. In addition, college counseling programs can incorporate stress education or stress reduction techniques. 

     The financial burden was found as a stress in the research. Self-reported student loan debt contributes to an increased likelihood of discontinuing college (Sonya L, Britt, David Allen Ammerman, Sarah F. Barett, and Scott Jones 2017). Even the financial counseling was not of very great support for them. Though other studies indicated, the stress was less after meeting the peer counselor. The timing of the counseling might matter for the college students. The research suggested early intervention for the college students, one who have a student loan and Lad 4 under higher financial stress (Britt, Canale, Fernatt, Stutz & Tibbetts, 2015). A college education is expensive, which can prohibit higher education for many students. The (Sonya L Britt, David Allen, Ammerman, Sarah F Barrett, and Scott Jones 2017) research states “Taking out too much in student loans may contribute to long-term, financial hardship and force borrowers to delay making major purchases, getting married, having children, and investing for future needs such as retirement or saving for their children’s education. “As per the CollegeAtlas (2015), college a college or university degree is worth $365,000 net of cost for the average male student— significantly higher than the $185,000 value to females—over the student’s lifetime. Freshmen students often change their majors one or more times and may have unrealistic expectations about their future income opportunities than others. (Sonya L. Britt, David Allen Ammerman, Sarah F. Barrett, and Scott Jones 2017). In the studies, the sample of 2475 students determines the influence of financial stress, debt loans, and finance rates. Some colleges have implemented financial education programs assuming that an increase in financial knowledge will lead to positive financial behaviors, reductions in financial stress, and improved student outcomes (Chen & Volpe, )1998. A significant implication of (Britt, Ammerman, Barrett and Jones )their student loans, financial stress and College Student retention 28 Journal of Student Financial Aid, National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator Vol. 47, N1, 2017 study is that individualized counseling programs that help students increase their financial self-confidence may effectively increase student financial well-being and may indirectly improve academic performance and persistence. A holistic approach is needed to address the issues of student financial stress and financial counseling may be a part of the solution (Britt et al. 2011) 

           The college is essential for all, and it cannot be stressful. For college education, one must not get stressed and should go to counseling centers. The colleges should Lad 5 form counseling centers and have to start early in the program. So, the students can show the financial burden they should guide them early. 

 Works Cited 

 Acharya, Lala, et al. “College Life Is Stressful Today - Emerging Stressors and Depressive Symptoms in College Students.” Journal of American College Health, vol. 66, no. 7, Oct. 2018, pp. 655–664. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/07448481.2018.1451869. http://libproxy.rcsj.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db= aph&AN=133640613&site=eds-live&scope=site Karaman, Mehmet A., et al. “Predictors of Academic Stress Among College Students.” Journal of College Counseling, vol. 22, no. 1, Apr. 2019, pp. 41–55. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/jocc.12113. http://libproxy.rcsj.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tru e&db=aph&AN=135775059&site=eds-live&scope=site Britt, Sonya L., et al. “Student Loans, Financial Stress, and College Student Retention.” Journal of Student Financial Aid, vol. 47, no. 1, Apr. 2017, pp. 25–37. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=122582464&site=edslive&scope=si te. http://libproxy.rcsj.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=tru e&db=edb&AN=122582464&site=eds-live&scope=sit1