August 9, 2022
Introduction:
Conclusion:(EurekAlert ) Academic stress takes a toll on the mental well-being of certain groups of college students more than others – a correlation further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Rutgers New Jersey Medical School study.
Published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, researchers found a significant correlation between perceived academic stress and poor mental well-being in all the students, but most acutely in those who are nonbinary, female or those who were in the second year of a four-year program.
“This study shows that college students are not uniformly impacted by academic stress or pandemic-related stress and that certain groups should be offered additional resources and support,” said study author Xue Ming, a professor of neurology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. “The findings support prior studies that have shown that nonbinary adults face adverse mental health outcomes when compared to male- and female-identifying adults.”
According to the American Psychological Association, up to 87 percent of U.S. college students cite education as their primary source of stress – arising from demanding course loads, studying, time management, classroom competition, financial concerns, family pressures and difficulty adapting to new environments – but few studies have looked at how that stress directly affects mental health.
Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/961367 and here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/1 ... 6344/fullThe researchers also recommend colleges provide stress-management and coping strategies such as mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy as well as offer stress-reduction peer support groups to help build resilience.