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College is stressful. A survey of 14,000 first-year college students in eight countries found that 35% struggled with a mental illness. Here in the U.S., college students seeking mental health services report that anxiety is their number one concern. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, stress negatively affects academic performance for nearly one in three college students. With this in mind, how can student development professionals and higher education institutions help students manage stress?
Pandemic-related stress in college students
It’s not news that the coronavirus pandemic elevated levels of stress for most people across the United States. But according to survey results released by the American Psychological Association (APA), young adults ages 18 to 23 experienced the highest stress levels. Nearly 90% of this age group cited education as a significant source of stress. These causes of stress make sense considering college students faced the brunt of uncertainties as colleges closed campuses and transitioned to online learning following the virus outbreak.
In fact, a recent survey from the American College Health Association asked undergraduate students how much distress came from various aspects of their lives. Of students who had experienced challenges with academics in the past 12 months, over 80% of students said academics had caused them moderate or high distress. Additionally, according to a survey by TimelyCare, 82% of college students continue to experience higher than normal levels of stress and anxiety due to COVID-19.
The common college stress in students
Of course, COVID-19 only added to the stress college students experience when they transition to college life. The American Institute of Stress says that in addition to academic performance, variables like culture shock, homesickness, and adjustments in social life can overwhelm first-time students. A bad grade, a fight with a roommate, or the end of a relationship can lead to feelings of sadness, loneliness, or low self-worth.
Research finds that following high school and into the first two years of college is the most significant increase in anxiety for students. During this transition, sleep disruption fueled by excess caffeine and all-nighters can heighten anxiety. Excessive social media use also causes an increased sense of isolation and additional mental health issues.
There is also the stress of affording college. Tuition in both community and private colleges increases every year. Often overlooked costs like school supplies and books may be a part of why close to 70% of college students work part-time while in college, which forces them to find a balance between their job and their academic success. And, students who work while in college may unknowingly diminish their financial aid eligibility depending on their earnings. “It can actually cost students to have a job,” said Shannon Vasconcelos, director of college finance at Bright Horizons. “Those earning more than about $7,000 will see their income factored into the financial aid calculation.” All of these variables and many others, contribute to the stress in college students.
Signals of student stress
Because signs of stress in college students can be confused with other ailments, it is vital to understand how it affects students so it can be correctly identified. Common signs include:
Emotional symptoms
- Feelings of agitation or irritability
- Inability to relate, social anxiety
- Lowered self-esteem, loneliness, depression
- Feeling overwhelmed or out of control
Physical symptoms
- Tension headaches, backaches, muscle pains
- Chest pain, rapid heart rate, shortness of breath, high blood pressure
- Stomachaches, pains, nausea
- Shakiness, clammy or sweaty hands, tinnitus
- Rapid breathing
- Difficulty sleeping
Behavioral symptoms
- Sudden change in appetite
- Avoidance of tasks and responsibilities, social withdrawal
- Increased use of alcohol, smoking, drugs
- Angry outbursts
- Nervous behaviors such as fidgeting or nail biting
Cognitive symptoms
- Being forgetful and disorganized
- Inability to focus or concentrate
- Constantly worrying
- Irritability, restlessness, lack of motivation
- Incessant stream of thoughts, suicidal thoughts
These are a few of the many signs of stress. It’s important to note that stress affects everyone in different ways. The American Institute of Stress (AIS) identifies 50 signs of stress and notes that there may be even more not yet recognized.
Discover how telehealth supports student mental health
How higher education can support students
The college environment has been defined as “a system of pressures, practices, and policies intended to influence the development of students toward the attainment of important goals of higher education.” This means that your campus culture has the power to guide the attitudes and priorities of its members. And because the culture of academia fosters pressure and stress, it’s on the leaders to provide resources and support to mitigate the negative effects of stress to promote a healthy culture. Here are five considerations for higher education leaders:
1. Raise awareness to reduce stigma
Student development professionals can support students by raising awareness about college stress and anxiety. The message that the symptoms of stress are common and manageable can reduce the stigma for those who are struggling and increase the likelihood they will reach out for help. The National Institute of Mental Health provides helpful resources to better understand stress and how to manage it.
2. Create spaces on campus that promote calm
The importance of establishing peaceful, relaxing spaces where students can engage in stress management practices is well documented. Specific factors of the physical environment can play a role in decreasing stress as well. For example, the configuration of a room, the color of its walls, and the amount of light it receives can either contribute to or minimize stress. Providing areas for relaxation and optimizing features of physical spaces effectively support stress reduction.The importance of establishing peaceful, relaxing spaces where students can engage in stress management practices is well documented. Specific factors of the physical environment can play a role in decreasing stress as well. For example, the configuration of a room, the color of its walls, and the amount of light it receives can either contribute to or minimize stress. Providing areas for relaxation and optimizing features of physical spaces effectively support stress reduction.
3. Provide support beyond academics
Research demonstrates that both tutorial and social support buffer the consequences stress has on students. Offering resources to assist students with budgeting, managing debt responsibly, and handling the financial aid system can also minimize financial stressors.
4. Promote student success
Navigating the systems and bureaucracy inherent in higher education is stressful to students. College administrators can reduce that stress throughout the school year by minimizing the obstacles impeding the successful navigation of their systems. By improving the quality of services and lessening the barriers that may complicate students’ ability to receive support, colleges improve student satisfaction and equip students to manage the college systems effectively. In doing so, students can build the coping mechanisms to become independent adults capable.
5. Reduce barriers to emotional support
Administrators can also work on reducing barriers for students who need resources for managing stress by offering support to students via phone, online chat, and drop-in sessions. For instance, TimelyCare offers an on-demand emotional support service called TalkNow. This telehealth service provides students easily accessible, high-quality care and immediate treatment for any type of mental health concern — from trouble with an unruly roommate to crisis situations.
Telehealth services like TalkNow eliminate the days or weeks of wait time that a student may encounter to get support from campus counseling resources. It also removes the potential stigma of walking into a counseling center to seek care. And, telehealth services help optimize clinic resources and mental health care staff in delivering quality care to the right students at the right time.
Helping students manage stress improves student outcomes
A survey by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of college students who dropped out of college found that 64% did not continue with college due to mental illness. Of those students, 45% did not seek help on campus before dropping out. Higher education leaders are in a unique position to facilitate better retention rates — one of the biggest challenges facing higher education.
The implications of lower retention rates are far-reaching. Yes, providing access to education is a major issue. But if students fail to graduate, they can’t gain the value of a postsecondary degree. The failure leaves millions of families with less of an opportunity to advance economically and negatively affects their attitudes toward society and their dreams for a better life.
In an increasingly competitive and results-oriented higher education market, helping college students manage and cope with stress could help countless students and their families, and contribute to economic opportunity.
TimelyCare is ready to help your institution achieve this vision. Focused on improving the health and wellness of student populations, TimelyCare offers colleges and universities virtual mental health resources and services centered around telehealth. TimelyCare’s total health and well-being solution becomes an extension of your current, on-campus health services to improve the mental and physical health of students. With 24/7/365 access to providers in all 50 states, TimelyCare helps your students thrive
To explore how TimelyCare can provide telehealth programs that deliver quality care to your students while helping them manage stress, contact TimelyCare.
