Papers, internships, reading, clubs, studying — the list of common sources of stress for college students is all too familiar. According to a recent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) survey, however, first-year college students now report poorer emotional health than ever before.
The survey, "The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2010," annually charted the emotional health of students matriculating at four-year colleges and universities throughout the United States. In this year's matriculating class, only 51.9 percent of students responded that their emotional health was "above average," representing an 11.7 percent drop since the study began in 1985.
The results of this study can be slightly misleading. Stressed individuals express their stress in different ways, and not all types of stress are necessarily unwanted, Silas Pinto, a lecturer in the Department of Education at Tufts, said. There are two main kinds of stress, he said: eustress — short-lived stress that has the potential to improve performance — and distress — a more aversive form of stress.
"It is important for people to know that there is such a thing as ‘positive' stress," Pinto said in an e-mail. "It is about striking a balance, not running away from the whole category."
The UCLA study is concerned primarily with distress rather than the often-beneficial eustress. According to Pinto, distress can cause anxiety, depression, bodily pains, sleep problems, heart disease and skin problems.
Why does distress seem to be on the rise? Part of the reason could be that students are more comfortable reporting their stress than in years past, Erin Seaton, a lecturer in the Department of Education, said in an e-mail.
"It may be that current students are more aware of stressors and have an increased ability to talk openly about mental health than students in past generations who may have felt a greater sense of stigma surrounding mental health," Seaton said.
The survey also revealed that reports of lower levels of emotional health were more common among female participants, which could also stem from society's perception that women are more in touch with their feelings, according to Julie Jampel, staff psychologist and training director at Tufts Counseling and Mental Health Service.
"Women report a lot of symptoms in greater numbers than men do," she said. "Part of that is comfort in reporting and part may be self-awareness. Women are taught to note what they feel and men are not."
However, the poor emotional health documented in the survey likely has causes other than gender differences. The report suggests growing academic drive and financial concerns as two potential causes of lower levels of emotional health in students.
Seaton added that the Internet's ability to connect students and the world may also relate to emotional health levels.
"Having such exponentially increased access to the world can be overwhelming," Seaton said. "I think that being constantly connected to others through new forms of social networking adds a whole other layer of stress to students' interpersonal experiences and ability to effectively manage time."
Jampel said the current economy is one component of increased levels of stress but added that younger generations' tendency to constantly multi-task can also be a significant stress factor.
"Some of it is economic. Some of it is more the way culture is going," Jampel said. "No one just walks down the street anymore. Everyone is doing a bunch of things."
The uncertainty of employment after college and the fierce competition for jobs and internships are key factors in economic-related stress, Jampel said.
"What I do hear is the stress of students feeling like they might have to go back home after college instead of launching themselves into a job," Jampel said. "People always used to think they could get a job after college, but now with the economy it is not as secure a feeling."
Junior Winnie Hu agreed with Jampel's observation, explaining that now, more than ever, expectations are high and prospects are low.
"My teachers, mentors and family friends always say ‘You're going to be such a success when you grow up,'" she said. "And every day I'm wondering, what if I don't?"
