Rachel Luker

WRTG 2010
Professor Richards
April 18, 2016
Effects of Chronic Stress on University Students Today
In the world of higher education today, we are at a time of high enrollment for students
attending higher education institutions. This means that there are more members of society who
are attending universities or working towards some sort of higher education. Just as student
enrollments are growing, tuition costs are inflating even more rapidly with student debt
increasing just as fast in order to cover the cost of tuition and other expenses. Across higher
education institutions, there is also an overwhelming increase in the amount of stress students are
facing while attending. Anna Rosiek and contributing authors provide findings that suggest an
increased burden of mental health problems on college campuses, suggesting that college
students may be facing higher levels of stress than in previous generations. With some students
learning to positively cope with the stress, and others, unfortunately, turning to adverse coping
habits or falling into an ultimate ideation of suicide. Found from statistics on the website
Suicide.org, suicide has become the second leading cause of death for college students. This is
extremely concerning, with such a significant number of students turning to suicide while
attending school. Overall it can be agreed that the mental health and well-being of young people
is of a global concern (Deasy, et al.).
The literature I have reviewed on the topic of stress among students of higher education
is as follows: Deasy, Christine, et al. in Psychological Distress and Coping amongst Higher
Education Students: A Mixed Method Enquiry." (2014), De Luca, Susan M., et al. in "The
Relationship Between Suicide Ideation, Behavioral Health, and College Academic

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Performance." (2016), Iarovici, Doris, Dr. in Mental Health Issues and the University Student.
(2014), Lester, David, and Dorian A. Lamis. In Understanding and Preventing College Student
Suicide. (2011), Rosiek, Anna, et al. in "Chronic Stress and Suicidal Thinking among Medical
Students." (2016), Walsemann, Katrina M., Gilbert C. Gee, Danielle Gentile in "Sick of our
loans: Student borrowing and the mental health of young adults in the United States." (2015),
Archuleta, Kristy L., Anita Dale, and Scott M. Spann in College Students and Financial
Distress: Exploring Debt, Financial Satisfaction, and Financial Anxiety. (2013), Bland, Helen
W., et al. "Quantifying The Impact of Physical Activity On Stress Tolerance in College
Students." (2014), Bradshaw, James, and Josh Wingrove in "As Student Stress Hits Crisis Levels,
Universities Look to Ease Pressure." (2016), and JongSerl Chun PhD & Dennis L. Poole in
Conceptualizing Stress and Coping Strategies of Korean Social Work Students in the United
States: A Concept Mapping Application (2009). I will also include information on stress and
chronic stress from the American Psychological Association and information on suicide statistics
from suicide.org.
In reviewing much of the literature on the effects of stress on students of higher
education, a major claim I have found across the literature is that there are multiple chronic
stressors students are facing in higher education today creating adverse effects for many students.
These stressors include paying off student loans, working while attending school, pressures of
area of study, along with other stressors. According to the American Psychological Association
(APA), stress can be described as a feeling of being overwhelmed, worried or run-down and
can affect people of all ages, genders and circumstances possibly leading to both physical and
psychological health issues. When stress lasts for a prolonged period of time, it becomes
chronic stress. Chronic stress is then described by the APA as stress which is constant and

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persists over an extended period of time. The APA claims that the consequences of chronic
stress are serious, particularly as it contributes to anxiety and depression. Overall, stress is a
well-known contributor to mood, mental disorders, and suicide risk. (Rosiek, Anna, et al.)
As mentioned, dealing with student debt has become a chronic stressor for students of
higher education today. In a piece by Walsemann and contributing authors, they provide claims
on the strong and persistent link between financial strain, the psychosocial stress related to
financial strain, and mental health. They also share that their studies find that debt, in general,
is associated with psychological functioning, anxiety, and mental disorders. (Walsemann, et al.)
According to Walsemann, many students become stressed by chronically worrying about the
repayment of their loans upon their graduation. Archuleta and contributing authors provided
study results exploring associations of financial anxiety to student debt, and also provided
information that financial well-being is ultimately associated to over-all psychological wellbeing.
Other chronic stressors that students of higher education are facing today are those of
area of study, along with upholding a certain academic performance. Deasy and contributing
authors found that students on programs with practicum components such as nursing and
teacher education are exposed to additional stressors which may further increase their risk for
psychological distress. In their study, a significant percentage (41.9%) of respondents were
psychologically distressed. De Luca et al reported on a study done involving college students in
different years, particularly differences between upperclassmen and underclassmen. In their
study, combined with other sources, they found that over one-quarter of freshman at 4-year
institutions do not return for their sophomore year. They also found that 64% of students that
leave college and no longer attend do so for behavioral health. They make the claim that

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behavioral health conditions, coupled with increasing pressure upon colleges to graduate
students within 4-6 years, poses a need to understand how students behavioral health conditions
may impact behavioral health.
Other factors contributing to student stress include study, financial, living, and social
pressures (Deasy, et al.) From these stressors, along with the fact that nearly one-quarter of
students do not return their sophomore year, and that more than half of those students do so for
behavioral health reasons (De Luca, et al.), it can be concluded that chronic stress among
students of higher education is becoming a serious problem that needs to be reviewed. In this
paper, I will use research from the literature and resources included to describe many of the
chronic stressors facing students of higher education today, focusing on student debt; address the
mental and physical health issues that come as effects to chronic stress; provide information on
what is currently available and being done for student wellness; and bring to light why chronic
stress among university students is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed while showing that
there are options available to help students better cope with the stress associated with higher
education.
What Kinds of Stress Are Students Facing Today?
Growing up and reaching adulthood can be a stressful time in ones life. For many, this period of
young adulthood is a significant life transition and is commonly associated with an increased
risk of mental health problems with an individual becoming prone to stress (Archuleta, et al.).
As previously quoted from the APA, chronic stress becomes the stress that continues over a
prolonged period of time. With most higher education students attending school during this
transition, and with most of the stressors effecting students on a consistent basis while attending
school, these stressors can be identified as chronic. Examples of chronic stressors include rising

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costs of tuition and student debt, the students area of study, overall academic performance, and
other living and social pressures students face. In a study done by authors Chun and Poole,
concept mapping revealed five major clusters of stressors: academic problems, financial
difficulties, cultural barriers, psychological problems, and family concerns. They also found that
students often experience high levels of stress, stemming from fear, depression, frustration,
language barriers, social isolation, and academic problems. Although this study was focused on
international Korean students attending university in the United States, this high level of stress is
currently seen across the board of students, not only international students.
While the transition to college is stressful, and maintaining a standard academic
performance while under stress is even more demanding, Id like to focus on one chronic stressor
in particular: student debt. Student debt is one of the most common chronic stressors inducing a
sense of financial distress and financial anxiety while accruing debt. Stress from debt has
become such a growing issue that financial mental health has recently become a growing topic
of interest among researchers and this research has linked financial stress and anxiety with
college student debt (Archuleta, et al.). Student debt is generally associated with loans on
tuition, but Archuleta, et al. shares that both student loans and credit cards have been the two
major types of debt receiving attention in scholarly literature pertaining to college students.
The Project on Student Debt (2011) estimated that two thirds of college seniors from the Class
of 2010 who graduated with student loan debt had an average debt load of over $25,000, and as
cost of pursuing higher education continues to outpace inflation, those numbers are only
increasing (Archuleta, et al.). With student debt influencing financial distress and anxiety in
students, the stress of this debt with only increase as a student gets deeper into debt while
finishing up their education. It should be noted that with student loan debt now over $1 trillion

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dollars, student loans now exceed credit card debt in the United States for the first time
(Archuleta, et al.), and this is a major concern. It is important that students learn how to cope
with and handle debt, while simultaneously learning healthy spending habits to keep debt under
control.
Adverse Health Effects of Chronic Stress and Common Coping Strategies
Growing numbers of students are coming to college and university counseling centers with
increasingly complex and severe problems (Iarovici, 79). During the end of year exams, McGill
Universitys mental health services clinic gets more than 20 emergency drop-ins a day four
times the usual rate from students who sometimes report they have not been to class in weeks,
they are struggling to get out of bed, they feel like crying all the time (Bradshaw, et al.) This
kind of stress is happening across the board. Deasy, et al. concur that psychological distress if
left untreated can have deleterious impact upon mental health and wellbeing. They also argue
that psychological distress is important from a health promotion/illness prevention perspective
because of its links with risk behaviors and physical illness in higher education students.
It has also been shown that there is an increase in the effects of this distress in recent
years. The American Freshman: National Norms Fall 2014 survey reported that among more
than 150,000 first year students from more than 200 universities, only about halfthe lowest
number since the survey beganrated their emotional health as above average or highest 10%.
Almost 10% reported frequently feeling depressed in the past year, 3.4 percentage points
higher than 5 years ago. (Iarovici). In addition, The American College Health Associations
2014 National Health Assessment, which captured nearly 80,000 students at 140 schools, found
that more than half felt overwhelming anxiety and more than a third felt so depressed it was
hard to function (Iarovici). This study also showed that the percentage of students who had

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had a diagnosis of or had been treated by a professional for anxiety, depression, or two or more
mental health diagnoses other than anxiety or depression were 14.3%, 12%, and over 6%,
respectively, which was higher than previous years but still acts as a small number of students
seeking out resources. This survey also suggests an increase in the preceding years rate of both
serious suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. (Iarovici).
With only a small percentage of students reaching out who self-address that they are
suffering from stress, that leaves the majority of students to cope on their own. Unfortunately,
this most commonly turns to adverse coping habits. It is also unfortunate that many of these
coping habits add to their stress, as well as amplifying any mental or physical disorders they may
be suffering from. One common coping strategy seen across campuses involves escape
avoidance behaviors including substance use (alcohol, tobacco and cannabis) and unhealthy diet
(Deasy, et al.). For alcohol abuse in particular, there is a strong association between proximal
alcohol use and increased suicide attempts, but among college students, the acute alcohol effect
appears stronger for infrequent drinkers. This is troubling because the majority of problematic
drinking on campus is binge drinking; many students are infrequent drinkers. (Iarovici).
Support Services and Preventative Care
As seen from the adverse effects of chronic stress among students, it can be agreed that chronic
stress is a pressing issue for students today. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely rid a
student of stress when attending a higher education institution. However, there are multiple ways
to better prepare students to handle stress before it becomes chronic. Some of these ways include
better preventative care and support services, as well as more advertised support services on
campuses. JongSerl Chun agrees that schools should develop or provide better access to support
services for students, involving Korean international students in particular in his study, to cope

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successfully with stress in American academic environments. Across the country, university
support services are deluged with students. (Bradshaw, et al.) In 2012, Queens University
released a report with 116 recommendations to overhaul the way the schools community
nurtures mental health even floating the idea of revisiting exam scheduling or extending the
term. The report was commissioned after six student deaths in 2010 and 2011. (Bradshaw, et al.)
This is a sample of what universities see during their semesters. It is important that these support
services and wellness centers provide accurate, up-to-date resources for students. Its also
necessary that these resources are easily accessible and advertised substantially.
Sometimes when a student reaches a certain level of stress, the resources are not enough.
In cases such as these, having better preventative care would be beneficial. One example of
better preventative care would be having a required class on student wellness for incoming
students. So many students are entering higher education as first generation college students, or
as students who are unsure of the available resources around them meaning that the resources
dont provide much benefit. Other students know that the resources are there, but do not feel
comfortable reaching out themselves, or they do not know how to begin the process of reaching
out. This is where a solution comes in to play. All students attending higher education
universities have a required number of general education courses needed for graduation, no
matter the area of degree. Having a class on student wellness would better prepare students and
would be a simple addition to the general education requirements. The course would include
wellness tips not limited to informing students of all of the resources found on campus,
informing students on how to identify stress and stressors, informing students on how to reach
out when feeling stressed or overwhelmed with school, and informing students of preventative
tips to help prevent chronic stress. These tips would go over the importance of staying physically

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active during college, the importance of being connected with others and not falling into
isolation, the importance of a healthy diet and healthy sleeping patterns, and others. This course
would also go over the possibility of entering student debt and how to adopt healthy spending
habits to manage debt.
There are multiple options for the layout of this kind of course as well. This course could
be a half-semester or semester course going over all of the information, tips, and resources in the
first semester of school giving students useful information up front. This would be an act of
preventative care, addressing possible problems before they occur. It could also be a fullsemester course that met weekly to go over tips and resources throughout the course, adapting to
stressors that students brought up during the course. The adaptability would help with students
questions as they came up, and also to act as a resource for students as they entered further into
the semester. Having a course on student wellness would also help students to build relationships
with others on campus, whether they were other students or mentors on campus. These
relationships would immediately begin to keep students connected. Another example of
preventative care is from the York University, where they realized that students turn to friends
and family before professionals and organized a two-week mental health campaign last month
and trained 200 student leaders to reach out to their peers. (Bradshaw, et al.)
Conclusion
As it has been shown, chronic stress is a pressing issue amongst higher education institutions and
college campuses today that is only increasing. Changes need to be made to help alleviate this
stress which could include: informing students of better methods for coping with stress, creating
a more open environment for students faced with stress and any mental health issues, and better
overall preparation for students planning the transition to higher education. Many students come

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from being consistently physically active playing sports full-time, to not paying attention to their
physical activity. Many are not aware of the effects of alcohol consumption and use alcohol or
other substances to cope with their stress and fall into binge-drinking and abusive drinking
habits. Other students fall into other negative coping strategies involving escape avoidance.
Many of these habits adversely affecting their physical, mental, and behavioral health all the
more. Some students attend a higher education institution and feel as though they have no
support, no one to reach out to, and unfortunately turn to suicidal ideation and ultimately suicide
as a coping strategy for their stress.
Although there are times where stress can be positive in that it challenges and motivates
students to achieve, more often than not it adversely impacts student learning . . . judgement,
and adaptive functioning. (Deasy, et al.). In addition, stress can lead to health damaging
behaviors and is associated with negative physical health outcomes, the exacerbation of mental
health symptoms and psychological distress while being a significant predictor of
psychological distress among higher education students. (Deasy, et al.)
With student tuition rising dramatically, and student debt just as fast, many students are
falling into financial distress. (Archuleta, et al.) Other chronic stressors are pushing many
students to the edge, and this calls for better resources on campus. In the case that resources are
there, it calls for better advertisement and accessibility to these resources. With the number of
students struggling from chronic stress, and with suicide the second leading cause of death
among college students (suicide.org), it is time for a change on campuses. In this case, the
change needs to be providing more information to current and future students, and the
introduction of a wellness course or something similar for students during their first semester on
campus. Having this type of preventative care resource for students would better prepare

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students, help students cope with stress, and teach students about the resources on campus and
how to reach out to others in the time of stress. Educating current and future college students
about the availability of mental health services on their college campuses or hometowns should
they begin feeling anxious about their debts and before the stress impacts their academic
performance could help keep college students in school. (Archuleta, et al.). It is important that
students are aware that chronic stress is a pressing issue, and even more aware that there are
ways to healthily cope with the stress to come out of it a successful college graduate.

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Works Cited
Alvord, Mary K., Karina W. Davidson, Jennifer F. Kelly, Kevin M. McGuiness, and Steven
Tovian. "Understanding Chronic Stress." American Psychological Association. American
Psychological Association, 2016. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.
Archuleta, Kristy L., Anita Dale, and Scott M. Spann. College Students and Financial
Distress: Exploring Debt, Financial Satisfaction, and Financial Anxiety.
Journal of Financial Counseling & Planning 24.2 (2013): 50-62. Print.
Bland, Helen W., et al. "Quantifying The Impact of Physical Activity On Stress
Tolerance in College Students." College Student Journal 48.4 (2014): 559-568. Academic
Search Premier. Web. 2 Mar. 2016.
Bradshaw, James, and Josh Wingrove. "As Student Stress Hits Crisis Levels,
Universities Look to Ease Pressure." The Globe and Mail. Phillip Crawley, 7
Dec. 2012. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.
Deasy, Christine, et al. "Psychological Distress and Coping amongst Higher Education Students:
A Mixed Method Enquiry." Public Library of Science ONE 9.12 (2014): 1-23. Print.
De Luca, Susan M., et al. "The Relationship Between Suicide Ideation, Behavioral Health, and
College Academic Performance." Community Mental Health Journal (2016): 1-7. Print.
Iarovici, Doris, Dr. Mental Health Issues and the University Student. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press, 2014. Print.
JongSerl Chun PhD & Dennis L. Poole (2009) Conceptualizing Stress and Coping Strategies of
Korean Social Work Students in the United States: A Concept Mapping Application,
Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 29:1, 1-17. Print.
Lester, David, and Dorian A. Lamis. Understanding and Preventing College Student Suicide.
Springfield: Charles C Thomas, 2011. Print.
Rosiek, Anna, et al. "Chronic Stress and Suicidal Thinking among Medical Students."
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 13.2 (2016): 212.
Print.
Walsemann, Katrina M., Gilbert C. Gee, and Danielle Gentile. "Sick of our loans: Student
borrowing and the mental health of young adults in the United States." Social Science &
Medicine 124 (2015): 85-93. Print.