16 Facts About Stress in College Students

A college campus is where students can work on a degree.

It’s also where they can come across a number of stressors, from academic pressure, being far away from home, to the exorbitant cost of being an undergraduate student.

Before you go to college, it’s wise to be ready to face a lot of stress to avoid unnecessary surprises.

In this post, I will enumerate 16 facts about stress in students enrolled in college.

Almost Half of College Students Seeking Counseling Report Stress

People seek counseling for different reasons.

According to stress.org, around 45% of college students undergoing counseling blame stress as the main reason for their need to seek professional mental health care.

The number one reason why college students consult a counselor?

Depression.

Issues back at home are what 31% of college students seeking counseling report — some college students suffer from homesickness, while others feel sick thinking about family problems.

Academic Stress Causes Poor Academic Performance and Others

Academic stress can result in poor academic performance.

Poor academic performance can worsen academic stress.

It’s a catch-22 situation!

Breaking the seemingly inescapable vicious circle requires you to determine which came first — is it stress due to the pressures of college making you perform poorly, or your poor performance causing stress?

Establish the cause and lay down the solutions before other problems appear.

Midterms and Finals: Top Sources of Academic Stress

There are a few other facts about academic stress you need to know about.

Something that college-bound teens need to be aware of is that midterm and final exams are the top source of stress inside the classroom among American students.

More than a third of all students agree.

80% of First-Time, First-Year Students Experience Frequent Stress

Stress in college students statistics say that eight in 10 freshmen college students suffer from stress more often than undergraduate students at higher levels.

That’s according to the American Institute of Stress (AIS).

One of the leading causes is living far away from home for the first time — even those who do not think they will experience homesickness experience stress and anxiety about being on their own.

Another cause is having to win a new set of friends.

Going Home Stresses Many LGBTQ+ College Students

Many college students can’t wait for the winter break to strike so that they can visit home.

Unfortunately, it’s a different tale for the majority of LGBTQ+ students.

According to Diverse, up to 60% of all LGBTQ+ college students feel stressed about going home for the holidays — students who identify as non-binary are some of the most stressed.

Students With Disabilities Have Higher Perceived Stress

A list of facts about stress in college students won’t be complete without including every kind of student.

They include those with disabilities.

According to a stress study conducted on both students with no disabilities and those with disabilities, participants with disabilities reported higher levels of stress than peers with no disabilities.

The study suggested that students with disabilities may need extra support from the campus for managing stress.

Female College Students Have Higher Stress Levels Than Males

Generally speaking, the effects of stress on college students are higher in females than males.

The differences in females and males do not end with perceived stress levels.

Based on a study by faculty members at Florida Atlantic University, female college students also opt for an emotion-focused coping dimension and rely on its four coping strategies more often than male college students:

• Self-distraction
• Emotional support
• Instrumental support
• Venting

20% of College Students With Anxiety are Taking Pills

In the last decade, the number of college students taking anti-anxiety medications doubled — from 2007 to 2019, the use of meds by students for anxiety increased from 3.0% to 7.6%.

Meanwhile, the number of college students taking antidepressants also doubled within the same time frame.

More and More Students are Resorting to Self-Harm

It’s during October, November, and February when many college students are rushed to hospital emergency rooms due to self-harm, whose cases among university attendees increased over time.

The reasons given by those being treated for self-harm?

College life, including academic issues.

It’s plain to see that being in college is the most common reason because self-harm cases are generally lower for age-equivalent individuals who are not attending college.

Extremely Stressed Students are Likely to Engage in Unhealthy Behaviors

Besides harming themselves, it’s not uncommon for college students experiencing high levels of stress to engage in all kinds of unhealthy behaviors, which can hurt them on many levels.

For the management of stress, some students in college may resort to any of the following:

• Overeating
• Excessive drinking
• Cigarette smoking
• Drug use

Some may also display aggression, procrastination, isolation, and withdrawal from family and friends.

Almost 10% of Incoming First-Year Students Have PTSD

PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder.

It happens when a person experiences or witnesses a terrifying or shocking event or circumstance. It’s usually something that involves someone’s life has been threatened or a severe injury has occurred.

However, not everyone who does so ends up with PTSD.

Research shows that around two-thirds of incoming freshmen college students have reported exposure to a traumatic event, but only roughly 10% of them have developed PTSD.

Perfectionism: It Can Make a College Student’s Mental Health Far From Perfection

More than 30% of college students are perfectionists.

In most instances, their perfectionism is motivated by family and social expectations — students who develop it through this manner have what’s called socially prescribed perfectionism.

Experts say that high levels of perfectionism in college students can compromise their academic performance.

More importantly, it can affect their psychological well-being.

STEM Majors are Stressful and Causing Mental Health Crisis

STEM majors rank the highest when it comes to salary, USA Today reports.

However, the path to being some of the best-paid professionals in the land is not easy.

Classes among STEM majors are so high-pressure that students suffer from lasting mental health issues, sometimes to the point of them wanting to put everything to an end.

The Number One Cause of Sleep Loss Among College Students? Stress

Medical News Today says that 68% of college students suffer from insomnia.

Of those, around 20% can’t sleep all night at least once a week.

Stress affects the sleep quality of college students more than the following common causes:

• Drinking
• Caffeine
• Electronics use

Similarly, only 30% of college students get at least eight hours of sleep per night.

Stress can cause sleep deprivation, and not getting enough sleep can stress the mind and body more.

Besides stress, insufficient sleep may also cause:

• Lowered immune systems
• Cardiovascular problems
• Weight gain

Many College Students are Physically Inactive, Contributing to Stress

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) says that approximately 40% to 50% of college students are physically inactive, which means that they are not getting any exercise.

That’s bad news for those who are experiencing college stress.

According to the same source, physical inactivity is a contributor to stress, anxiety, and depression.

It adds that those who do not workout may experience a 75% increase in stress symptoms.

Meanwhile, a lack of exercise increases anxiety risk by 118% and depression risk by 152%.

College: The Cause of Poor Mental Health for Many

Is college the most stressful time of life?

Yes, according to 86% of students who say that they have experienced chronic stress in college, which is why their mental health is currently in terrible shape.

In addition, around half of those are struggling without seeking professional help.