Students struggle while coping with anxiety, stress
Asraa Mustufa / Contributing Writer
Issue date: 3/11/08 Section: Page One
College can be a stressful time for students trying to manage class, jobs, extracurricular activities, as well as their personal lives. That may be why one-quarter of college student respondents felt they were doing poor or very poor in managing stress and anxiety, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Student Health and Life.
"I think most college students have come up with techniques to deal with stress and anxiety, but they're not always healthy techniques," said Sumia Ibrahim, a Rutgers College senior. "I know people who abuse drugs to get work done or drink frequently to alleviate stress."
The survey was distributed to students at the University and 31 public and private universities around the country. The results found that reported stress and anxiety levels were highest among seniors, followed by juniors, freshmen and sophomores.
There also appeared to be a correlation between regular exercise and low stress levels in the data, but such a link would have to be further researched in future surveys, said Jon Englund, the executive director for the center.
The Center for Student Health and Life will use the results from the survey to devise new approaches and technologies that would better serve student health and wellness needs, as well as provide the grounds for further areas of research.
"We basically wanted to glean from students themselves, the prime concerns on the health and wellness front so that CSHAL could better serve health and wellness needs, as well as create agendas and policies," Englund said. "Facebook and SurveyMonkey were highly effective ways of reaching out to a good mix of students."
Students who agreed with the results expressed concerns about overall student health.
Shirlyn Cesar, a Douglass College senior, said she thinks it can be difficult for students to adequately take care of themselves in a college atmosphere.
"There's a lot of pressure from so many different areas in college that it's hard to take care of yourself properly," Cesar said.
"I think most college students have come up with techniques to deal with stress and anxiety, but they're not always healthy techniques," said Sumia Ibrahim, a Rutgers College senior. "I know people who abuse drugs to get work done or drink frequently to alleviate stress."
The survey was distributed to students at the University and 31 public and private universities around the country. The results found that reported stress and anxiety levels were highest among seniors, followed by juniors, freshmen and sophomores.
There also appeared to be a correlation between regular exercise and low stress levels in the data, but such a link would have to be further researched in future surveys, said Jon Englund, the executive director for the center.
The Center for Student Health and Life will use the results from the survey to devise new approaches and technologies that would better serve student health and wellness needs, as well as provide the grounds for further areas of research.
"We basically wanted to glean from students themselves, the prime concerns on the health and wellness front so that CSHAL could better serve health and wellness needs, as well as create agendas and policies," Englund said. "Facebook and SurveyMonkey were highly effective ways of reaching out to a good mix of students."
Students who agreed with the results expressed concerns about overall student health.
Shirlyn Cesar, a Douglass College senior, said she thinks it can be difficult for students to adequately take care of themselves in a college atmosphere.
"There's a lot of pressure from so many different areas in college that it's hard to take care of yourself properly," Cesar said.