Stress of College Students

I believe that most of my fellow college students would agree that anyone who says they don't stress over essays, exams, and grades is definitely in denial. Most students these days have a full plate of stressors placed in front of them. With a full-time schedule of work, school, paying bills, and worrying about the failing job market we may be entering into, college students these days can feel extremely overwhelmed. Stress as defined by our textbook is a reaction after excessive strain, that resulted when coping resources became inadequate. Meaning, the strain which our bills or our grades are inflicting on our mental and physical capacities are unable to cope or deal, causing a terribly stressed out feeling. Some of the reasons that many college students over-drink, use drugs, and eat poorly is due to the behavioral symptoms of being stressed.

I noticed this past year Stockton has really done a great job of trying to help their students relieve their stress. Almost every week I see or hear about the Meditation Room. This is a place where student are given a time of day where they can all meditate, giving anyone who enters an opportunity to relax their mind and hope to relieve some stress. After reading chapter 7 and knowing how my own college treats the issue of college student stress, I wanted to find out if there were any studies about the stress on college students and the effects of meditation and relief.

While Stockton does offer Meditation Rooms and time periods throughout the week, many college students aren't given this opportunity. According to a new study (to be published by American University and Maharishi University of Management in the American Journal of Hypertension) Transcendental Meditation may reduce blood pressure, anxiety, and depression among at-risk college students." Today, an estimated 18 million students are dealing with mental health issues on college campuses. Statistics from colleges nationwide indicate there has been a 50 percent increase in the diagnosis of depression, and more than twice as many students are on psychiatric medications than a decade ago. According to recent national surveys of campus therapists, more students than ever are seeking psychiatric help on college campuses all across the United States." The study, conducted over a 3 month period contained over 150 students who were continuously using Transcendental Meditation as a relief for their mental and physical symptoms of stress. In conclusion significant improvements were observed in blood pressure, psychological distress and coping.

I think I just may start taking Stockton up on those Meditation Rooms!



http://www.american.edu/media/news/2001118_-Study-Suggests-Transcendental-Meditation-Helps-College-Students.cfm