Students: how stressed are you?

While most people think about stress in a workplace environment, students also face their own stresses: to choose the right pathway for their future career, to do well at their courses, to deal with peer pressure, financial pressures, and taking care of everything by themselves, often for the first time far from home and their usual support systems.

It can be daunting, and some students just find it too hard to cope with everything life is throwing at them all at once.

One line of research suggests that young adults’ risk for chronic disease and mental health issues continues to rise. The World Health Organization has reported chronic disease and disability is a growing concern in adolescents. What some may not know is that 70 per cent of young adults living with mental health problems can trace them back to childhood.

One of the most tragic byproducts of stress or mental health disease in adolescents is the prevalence of suicide. It is estimated that suicide accounts for 24 per cent of all deaths among 15 to 24 year olds, compared to 16 per cent among those 25 to 44 years old. .

Reducing risks associated with chronic stress starts with self-awareness. The Quality of Student Life survey (QSL) helps students to self-evaluate their levels of stress, coping, engagement and health and provides real-time feedback. If a student’s score is far higher than desired, then that student has the option to take action, such as asking for coaching, counselling, mentoring or support to help manage the stresses if their current situation.

To read more and take the survey, click here

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