Study Finds That Stress Impacts Mental Health Well-Being of Women College Students More Than Their Male Peers

Academic stress takes a toll on the mental well-being of certain groups of college students more than others – a correlation further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Rutgers New Jersey Medical School study.

According to the American Psychological Association, up to 87 percent of U.S. college students cite education as their primary source of stress – arising from demanding course loads, studying, time management, classroom competition, financial concerns, family pressures, and difficulty adapting to new environments – but few studies have looked at how that stress directly affects mental health.

The authors of this study found a significant correlation between perceived academic stress and poor mental well-being in all the students, but most acutely in those who are nonbinary, female, or who were in the second year of a four-year program. Nonbinary students reported the highest stress levels and worst psychological well-being, followed by female students. Both groups also reported higher COVID-19-related stress than males.

“This study shows that college students are not uniformly impacted by academic stress or pandemic-related stress and that certain groups should be offered additional resources and support,” said study co-author Xue Ming, a professor of neurology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.

“Colleges should consider offering tailored mental health resources to these groups to improve students’ stress levels and psychological well-being,” Dr. Ming recommended. The researchers also recommend colleges provide stress-management and coping strategies such as mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy as well as offer stress-reduction peer support groups to help build resilience.

Dr. Ming holds a bachelor’s degree and a medical degree from Shanghai Medical University and a Ph.D. from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

The full study, “Academic Stress and Mental Well-Being in College Students: Correlations, Affected Groups and COVID-19,” was published in the journal Frontiers. It may be accessed here.