Stress

Stress is Common in College Students

  • Generational Differences: Modern college students report higher stress levels compared to previous generations.

  • Sources of Stress:

    • Catastrophic Events: Natural disasters, wars, etc.

    • Major Life Events: Divorce, death of a loved one, etc.

    • Daily Hassles: Minor annoyances like forgetting a phone or missing a bus.

Myth 1: Stress is the Same for Everyone

  • Fact: Stress is subjective and depends on how individuals appraise events.

    • Physiological Response: Stress is a physiological reaction to events perceived as taxing or overwhelming.

    • Manifestations: Stress can affect thoughts (e.g., racing thoughts), emotions (e.g., irritability), behaviors (e.g., overeating), and somatic symptoms (e.g., headaches).

Myth 2: Stress is Not a Big Deal

  • Fact: Chronic stress has significant impacts on mental health, physical health, and life functioning.

    • Mental Health: Higher stress reactivity predicts depression and anxiety disorders (Charles et al., 2013).

    • Academic Performance: Over 25% of college students report that stress affects their academics (American College Health Association, 2012).

    • Relationships: Stress increases negative interactions in romantic relationships (Bodenmann & Perrez, 1992).

    • Physical Health: Chronic stress can lead to illnesses and exhaustion (General Adaptation Syndrome).

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

  1. Alarm Stage: Sympathetic nervous system activates (e.g., increased heart rate, goosebumps).

  2. Resistance Stage: Body attempts to cope with stress (e.g., adrenal glands release hormones).

  3. Exhaustion Stage: Prolonged stress leads to physical and mental collapse.

Myth 3: Only Negative Life Events Are Stressful

  • Fact: Stress can arise from both negative and positive events (e.g., starting a new job, getting married).

Myth 4: Stress is All Bad

  • Fact: Some stress is beneficial (e.g., eustress) and can motivate performance and growth.

Myth 5: There’s Not Much You Can Do About Stress

  • Fact: Stress management strategies can significantly reduce stress.

    • Mindset: Positive reappraisal, downward comparisons, and present control can help.

    • Stress Management Techniques: Avoid, Alter, Accept, Adapt.

    • Social Support: Strong social networks improve stress resilience.

Myth 6: Traumatic Events Are Rare

  • Fact: Traumatic events are common, but they differ from everyday stress.

    • Stress: A response involving tension, discomfort, and physical symptoms.

    • Trauma: A deeply distressing or severe stressor (e.g., violence, accidents).

Myth 7: Most People Who Experience Trauma Develop PTSD

  • Fact: Most trauma survivors are resilient and do not develop PTSD.

    • PTSD Prevalence: About 3% of adults have PTSD at any given time; lifetime prevalence is 1.9%-8.8%.

    • High-Risk Groups: Survivors of interpersonal violence have a 50% lifetime prevalence of PTSD.

Myth 8: PTSD is an Incurable Disorder

  • Fact: Effective treatments for PTSD exist:

    • Prolonged Exposure (PE): Facing negative feelings to gain control.

    • Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Reframing negative thoughts about the trauma.

    • Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Processing trauma through guided eye movements.

Myth 9: Group Debriefing After Trauma is Helpful

  • Fact: Some immediate trauma-focused therapies (e.g., group debriefing) can be ineffective or harmful.

    • Do: Provide support and resources.

    • Don’t: Force individuals to relive trauma prematurely.

Myth 10: Traumatic Events Only Impact Us Negatively

  • Fact: Many individuals report posttraumatic growth (beneficial changes or personal transformation) after trauma.

    • Statistics: Two-thirds to three-quarters of trauma survivors report some degree of growth.

    • Limitation: Growth is often self-reported and may not reflect behavioral changes.