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The grapple of 1 in 5 students considering suicide as an option when they are under stress is not surprising. I have had thoughts of suicide when I am under pressure feeling as it would be "easy to forget about my problems." I think this should be a wake-up call to society. As a society, we need to start teaching people at a young age how to cope with stress healthily.

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MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- College can be so stressful that many students think about killing themselves, and some even try, a new study suggests.

Among more than 67,000 students surveyed, over 20 percent said they experienced stressful events in the last year that were strongly associated with mental health problems, including harming themselves and suicidal thoughts or attempts, researchers found.

"What's striking about our findings is that there is a disproportionate number of students who are reporting a large number of exposures to stress they believe is traumatic or difficult to overcome," said lead researcher Cindy Liu. She directs the developmental risk and cultural disparities program at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

"There are some stresses that are exceeding the capacity of students to cope," she added.

Stressful events defined as traumatic or difficult to handle included: academic pressures; career issues; death of a family member or friend; family problems; intimate and other social relationships; finances; health problems of a family member or partner; personal appearance; personal health problems and sleep difficulties.

Liu's team found that 3 out of 4 students had experienced at least one stressful event in the previous year. And more than 20 percent experienced six or more stressful events in the past year.

Among these students, 1 in 4 said they had been diagnosed with or treated for a mental health problem. Furthermore, 20 percent of all students surveyed thought about suicide, 9 percent had attempted suicide, and nearly 20 percent injured themselves.

These problems were particularly acute among transgender students, with about two-thirds saying that they had hurt themselves and more than one-third saying they had attempted suicide.

In addition, more than half of bisexual students said they had suicidal thoughts and had harmed themselves. More than a quarter of these students had attempted suicide, the researchers found.

Liu said the rate of students suffering from depression or anxiety is much higher now than it was in 2009, when the last survey was conducted.

Among gay, lesbian and bisexual students, for example, rates for suicidal thoughts were higher than in 2009 -- 58 percent versus 48 percent. They were also higher for attempted suicides -- 28 percent versus 25 percent -- and for self-injury -- 51 percent versus 45 percent.

Liu also said as students progress through college, the chances of experiencing stressful situations increases. That may be due to increased academic and other pressures, she said.

Because many students suffering from these mental woes don't seek help, the extent of the problem is most likely much larger, Liu said.

In terms of race, compared with white students, fewer Asian students reported mental health problems. In addition, black students were less likely than white students to report mental health problems or suicidal thoughts or attempts, she added.

Colleges are doing more than ever to help students cope with depression and anxiety, Liu said. In some schools, these efforts include peer counseling in addition to traditional mental health services.

Also, parents can help by being aware of how well their children are coping with college and asking about whether they are depressed or anxious, Liu said.

Besides the stresses mentioned in the study, one suicide expert pointed out that drugs and alcohol can make matters worse.

"For many college students, they are trying alcohol and drugs for the first time," said April Foreman, a board member of the American Association of Suicidology. "We know that these things are really destabilizing."

Moreover, this is an age when you see the rise of personality disorders and other mental health problems, which can also increase the risk for suicide, Foreman said.

She believes that colleges need to provide help for these students, which includes counseling and keeping tabs on them to ensure they are not suicidal. Parents also need to work with the school to provide support and care for their children.

For the study, Liu and her colleagues analyzed data from the 2015 survey conducted by the Association National College Health Assessment. In the survey, students were asked about depression and anxiety, including if they had been diagnosed or treated for a mental health problem.

They were also asked if they had harmed themselves, considered suicide or attempted suicide, and how many stressful situations they had experienced in the last year.

The report was published online Sept. 6 in the journal Depression and Anxiety.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more on suicide.

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1 in 5 College Students So Stressed They Consider Suicide

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MONDAY, Sept. 10, 2018 (HealthDay News) -- College can be so stressful that many students think about killing themselves, and some even try, a new study suggests. Among more than 67,000 students surveyed, over 20 percent said they experienced stressful events in the last year that were strongly ass...

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I find it funny how people who have stress like me cope with this problem by creating self-deprecating jokes or memes that show how we feel and liven up the mood. I think we do this to make ourselves normalize the problem so that we may feel like we are not in this alone.

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My main takeaway from this video is to focus on the moment and simply breathe. If we worry too much about the future, we'll lose sight of what's happening right now.

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Stress is ever so present in the life of a student. Students stress with their current day lives as well as their uncertain future. A student's environment is entirely new. New support systems have to be created by the student.  Adding to the idea of having to fit in socially, students have to meet the demanding academic performance expected of them.

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I chose stress because it is a subject matter that everyone experiences whether they be a student or a CEO.

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36.5% of U.S. college students pointed to stress as the biggest reason why their academic performance suffered negatively for the past 12 months.

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36.5% of U.S. college students pointed to stress as the biggest reason why their academic performance suffered negatively for the past 12 months.

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I feel that this is important because it demonstrates how stress may harm the way students perform academically.

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The concept of schooling was designed to prepare young people for the adult world, not just in trade opportunities but also in maintaining relationships and dealing with other people. While school presented an opportunity for young adults to simulate current world scenarios, it may have unintentionally introduced another real-world concept-student stress. This is because college life is a period of numerous adjustments for students, which may result in heightened levels of stress (Bennion et al., 2018). Statistics reveal a concerning truth, student stress is real, and, in some cases, maybe on par with the stress that adults deal with.

The physical and mental demands of studies often increase proportionally to a student's progress (Reddy et al., 2018). Additionally, external factors such as family life, finances, friends, and mental health may either provide a supporting role or an additional distraction to studying (Lian, 2018). In an ACHA-National College Health Assessment II national research survey released in 2019, the majority of undergraduates reported stress and anxiety as the top major factors that affected their academic performance negatively (ACHA, 2019).

This article aims to discuss student stress statistics in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, and identify some of the underlying causes and how many students are affected. It also hopes to identify if there are sources of relief from stress available in schools or from a student's immediate social circle. This way, educators, school administrators, and parents can understand the different factors contributing to student stress and what they can do to address them. It should also give students an idea of how fellow learners are coping with stress.

Student Stress Statistics Table of Contents

1. General Student Stress Statistics

2. Stress Among K-12 Students

3. Stress Among College and University Students

4. Common Student Stress Factors

5. Mental Health Support for Students

General Student Stress Statistics

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic yet to show signs of ending, a lot of routine activities have ground to a crawl or even a halt. But prior to the global outbreak, studies indicate that students typically undergo increased levels of stress while attending college (Conley et al., 2013), in one way or another. Consider the following statistics:

In 2018, there were 4% more applicants to U.S. colleges compared to 2017, but only 65% were accepted.

24% of students in the United States are getting stressed about their future and finding a job after graduation.

Studies project that 1 in 5 previously stress-free U.K. university students will be diagnosed as clinically anxious by mid-course.

Around 500 Japanese students below the age of 20 kill themselves each year. Every September 1 (or the start of the school year), the teen suicide rate tends to occur three times higher compared to any other day.

Six out ten of college students experienced "overwhelming anxiety," while over 40% were saddled with crippling depression.

Between the school years 2009- 2015, there was a 30% increase in the number of American students who visited campus counseling centers, even though enrollment only increased by 5%.

Stress Among K-12 Students

Stress for a middle schooler may be slightly different from those experienced by college students, but it does not mean they have it easier. Dealing with schoolwork and a burgeoning social network, coupled with a body rapidly adjusting to adolescence, is something that can induce stress. Here are some statistics that show how teens deal with their new role as high schoolers.

Seven out of ten teens in the U.S. (between 13 and 17 years old) have named anxiety or depression as a major problem among their peers in the community.

75% of U.S. high school students expressed boredom, anger, sadness, fear, or stress while in school.

On a 10-point scale, where normal values for adults are 3.8, American teens rated their stress rate at an average score of 5.8.

Three quarters (75%) of American high schoolers and half of middle schoolers described themselves as "often or always feeling stressed" by schoolwork.

Stress Among College and University Students

As mentioned earlier, college life is a bit more advanced compared to high school. Students not only have to deal with a bigger academic workload, but they are expected to function socially, plan financially, and deal with living away from home for the first time. Consequently, an American College Health Association (2015) survey found that stress has become the most serious academic impediment among students at over a hundred colleges and universities across the U.S.

With a fixed time and infinite activities, students often pause midway and realize they might be doing too much with too little.

40% of college students in the U.S. admit to feeling inadequately-rested five out of seven days a week.

One in four American college students indicate that lack of sleep has affected their academic performance in a negative way: lower grades, missed a paper or project deadline, or had to withdraw from class.

U.S. students who sleep six or fewer hours a night have a lower Grade Point Average (GPA) than those who get eight or more.

40% of American college students take naps, but nappers tend to sleep less in total than non-nappers.

45% of American college students claimed to undergo "more than average stress," while 33% of students reported "average stress" and 12.7% saying it is "tremendous stress." Students who reported "no stress" or "less than average stress" combined for 9% total.

8 out of 10 university students in the U.K. reported stress and/or anxiety in school.

45% of United Kingdom students reported feeling stressed by their course, which is higher than students who are enjoying their classes (41%).

Common Student Stress Factors

Stress comes in many forms, as the human capacity for worrying is unlimited. Apart from the usual suspects of exams and grades, stress also comes via the inability to adjust to a life outside your comfort zone (home) and dealing with a new social circle far from your childhood friends and family. Other problems designed for adults, such as budgeting, loans, and getting a job, start at high school or college for most people.

Schoolwork/coursework

Finals and midterms accounted as the top source of stress for 31% of U.S. students. Class and workload were third at 23%. Homework placed fourth at 13%.

36.5% of U.S. college students pointed to stress as the biggest reason why their academic performance suffered negatively for the past 12 months. In addition, 29.5 % listed anxiety as a factor.

For American middle schoolers, 61% of teens admitted feeling a lot of pressure to get good grades. In contrast, 29% feel pressured to look good, 28% need to fit in socially (28%), and 21% feel the pressure to involve themselves in extracurricular activities and be good at sports.

Bullying and harassment

Victims of bullying comprise 29% of U.S. college students.

37% of middle and high school American students between the ages of 12 and 17 in the United States have experienced cyberbullying.

American female students are more likely to be bullied at school compared to males (24% vs. 17%).

A higher percentage of U.S. male students report being physically bullied (6% vs. 4%). More females report being the subject of rumors (18% vs. 9%) and being excluded from activities on purpose (7% vs. 4%).

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

Separation/distance from family

Over 30% of American college students feel homesick. Freshmen take it even worse, as 69% reported a feeling of severe homesickness.

92% of over one million international students in the U.S. say they miss home while studying abroad.

57% of these international students say it is the sensory experience they find missing, while 74% say they miss the sounds of their hometowns.

These sounds include people talking in their native language (50%), local community hustle and bustle (26%), public transport sounds (25%), and native wildlife (20%).

Source: Businesswire

Designed by

Student loans/financial concerns

The average American public four-year university costs over $20,000 annually, while U.S. private institutions cost at least double at $40,000 plus per year.

Because of money problems, 32% of American students have said that their studies are sometimes neglected.

60% of U.S. college students worry about not having enough money to pay for their studies.

70% of U.S. students are stressed about their financial health.

To afford tuition, 43% of full time and 81% of part-time American students work during their off study hours.

Loans are the primary way to finance their studies for 64% of U.S. college students.

33% of U.S. college students with loans owed less than $10,000, while 20% owed more than $30,000.

Because of the money they owed in loans, nearly 30% of American college students said they reduced their class load, 16% took a break from attending school, and 13% transferred to another, probably cheaper institution.

Source: Ohio State University

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Student mental health issues

The rate of American students with suicidal thoughts or other suicide-related outcomes increased 47% from 2008 to 2017 (from 7.0% to 10.3%).

54.2% of surveyed mental health clinicians believe that anxiety, depression, and stress are the top concerns of U.S. college student patients.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 80% of U.S. students report feeling stressed sometimes or often, while 34% felt depression.

Coronavirus-related stress

Based on UNESCO monitoring reports during the pandemic, 9 out of 10 students (87%) in 165 countries were affected by school closures in March due to the coronavirus. This translates to over 1.5 billion primary to tertiary learners.

20%, or one in five American college students, admitted in an April 2020 survey that their mental health significantly got worse this year during the pandemic.

78% of homes with American high school or college students reported educational disruptions due to COVID-19. Of these students, 80% admitted to suffering from increased stress due to these disruptions.

44% of U.S. college students worry if they can still enroll or stay enrolled in college during the disruption.

69% of American students experiencing disruptions believe that their school provides enough support throughout the transition process.

Mental Health Support for Students

Ideally, schools have designated centers and point persons to help students deal with stress, including any underlying medical or mental health issue. However, the number of students who have availed of such services is far less than expected, which either means students have developed their own methods of dealing with stress or have eschewed help altogether.

23% of U.K. students are satisfied with the mental health resources available at their university.

Among U.S. college and university students, 75% agree that they know where to go for on-campus professional mental health services.

20.3% of college students that sought mental health services in 2018 used their college/university counseling or health services.

61% of U.S. college students reported receiving information about stress reduction from their school.

41% of U.S. college students terminated their mental health services due to the end of the term or semester.

Medication use to deal with mental health issues has slowly but steadily climbed among U.S. college students. From 31.3% in 2010-2011, students who received medication have risen to 34.3% in 2018-2019.

Percentage of students who availed of campus mental health services

Source: ACHA 2018

Designed by

Stress is Not Just for Adults

Stress is real. Gone are the days when people were quick to dismiss stress as a normal rite of passage or a necessary evil. The hyper-competitive environment of college applications, the demands of coursework, the outrageous tuition fees, the general feeling of being away from family and friends for long periods of time, these are all designed to filter the most resilient in the class. Unfortunately, in a ranking system, there will always be those at the back of the line. Recognizing that stress happens and is rarely preventable is a big step towards helping address it.

Information remains the key to managing stress for adolescents. Sharing the knowledge that there are facilities available within the campus can help assuage them from feeling they are alone out there. At the same time, recognizing student's concerns on coursework, finance, social anxiety, and general acceptance can help educators come up with programs that are less stress-inducing.

This statistics article is by no means complete, but rather shows snippets of how things are within the university grounds. Updated studies, especially in areas such as distance learning stress, new ways to support stress-afflicted students, and ways on how to develop education programs that reduce unnecessary stress will prove to be valuable tools. If we cannot remove the stress from schoolchildren, we at least have the mandate to reduce its occurrences.
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50 Current Student Stress Statistics: 2019/2020 Data, Analysis & Predictions

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The concept of schooling was designed to prepare young people for the adult world, not just in trade opportunities but also in maintaining relationships and dealing with other people. While school presented an opportunity for young adults to simulate current world scenarios, it may have unintentionally introduced another real-world concept-student stress.