Title: College Stress | Harvard Medical School
Headings: College Stress
College Stress
Study finds 1 in 5 students surveyed reported thoughts of suicide in last year
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Content: Stressful life events, defined as exposures that the student felt were traumatic or difficult to handle, included academics, career-related issues, death of a family member or friend, family problems, intimate relationships, other social relationships, finances, health problem of family member or partner, personal appearance, personal health issues and sleep difficulties. The team reports the following: Rates of stressful life events were high and associated with mental health issues. Three out of four students reported having experienced at least one stressful life event in the last year. More than 20 percent of students reported experiencing six or more stressful life events in the last year. Stress exposure was strongly associated with mental health diagnoses, self-harm and suicidality. Mental health diagnoses and suicidality were common. One in four students reported being diagnosed with or treated for a mental health disorder in the prior year. One-fifth of all students surveyed had thought about suicide, with 9 percent reporting having attempted suicide and nearly 20 percent reporting self-injury. Sexual minorities showed elevated rates of mental health disorders and suicidality or self-injury.