A new study has found that college is more stressful for girls than it is for boys. College can be a very stressful time for youth. They are starting to explore their independence and find their place in the world, and this means finding their identity away from their parents. They are forming their own opinions and views of the world while trying to maintain a social life along with good grades. In order to find resources to help support them in their journey, studies are done to look at just who is impacted and how.
According to Medical Xpress, a study was done that has shown that college is even more stressful for girls than it is for boys. The study was completed and published in the journal PLOS One and can be read in full here.
This study was especially true when looking at how the pandemic has shaped and changed college life and added an additional stressor to youth. B. Sue Graves was one of the study authors and she stated that these students are balancing work, classes, relationships, families, and not the pandemic, and the impact cannot be overlooked.
While this study was completed before the pandemic started, it can still be applied knowing that the struggles are likely higher now than they were when the study was completed. To complete the study, researchers surveyed students who were already registered for specific classes. These classes included health and wellness, yoga, handling stress, and other various elements of healthy living. They compared the results for both men and women and they looked at their levels of stress as well as the coping mechanisms they had in place for handling stress. The results showed that female students had higher levels of stress than male students.
The survey also found that female students tend to use four main coping strategies when it comes to handling stress. They use self-distraction, emotional support, instrumental support, and venting. They also found that women were more likely to blame themselves and others for their stress.
This study is important because high levels of stress are linked to mental health problems and can make female students more prone to anxiety, depression and self-harming behaviors. The researchers noted that the good news is that a lot of universities have great mental health services and support but the students are just not using them. They have highlighted that schools, educators and parents need to do a better job at getting the information out there and making sure these students know where to go when they need help.
Sources: Medical Xpress, PLOS One