Stress and college may seem like an obvious matrimony. But the rates at which college students nationwide regularly experience stress are higher than one might expect.
A recent study conducted by The Associated Press and mtvU found that 80 percent of 2000 university students polled reported experiencing stress on a daily basis.
Over six in 10 respondents indicated that they struggled to find the motivation to finish work. Up to one in five considered dropping out of college.
Although the report conglomerates data from 40 universities, the numbers seem to carry over to Penn.
A Counseling and Psychological Services survey conducted at Penn found that stress is the number-one health concern among students.
"Academic stress is probably the number-one [stressor for students], but also I think a lot of people struggle with loneliness, depression . things that are maybe a little harder to deal with" because of stigma, added College junior Kathryn Costello, president of the Reach-A-Peer hotline and letter service run by students.
"Some people do feel very uncomfortable talking to a total stranger about deeply personal issues, and that's part of the reason we have our letter component," said Costello. "For other people, talking to someone completely anonymous is very liberating."
Yet while stress is rampant among college students, a mere 26 percent of students surveyed nationally would consider talking to a professional, and only 15 percent of students actually have.
Although the figures are unfortunate, Costello believes that "mental health resources on campus are becoming more and more utilized."
Such resources include RAP-Line, CAPS, the Office of Health Education and Student Health Services, which each offer different services - everything from anonymous, confidential peer support to massages - that aid students in coping with stress.
Awareness of these resources is considerably limited - only 50 percent of students nationwide know they exist.
The stigma surrounding mental health is another deterrent in seeking help.
"It doesn't have to be suicide or depression or some sort of clinical disorder," explained College junior Rebecca Chan, vice president of RAP-Line. "It can just be helpful to get some sort of professional support, and it can just be for daily stress."
She emphasized that students probably underestimate the number of people who get help. "I want people to realize it's not a big deal to go and that they're not the only one," she said.
Chan added that even though these resources are included in the cost of tuition, stressed students still don't use them when they should.
The AP report comes just as Active Minds, Penn's mental health club, begins Mental Health Awareness Week this Sunday with a Stomp Out Stigma run to promote mental health issues.
