An Examination of Stress in College Students Over the Course of a Semester

The purpose of this study was to determine whether differing stress reduction interventions could alter stress levels experienced by male and female college students from the beginning to the end of a semester. Components of stress examined included overall perceived stress, test anxiety, and person...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health promotion practice 2014-05, Vol.15 (3), p.438-447
Main Authors: Baghurst, Timothy, Kelley, Betty C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Burnout
Cognitive Therapy
Female
General Articles
Humans
Male
Mental Health
Midwestern United States
Physical activity
Physical Fitness
Stress
Stress management
Stress, Psychological - therapy
Students - psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Test anxiety
Undergraduate students
Universities
Young Adult
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to determine whether differing stress reduction interventions could alter stress levels experienced by male and female college students from the beginning to the end of a semester. Components of stress examined included overall perceived stress, test anxiety, and personal burnout. Participants (N = 531) were part of courses that during the course of a 16-week semester focused specifically on cognitive-behavioral stress management, cardiovascular fitness, generalized physical activity, or a control with no intervention. In addition to gender differences, both the stress management and physical activity groups had significantly lower levels of perceived stress, test anxiety, and personal burnout at the end of the semester. The fitness group scored significantly lower on perceived stress and personal burnout, but there was no difference in scores for test anxiety. The important ramifications of reducing stress in college students are discussed, including the pros and cons of implementing differing physical and psychological intervention modalities.
ISSN:1524-8399
1552-6372
DOI:10.1177/1524839913510316