HW410

Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

Unit 9 Final Project

Andie La Combe

HW410: Stress: Critical Issues in Management and Prevention

9/1/2020
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Stress Management and Prevention Program

The following details a stress management and prevention program for students of

institutions of higher education. This demographic was chosen due to the crises that accompany

the accumulation of stressors, stark environmental changes, and search for identity that many

traditional college students face during this time in their lives, as well as the increase in traumatic

incidents for those students who live on or near campus. This stress management program aims

to serve college students to better prepare them for the potential stressors of life in college and

improve their chances of succeeding while in school and after graduation.

Seaward (2018) defines stress as, “The experience of a perceived threat (real or

imagined) to one’s mental, physical, or spiritual well-being, resulting from a series of

physiological responses and adaptations” (p. 2). Ultimately, while many college students and

people in general experience several similar stressors, it is important to remember that every

individual interprets stress differently and what may be stressful to one person may not be

stressful to another. With that said, stress is best measured by inventorying those in the

demographic with both qualitative and quantitative data. According to the American College

Health Association (2018), 33.2% of college students who participated in their survey recorded

stress as the primary factor influencing their academics; stress was also the most-cited factor in a

list of thirty-two. However, there are several factors that contribute to feelings of stress. The top

ten stressors affecting college students are identified as academic workload, campus

environment, financial aid, work and work studies, physical health, mental health, relationships,

family issues, peer pressure (particularly in the context of social norms and expectations), and

traumatic events, based on research and personal experiences (Cherry & Wilcox, 2020).
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While many of the aforementioned stressors affect individuals of other demographics,

they are particularly salient for college students. Dr. Laurie Santos (2019) describes at great

length in her podcast “The Happiness Lab” the stressors that plight college students, primarily

the stress of academic achievement. Students may experience severe anxiety, depression,

insomnia, and physical health issues directly caused by the stress of tests, deadlines, and course

workloads. Additionally, campus environments may contribute to stress in the form of difficult

roommates, consecutive classes on opposite sides of the campus, and availability of campus

resources. Financial aid and college expenses are an obvious source of stress for students and

contribute to many students dropping out of school altogether. Unfortunately, many of these

stressors can accumulate and develop into mental health crises such as suicidal thoughts and

behaviors; suicide is the second leading cause of death for this age group (MacPhee & Ponte,

2019), and it is likely that the challenges of being a college student factor into this statistic.

Relationships between friends, significant others, and family affect college students much like

they would anyone else, perhaps with the exception of campus relationships. Time commitments

between these relationships, academic workload, and jobs outside of school can also contribute

to feelings of stress, which may cause loss of sleep and negligence of physical and mental health

needs. Cumulatively, unresolved and chronic stress may result in physical health issues such as

increased risk of infections, cancers, decreased immune function, heart disease, diabetes, and

migraines, and mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and impaired cognitive

functioning (Seaward, 2018). College students are also more likely to experience substance

abuse issues as a result of peer pressure to meet social norms and expectations, as well as

traumatic events such as physical and sexual assault (Cherry & Wilcox, 2020).
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This stress management program addresses mindfulness, resource management, and

physical activity as ways to cope with and prevent further stress. Mindfulness involves increased

self-awareness in both mind and body, activates the body’s relaxation response, and helps the

practitioner to develop boundaries for themselves (Seaward, 2018). There are many ways to

practice mindfulness, such as various forms of meditation, yoga, body scans, and guided

imagery. Several studies indicate that regular mindfulness practice increases immune function,

decreases feelings of pain (especially chronic pain), and has even been shown to, over time,

allow the practitioner to control bodily functions that were previously believed to be strictly

involuntary (Seaward, 2018). Several mindfulness activities are available in publications by

Stahl and Goldstein (2019) that require nothing but a few minutes of time. An example of a

mindfulness activity is identifying maladaptive thinking patterns. Students can examine their

thoughts when faced with a challenge or having a stressful day and determine what kind of

thinking pattern they are employing: catastrophizing, exaggerating negative details and ignoring

positive ones, making assumptions, and/or blaming (Stahl & Goldstein, 2019). They can then

record these thoughts in a journal and turn them into positive thoughts. Another practice students

will find useful and practical is resource management; this includes how to specifically manage

time and money, two direct sources of students’ stress. Helpful strategies for managing limited

funds entails becoming savvy to companies and industries that market to the ego, establish and

adhere to a monthly or weekly budget, consolidating debts, keeping track of spending habits, and

making purchases that qualify as an investment, whereas time management may involve

prioritizing responsibilities and obligations, developing a schedule, and setting intentions to limit

distractions like friends, television and social media (Seaward, 2018). An example activity for

students to utilize is called clustering, which describes scheduling responsibilities and activities
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for the day with their location in mind; for example, if a student needs to go grocery shopping

and work in the same day, it would save both time and money to utilize a grocery store in close

proximity to their workplace or on their way back to campus after their shift has ended. Physical

activity is another (often overlooked) stress management strategy for students to employ at no

cost. Many colleges and universities have campus gyms that are available to students free, as

well as activity-related elective classes such as power yoga and weight-lifting. If neither of these

options are feasible, students can choose to walk to classes and nearby businesses to run errands,

if time allows. Regular physical activity has been shown time and again to improve sleep,

increase immune function, release mood-boosting neurotransmitters, decrease the risk of

developing chronic weight-related diseases, and elicit a phenomenon known as the

parasympathetic rebound, which describes a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure post-

exercise (Seaward, 2018).

Due to the fact that many of these activities require no materials, equipment, or

specialized training, this stress management program would be offered to students as a part of

new student orientation at a low cost. This ensures that all students are exposed to these stress

management techniques, whether they choose to use them or not. Simple journals or agendas

could be obtained at a small price for students to record their spending habits and schedule their

days, or the institution could employ simple programs available in online student portals. Data

recording for the program might also be included as part of certain classes to help teach statistics,

data interpretation, and research implementation. Potential obstacles might include finding a time

and location to host this portion of the orientation, as well as a staff member or professional that

is willing, able, and available to assist. It is likely that the orientation would have to be offered at

several different opportunities to make it as open to students and their schedules as possible.
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Both limited in-person and online orientation seminars may need to be used to meet COVID-19

social distancing guidelines. It would also be beneficial to employ the expertise of health

professionals in the orientation. Many colleges and universities have on-campus counselors,

clinicians, and social sciences professors who would be able to speak on the effects of stress and

the benefits of mindfulness and resource management. Campus nurses, sports medicine

professors, and local personal trainers may also be willing to emphasize the importance of

regular physical activity and its ability to improve both physical and mental health while

reducing stress. 

The American College Health Association (2018) has developed surveys offered to

college students every semester to determine overall student health, demographics, and behavior

patterns. A similar survey would be administered to all students each semester; while their

answers would be anonymous, they would be asked to indicate their demographics and which of

the stress management practices they used from orientation. This would then facilitate a better

understanding of students’ perceived stress levels prior to using the strategies, after using one,

some, or none of the strategies, and whether their perceived stress levels have changed. The

survey would also include a narrative section for students to record personal experiences and

how the program did or did not help them. The combination of qualitative and quantitative data

would be useful to determine which strategies are meeting students’ needs and if the program

needs to be altered.

In summary, college students face a specific set of challenges, especially when living on

campus. These challenges can cause an accumulation of stress that can lead to sever crises, such

as suicidal thoughts and behaviors (MacPhee & Ponte, 2019). A stress management program that

includes mindfulness practices, resource management strategies, and free or low-cost physical
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activities is a comprehensive approach to promoting healthy behaviors and reducing stress levels.

Such a program would be best implemented in an orientation setting, where all students are

offered and exposed to the program while keeping the program low-cost. A survey would be

administered every semester to evaluate the effectiveness of the program as well as to determine

if any alterations need to be made to fit student needs and readiness. 

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References

American College Health Association. (2018). National college health assessment II: spring

2018 reference group executive summary. https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-

II_Spring_2018_Reference_Group_Executive_Summary.pdf

Cherry, M. L., & Wilcox, M. M. (2020). Decreasing perceived and academic stress through

emotion regulation and nonjudging with trauma-exposed college students. International

Journal of Stress Management, 27(2), 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/str0000138

MacPhee, J., & Ponte, K. (2019). Suicide prevention for college students. National Alliance on

Mental Illness. https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/September-2019/Suicide-

Prevention-for-College-Students

Santos, L. (2019, November 18). Making the grade (No. 10) [Audio podcast episode]. In The

Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos. Pushkin Industries.

https://www.happinesslab.fm/season-1-episodes/making-the-grade

Seaward, B. L. (Ed.). (2018). Managing stress: Principles and strategies for health and well-

being (9th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

https://purdueuniversityglobal.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781284148534/cfi/6/6!/4/2/8/12/

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Stahl, B., & Goldstein, E. (2019). Chapter 6: deepening your practice. In A mindfulness-based

stress reduction workbook (2nd ed., p. 83). New Harbinger Publications, Inc.

https://purdueuniversityglobal.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781684033577/cfi/6/4!/4/2/1602

/6@0:5.53