AP Poll: Students More Stressed Under Current Economy
Eighty-five percent of college students say they are stressed, according to a new poll conducted by the Associated Press in partnership with mtvU.
The poll sought to gauge the level of stress and depression among college students amidst a time of economic uncertainty.
The study found that college students are concerned about finding a job after graduation, but those worries are also surrounded by daily stress from grades, work, money and relationships.
The poll was conducted at 40 US colleges in order to depict the struggles students face.
Forty-two percent of students said they felt depressed several days during the past two weeks. Additionally 13 percent showed signs of being at risk for mild depression, based on their answers to a series of questions.
What’s more, a large number of students are dealing with mental health issues, but few are actually seeking treatment.
The AP said students reported sleeping troubles, lack of energy and feelings of hopelessness. Eleven percent said they sometimes had thoughts that they would be better off dead.
Nearly one in three students said money issues are taking their toll on their daily stress levels. That percentage was up from 27 percent in 2008. Additionally, 17 percent said they had thought about leaving school in the past three months, mostly due to financial troubles.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 1.6 million college degrees will be awarded this year. Yet, companies are expected to hire 22 percent fewer recent college graduates this year, as compared to 2008.
Fifty-seven percent of students polled said they are concerned about not being able to find a job after they get their diploma. The percentage rose to 63 percent among university seniors.
Additionally, nearly one in five say they made the decision to go to graduate school or professional school because they think they might not be able to get a job with just an undergraduate degree.
About one in 10 changed their major this year due to job concerns.
Meanwhile, 82 percent said they believe college education has been worth their time and money spent.
Students need to “learn to become their own monitors about their mental health and yet they have no training to do that," Anne Marie Albano, an associate professor of clinical psychology at Columbia University, told the AP.
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