Student stress: a silent issue
By Maddy Griffiths @journomaddy
For International Stress Awareness Week 2023, CovFeed are shining a spotlight on one of the UK’s most common mental health issues.
It is no secret that stress has evolved into a nationwide crisis.
The cost-of-living crisis is already a struggle before factoring in poor study-life balance, managing relationships, and the looming threat of the climate crisis.
There is no surprise why 1 in 14 UK young adults experience daily stress, with an estimated 75% struggling with severe study-related stress.
According to the NHS, stress is defined as the body's physical response to feelings of threat or pressure.
This condition can worsen physical health problems and has been associated with conditions such as heart disease and various forms of cancer. A study conducted in 2021 confirmed the long-established link between stress and sudden cardiac death.
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The Stress Management Society is a non-profit organisation that help individuals recognise and reduce stress. Since 2003, their goal has been to create a happier, healthier, and more resilient world.
The founder, Neil Shah, believes the pressure students and young adults are under is overlooked in today’s society.
Free online webinars available for dealing with financial stress and pressure (CREDIT: Instagram/The Stress Management Society).
CREDIT: The Stress Management Society
“Moving away from home and starting a whole new chapter in your life can be traumatising. You’re forced to make life altering decisions while still being a kid,” Mr Shah said.
The success coach wants more people to acknowledge the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on younger people.
He continues: “I’ve spoken to students who are living off of 20p beans twice a day and if they can’t manage the stress of two jobs, they’ll be homeless.”
Find out more about The Stress Management Society here.
Ella Harper started her degree at Coventry University three years after being admitted to a mental health hospital in Leicestershire for Anxiety and Depression.
Ella is proud to have completed her fight for recovery at The Aspen Centre (CREDIT: Ella Harper).
After her recovery, she applied to the Mental Health Nursing course so she could help others going through similar issues.
The 25-year-old said: “Stress is just the beginning of it and if people were open to the idea of help and recovery sooner, it could avoid a whole lot of problems for their mental health and well-being,”
A photo comparison highlighting Ella’s recovery from 2020 (left) to now (right)
(CREDIT: Ella Harper).
Ms Harper, originally from Stratford Upon Avon, is hoping to complete her degree in May 2024 with an offer at Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust.
“We need to shout out the facilities that are there for us, so people know they are not alone. If you are constantly stressed, it’s like your body is in fight mode, and after a while, it doesn’t know how to come out of that,” the third-year student continues.
Ella’s charity skydive for the mental health charity Mind in 2019 (CREDIT: Ella Harper).
“I’m so grateful to be able to use my experience to help people who were in a similar position to me. If you had a broken leg, you’d seek help. It’s only the same mentally.” the student nurse added.
November 6th marks the last day of International Stress Awareness Week, which was set up by the International Stress Management Association to raise awareness of the effects of psychological distress and promote strategies to address it.
Louise Lee is a spokesperson from Coventry & Warwickshire Mind, a mental health charity based in Coventry’s City Centre, and believes living in the 21st century has not been easy of any of us.
The mental health specialist said: “Many people will recognise increased levels of stress in themselves after a challenging few years, during which we’ve contended with a global pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis which have triggered a lot of changes and put us all under different pressures,”
Ms Lee added: “It’s essential to find time for yourself even if that’s a break over a cup of tea, or a few minutes to meditate and take some calming breaths.”
What helps you manage your student stress towards the end of each term?
Let us know on our X page, formally known as Twitter, and see below.
Links to resources to help combat stress can be found below:
https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-health-issues/stress/
Coventry and Warwickshire Mind
Allesley Park Neighbourhood Centre, Whitaker Road, CV5 9JE
Author: @journomaddy
I will be available to answer any questions relating to this story.