By Theresa Kasallis
College-student relationships, including those found at BYU, can be a source of stress and may lead to health-related problems if not managed properly.
'College-aged students are in a developmental phase where interacting with and being accepted by the opposite sex is of major importance since it is likely to lead to marriage,' said Michael Maughan, director of the biofeedback lab in the BYU Career and Counseling Center for stress management. 'Socializing and finding a desirable marriage partner can be very stressful because of the need to focus on school at the same time.'
What was once thought to be common ailment among some older patients is now a problem in many adolescent lives. Youths are falling prey to the health problems associated with stress in relationships. LDS college-aged students are particularly vulnerable to relationship stress because of the emphasis LDS culture places on successful relations, said Andrew Pepper, a 22-year-old BYU junior.
Academic and personal challenges, such as meeting deadlines, completing assignments, and taking exams, working while going to school to meet financial obligations, and forming new friendships and living with new roommates are some of the greatest contributing factors to igniting stress among college students, Maughan said.
'It wasn''t stressful before I went to school,' said Taylor Hoyt, a 19-year-old freshman from Southlake, Texas. 'Going to a new school and meeting new people was the most stressful and nerve-racking experience for me; however, moving and not knowing any of my roommates was the hardest part of the process.'
Pepper said he doesn''t feel alone when it comes to stress and agreed that many of his peers are suffering from it.
'I feel the pressures of getting good grades for future successes, as well as with my relationship,' Pepper said. 'I think college is probably the stepping stone for stress, because you have more as a college student, having to provide for a family and hold down a job.'
Any form of continuous stress can increase cholesterol levels, stifle the immune system and interrupt the digestive, nervous and cardio vascular systems according to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
Maughan said headaches, gastro-intestinal distress, difficulty sleeping and feeling run down, accompanied by an on-going cold or cough, re also some of the negative side effects associated with too much stress. In addition, studies have linked stress mechanisms, from everyday life to heart disease, ccording to the British Medical Journal.
'We have unique stress as college students that is linked to paying bills, cooking for ourselves and buying our own food,' Pepper said. 'I think there''s more stress for LDS students to be successful, especially with our relationships, and I don''t think other students have that same level of stress.'
However, say experts, students should remember some stress can be beneficial.
'A certain degree of stress can increase performance whether that it is in the academic, athletic, musical or any other area,' Maughan said. 'A good way to manage stress is to be aware of what point your performance starts to decrease that is the time to implement some stress-reducing measures.'
Maughan said there are many ways to ease the burden of stress. The stress management lab focuses on three steps to reducing stress.
'See if you can do anything to change your external environment, such as where you study, your work hours or your daily schedule,' he said. 'Try changing your perception of the stressful situation from it being aversive or immobilizing to a view of the stress being growth-promoting or valuable preparation for the future or a natural part of life. Accepting the fact that a particular chemistry class is ''naturally difficult and will always be that way'' is a good way to reduce the stress associated with the class.'
The third step includes simply eating right, getting adequate sleep and exercising, all of which can help lower stress levels, Maughan said.
There are several sources to turn to on campus for help. BYU offers a stress management lab on the first floor of the Wilkinson Student Center, where faculty and staff are trained to help students deal with the stresses of life and decrease the overall effects.