Stress really is killing us

By Daniel Keating

(CNN)There are new clues that the high levels of stress many people endure every day
are taking a deadly toll.
White, working-class Americans are dying in middle age at a rapidly increasing
pace, reversing a long-standing trend toward greater life expectancy across all races
and social classes, according to a new report from economists Anne Case and
Angus Deaton.
Much of this alarming trend comes from "deaths of despair," especially opioid
addictions and overdoses, suicide, and alcohol-related diseases. To stem this
epidemic, they argue that we need to understand the underlying reasons why this
is happening. Case and Deaton make a plausible case that "slow moving and
cumulative" social forces -- lack of labor market opportunities and fraying of the
accustomed social fabric -- are key explanations. They reject arguments that
attribute this trend to income alone or to a decline in virtue.
But an even more basic cause lies hidden at the intersection of psychology and
biology -- a widespread stress epidemic that is affecting this group dramatically at
the present but threatens all of us unless we soon understand the source of this
trend and take steps to address it.
Stress-related disorders and diseases have been on the rise in the whole population
for decades, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
including those leading to these deaths of despair, but also to heart
disease, obesity, and diabetes.
National surveys by the American Psychological Association that also capture how
stressed, anxious and overwhelmed we feel show a similar increasing pattern. And it
shows up in our bodies, even before we get sick or start down the many roads to self-
harm.
A recent study by the Hamilton Project looked at the "physiological stress load" in the
US using biological markers tied to cardiovascular, kidney and liver function to create
a stress load index. This physical stress load, a precursor to many diseases, has
increased in striking fashion since the late 1970s, and it is getting worse as each new
age group enters adulthood.
We should see this increase in mortality for what it is -- a leading indicator of what
could be in store for many of us. What social forces are producing the broader stress
epidemic, and how do they "get under the skin" to cause long-term damage? One
major clue comes from a closer look at the stress load index.
It has increased for everyone, but with marked inequality -- it has risen more sharply
for those with fewer social and economic resources but also more for the middle class
compared to the well off. There is a clear line that connects increasing inequality in
income and opportunities, to increases in stress and mortality that hits some groups
earlier than others.
A central biological pathway is from excess cortisol -- the fight-or-flight hormone --
that characterizes being over-stressed for long periods of time. This "stress
dysregulation" leads to risky health decisions, like addiction or overeating, and directly
to many health problems linked to excess cortisol.
Why are white, working-class Americans showing the earliest effects? Surely African-
Americans and Hispanics have been experiencing inequality at equal or higher levels
over these same decades. The key lies in different starting points in perceptions of
control -- stress is largely a psychosocial phenomenon, though, of course, material
deprivation also plays a role.
Minorities have gained some ground materially, in relative terms, over recent decades,
but they also did not start with an assumption of being in control in the wider society.
Losing a sense of control that you believed you had, whether real or not, justified or
not, creates stressful dislocations.
We have seen this pattern before. In the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the
1990s, the group that saw itself as having substantial control -- middle-aged Russian
men in particular -- experienced a similar loss of control, economically and in terms of
cultural identity as the "socialist vanguard." They also died younger, suffering dramatic
increases in early mortality.
If we understand what is actually happening -- socially, psychologically and biologically
-- we can see that this effect is not going to be limited to just one group in the future.
My colleagues and I have reported a pattern of increasing inequality being tied to
worsening population outcomes -- not for mortality, but for the health, achievement
and social engagement of adolescents in rich Western countries. But what we also
found was that this was not inevitable.
Countries (Austria, Denmark, France, Sweden and others) that controlled income
inequality and maintained investments in human development -- such as early
childhood and parenting support, education, and social safety nets in health care and
unemployment -- did not experience these increasing problems in adolescent and
youth development.
Slow-moving and cumulative social forces "get under the skin" early in life and can
show up decades later in morbidity and mortality. The risk is magnified in light of very
recent research showing that high levels of stress experienced by expectant mothers
or by babies can make fundamental biological changes in infancy -- through what are
known as epigenetic changes, which alter how genes work -- that can endure over a
lifetime.
This burden of stress dysregulation in young Americans from early life adversity
amplifies the stress epidemic by making more of us vulnerable, and by increasing the
total amount of ambient stress we all experience everyday in our schools, our
workplaces, our social media, on our highways, in our malls -- in effect, throughout
our communities.
Increasing inequality and decreasing investment in human development place all of us
at risk -- a stressful recognition itself in the current political environment where there
is the potential for going even further in the risky direction. Resisting these trends is
essential to health, because the consequences will show up for all of us for decades
to come.
The Effect Of Stress On Students Academic Performance
By Robinson Lumontod III August 27, 2017

The body of empirical research studies is quite consistent with their findings on the effect of stress in
the body. The consensus data suggest that stress, if not handled properly, will cause several types of
sickness.
Some of the most evident biological effects of stress are heart disease and cancer. But aside from that,
stress can also negatively affect the respiratory system. It makes breathing harder.
The effect of stress is not limited to biological aspect but also on psychological dimension. A stressed
person may not be able to function effectively. For students, stress can have a very significant impact
on their academic endeavor.
The effect of stress on students can be many. Several studies had found that stress has a negative effect
on students’ ability to concentrate. If you are a student, you tend to comply with the multi-layered
school requirements simultaneously. This burden alone is enough to make you unable to concentrate.
The human brain cannot attend to several stimuli at a single period of time. Thus, cramming is not
effective. It can only make things worse.
Generally, there are three common effects of stress on students:

Stress decreases sleep quality

Students who feel stressed have trouble in acquiring sleep. The Anxiety and Depression Association of
America found that stressed students have decreased sleep time. In addition, the National Sleep
Foundation reports that only about 15 percent of adolescent students get enough amount of sleep. The
lack of sleep may result in poor learning, listening, and problem-solving ability.

Stress makes students angry

Because stress decreases students’ learning ability, it makes them frustrated. The frustration may then
result in another emotional problem. A report from the Mayo Clinic states that stress increases students’
feelings of irritability, anger, and social withdrawal.
Angry students may not only show hostile behavior to their fellow students but also to their teachers or
instructors by being deviant from school or class guidelines. Instead of focusing on academic tasks,
angry students may focus on their feelings. As a result, school tasks may be difficult for them.

Stress negatively affects grades

Because a stressed student won’t be able to concentrate on school activities, there is a high possibility
that s/he may drop out from school. In the American College Health Association National College
Health Assessment report alone in 2010, there was 25 percent of students suffered from having a
decreased in their grades. Those students also had difficulties to finish their courses.
These are just a few of the negative effect of stress on students. When I was a student though, I only
experienced the effect mentioned above (decrease in sleep). It was because, unlike the majority of
students, I had my own approach to deal with academic stress.
As a student, you have some sort of freedom to direct your own life inside the campus. One of the
biggest parts of such freedom is to figure out how you’re going to approach scholastic challenges.
Fortunately, you have a good chance to successfully overcome stress.
Time management is what most students need. Finishing your projects or papers ahead of time can
make your school life easier. You need to weigh your priorities. Do not waste your time. Schedule
everything.
How kids experience stress
Childhood stress has increased in the past few decades, with around 40 per cent of kids reporting that they worry too much.
Jasmina Rowe, Clinical Practice Supervisor at Kids Helpline, looks at the most common stressors faced by today’s children, and
support strategies for schools and families.
What is stress in the context of childhood?
Stress is considered to be an unavoidable part of life. A certain amount of stress is normal and necessary for survival as it helps
children develop the skills they need to cope with new situations and build resilience. Childhood stress can present with a large
number of physical and emotional signs and symptoms, and usually occurs when the child is experiencing a situation that requires
changing and adapting. Children can experience stress early in their lives, even before they are born, and can cope in different
ways. Generally, we can see three types of stress responses in children:
 Positive stress response - is considered as a normal part of healthy development, for example, going to school camp or
starting at a new school. When experienced in a supportive environment, it can provide important opportunities to learn and
practise healthy responses to life changes.
 Tolerable stress response - activates the body’s alert systems to a greater degree as a result of more severe, longer-
lasting stressors, for example, parental divorce, illness or injury, or bullying at school.
 Toxic stress response - can occur when a child experiences strong and/or prolonged multiples stressful events without
adequate adult support, for example, physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, parental mental illness, or exposure to
violence. It can disrupt early brain development and lead to many health problems.
The good news is that the damaging effects of toxic stress can be prevented or reversed if the child is placed in a supportive
environment with caring adults as early in life as possible. Children experiencing tolerable (and especially toxic) stress may
require the support from a mental health specialist who can provide ongoing therapeutic support and counselling. Telephone and
online counselling services like Kids Helpline can also be helpful for children (and parents).
How prevalent is stress in early childhood/primary school?
It seems that everyday life stressors have increased in the last few decades and, certainly, we at Kids Helpline talk to a large
number of children and young adults who report feeling significantly stressed and worried. A 2011 survey of 10,000 students
across the country (commissioned by the Australian Scholarships Group) found that 40 per cent of students worry too much, and
one-in-five have experienced an episode of depression.
What are common stressors for kids these days? Are they very different to 10 or 20 years ago?
Today's children face many pressures from external and internal sources, for example:
 Stress in schools - There is a lot of pressure on students today to perform at school, and there seem to be even more
pressure within the peer group. The increase in the amount of homework students receive, fear of failure, worrying about
fitting in, self-identity, and bullying are some of the more common reasons for stress in schools.
 Stress in the family - There are many issues within a family unit that can cause stress in children, for example, parental
separation, remarriage (blended family), financial problems, poverty, parental stress, coping with parents who have a mental
illness and, commonly, unreasonably high family expectations being placed on children.
 Media stress and environmental dangers - Some children can become worried about things they hear and see on the
news or by a generalised fear of strangers, burglars and street violence.
Many of the above-mentioned concerns, such as school stress, have been around for a long time. The main difference now,
compared to 10 or 20 years ago, is that today's children have increased access to media. Television, internet and cell phones
have contributed to the break-down of barriers that protect children from crime, violence and catastrophic events in media
coverage. This exposure may contribute to, and have a significant impact on, increasing children’s stress levels and their fears
around safety. Cyber-bullying is another big stressor, which can be very aggressive and pervasive and often causes serious
emotional distress and harm to children.
Are there times in a child's life where they may be more likely to experience stress?
Many internal and external factors can influence a child's susceptibility to stress. Children are more likely to experience stress in
the following situations:
 Multiple stressful situations (particularly those that the young person cannot easily control).
 Transitions (life changes).
 Stress accompanying a serious illness or injury.
 Isolation or loneliness.
 Abuse (past or current).
 Parental stress (especially in mothers).
What behaviours might you see in stressed-out kids?
Youth of all ages, but especially younger children, may find it difficult to recognise and verbalise when they are experiencing
stress. For children, stress can manifest itself through changes in behaviour. Some of those behavioural symptoms may include:
 irritability or moodiness
 withdrawing from activities that used to give them pleasure
 clinging; being unwilling to let parents out of sight
 crying
 aggressive behaviour
 regression to earlier behaviours (ie thumb-sucking or bed-wetting)
 school refusal
 unwillingness to participate in family or school activities.
How do you know when stress levels for children are getting too much or are developing into something more
concerning (like an anxiety disorder)?
When the strain and pressure becomes too much to handle, a child can develop a range of physical, emotional or behavioural
symptoms, and can even be at risk of developing an anxiety disorder or other mental health issue. Some of the following
symptoms, particularly if ongoing and severe, may indicate that child could be developing an anxiety disorder:
 Persistent and excessive worry (to the point it is impacting negatively on their day-to-day functioning).
 Ongoing physical symptoms (eg stomach pain, vomiting or headaches).
 Significant sleep disturbances.
 Extreme fearfulness.
 Significant changes in eating habits (poor appetite, overeating or binging).
 Inability to control emotions (eg uncontrollable crying or aggression).
 Withdrawal from friends and family.
 Extreme behaviours or comments (ie self-harm or suicidal ideation).
How can primary schools help student cope with stress
Schools can be really active in supporting students to deal with stress, for example, they can:
 help students learn more about their emotions by incorporating emotional learning into the curriculum at all levels of school
 teach students how to recognise their personal signs and symptoms of stress and develop positive ways to cope with stress
(eg through healthy eating or exercise)
 create supportive, positive and safe classroom environments
 communicate more frequently with student’s parents and caregivers (eg information-sharing at parent/teacher evenings)
 ensure that students get the individual support they need with learning and achieving their academic goals
 allow time for students during school hours to receive adequate exercise and have play/relaxation time
 implement anti-bullying practices and policies
 encourage students to be creative and express themselves (eg through art, sport and music)
 provide counselling and actively promote the importance of children speaking up and accessing support when stressed or
worried
 develop and implement mentoring support programs in school (eg Peer Skills).
How can parents help their kids cope with stress?
It is important for parents to teach kids to recognise and express their emotions, and to use healthy ways to cope with the stress
they experience. Parents can:
 regularly spend calm and relaxing time with their children
 listen to their children and encourage them to talk about their feelings and worries
 provide a safe and nurturing family environment
 encourage physical activity and healthy eating habits
 use positive encouragement and rewards instead of punitive measures
 avoid being critical and negative towards their children
 show active interest in their children's activities and hobbies and participate when possible
 demonstrate active interest in their children’s school progress and support them with their learning and homework
 monitor their children's access to media and ensure they are aware of safe online practices
 support their children if they are exposed to bullying
 manage their own stress and be a positive role model
 avoid over-scheduling children and allow them free time to play, read, listen to music or just 'veg–out’
 help build children's sense of self-worth by recognising their achievements and avoid placing unrealistic expectations on
them
 seek professional help if signs of stress do not decrease.
See the following free information and services provided by Kids Helpline:
 Hot topics for kids
 Free counselling for kids and parents - 1800 55 1800 or online
 Information for parents
 Free counselling for primary schools
4 Scary Things That Happen to Your Brain
When You’re Stressed
Kimberly Hiss
Your brain takes a beating when anxiety gets out of hand. Here’s how stress impacts
your noggin—and how to calm back down again.

Effects of stress: Your brain doesn’t learn as well

Neural stem cells in the hippocampus—a structure important for learning and memory—typically
develop into neurons. But under chronic stress, these stem cells instead become oligodendrocytes,
which coat neurons with an insulating material called myelin. The resulting excess of myelin
perturbs the balance of communication and timing within the brain’s circuitry, altering how
neurons connect with each other, according to research in rats and cellular models conducted by
University of California at Berkeley scientists. “Ultimately, these changes can affect cognitive
function, including changes in learning, memory, and emotional well-being,” says Sundari Chetty,
PhD, now a faculty member in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford
School of Medicine and co-author of the 2014 paper presenting these findings in Molecular
Psychiatry. “Substantial alterations in myelination have been noted in a number of neurological
conditions and could potentially contribute to mental disorders such as anxiety, depression and
post-traumatic stress disorder.”
Effects of stress: You have a greater stroke risk
Significant levels of stress could increase risk of stroke, according to a growing body of research.
In one study published in Stroke, more than 6,700 adults aged 45 to 84 filled out questionnaires
about psychological factors, including stress and depression. At follow-up 8 ½ to 11 years later,
those who scored highest were 59 percent more likely to have suffered a stroke or transient ischemic
attack (TIA) if they had reported experiencing chronic stress caused by problems such as health,
money, and relationships. “There’s such a focus on traditional risk factors—cholesterol levels,
blood pressure, smoking, and so forth—and those are all very important, but studies like this one
show that psychological characteristics are equally important,” study author Susan Everson-Rose,
PhD, MPH, said in the statement.
Effects of stress: You have a higher depression risk
Building on previous studies that found chronic stress can prevent the birth of new neurons in the
hippocampus, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) scientists conducted studies that found
that mice unable to generate new cells in the hippocampus had decreased ability to rebound from
stressful episodes and exhibited depression-like symptoms. The research, based on a series of tests
in which mice were placed in stressful situations, was published in Nature in 2011. “I think the
findings fit well with the idea that stress can cause depression or that stressful situations can
precipitate depression,” study author Heather Cameron, PhD, chief of neuroplasticity at the NIMH
told Time.
Effects of stress: Your brain shrinks
Anxiety-inducing events including the loss of a home, divorce, or the death of a loved one can
reduce gray matter in parts of the medial prefrontal cortex, which handles self control and emotion,
according to Yale University, whose researchers published these findings in 2012 in Biological
Psychiatry. MRI scans of 103 healthy individuals revealed that even recent stressors could cause
gray matter reduction. “The accumulation of stressful life events may make it more challenging for
these individuals to deal with future stress,” Emily Ansell, assistant professor of psychiatry and
study author said in a statement from Yale.
The Effects of Stress on Your Body
You’re sitting in traffic, late for an important meeting, watching the minutes tick away. Your
hypothalamus, a tiny control tower in your brain, decides to send out the order: Send in the
stress hormones! These stress hormones are the same ones that trigger your body’s “fight or
flight” response. Your heart races, your breath quickens, and your muscles ready for action.
This response was designed to protect your body in an emergency by preparing you to react
quickly. But when the stress response keeps firing, day after day, it could put your health at
serious risk.
Stress is a natural physical and mental reaction to life experiences. Everyone
expresses stress from time to time. Anything from everyday responsibilities like work and
family to serious life events such as a new diagnosis, war, or the death of a loved one can
trigger stress. For immediate, short-term situations, stress can be beneficial to your health. It
can help you cope with potentially serious situations. Your body responds to stress by releasing
hormones that increase your heart and breathing rates and ready your muscles to respond.
Yet if your stress response doesn’t stop firing, and these stress levels stay elevated far longer
than is necessary for survival, it can take a toll on your health. Chronic stress can cause a variety
of symptoms and affect your overall well-being. Symptoms of chronic stress include:
 irritability
 anxiety
 depression
 headaches
 insomnia
Central nervous and endocrine systems
Your central nervous system (CNS) is in charge of your “fight or flight” response. In your brain,
the hypothalamus gets the ball rolling, telling your adrenal glands to release the stress
hormones adrenaline and cortisol. These hormones rev up your heartbeat and send blood
rushing to the areas that need it most in an emergency, such as your muscles, heart, and other
important organs.
When the perceived fear is gone, the hypothalamus should tell all systems to go back to normal.
If the CNS fails to return to normal, or if the stressor doesn’t go away, the response will
continue.
Chronic stress is also a factor in behaviors such as overeating or not eating enough, alcohol or
drug abuse, and social withdrawal.
Respiratory and cardiovascular systems
Stress hormones affect your respiratory and cardiovascular systems. During the stress response,
you breathe faster in an effort to quickly distribute oxygen-rich blood to your body. If you
already have a breathing problem like asthma or emphysema, stress can make it even harder to
breathe.
Under stress, your heart also pumps faster. Stress hormones cause your blood vessels to
constrict and divert more oxygen to your muscles so you’ll have more strength to take action.
But this also raises your blood pressure.
As a result, frequent or chronic stress will make your heart work too hard for too long. When
your blood pressure rises, so do your risks for having a stroke or heart attack.
Digestive system
Under stress, your liver produces extra blood sugar (glucose) to give you a boost of energy. If
you’re under chronic stress, your body may not be able to keep up with this extra glucose surge.
Chronic stress may increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The rush of hormones, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate can also upset your digestive
system. You’re more likely to have heartburn or acid reflux thanks to an increase in stomach
acid. Stress doesn’t cause ulcers (a bacterium called H. pylori often does), but it can increase
your risk for them and cause existing ulcers to act up.
Stress can also affect the way food moves through your body, leading
to diarrhea or constipation. You might also experience nausea, vomiting, or a stomachache.
Muscular system
Your muscles tense up to protect themselves from injury when you’re stressed. They tend to
release again once you relax, but if you’re constantly under stress, your muscles may not get
the chance to relax. Tight muscles cause headaches, back and shoulder pain, and body aches.
Over time, this can set off an unhealthy cycle as you stop exercising and turn to pain medication
for relief.
Sexuality and reproductive system
Stress is exhausting for both the body and mind. It’s not unusual to lose your desire when
you’re under constant stress. While short-term stress may cause men to produce more of the
male hormone testosterone, this effect doesn’t last.
If stress continues for a long time, a man’s testosterone levels can begin to drop. This can
interfere with sperm production and cause erectile dysfunction or impotence. Chronic stress
may also increase risk of infection for male reproductive organs like the prostate and testes.
For women, stress can affect the menstrual cycle. It can lead to irregular, heavier, or more
painful periods. Chronic stress can also magnify the physical symptoms of menopause.
Immune system
Stress stimulates the immune system, which can be a plus for immediate situations. This
stimulation can help you avoid infections and heal wounds. But over time, stress hormones
will weaken your immune system and reduce your body’s response to foreign invaders. People
under chronic stress are more susceptible to viral illnesses like the flu and the common cold,
as well as other infections. Stress can also increase the time it takes you to recover from an
illness or injury.
Kaka-stress!
Who says college kids have it easy?
Published July 14, 2017, 12:05 AM
By Loraine Balita Centeno

What’s stressing college kids out these days?

If you think college students have it easy, think again. According to a UCLA Higher Education Research
Institute Survey, college students are getting more stressed out and they don’t spend as much time socializing
compared to their parents who went to college in the ’80s and ’90s.
Contrary to what most adults think (that all they really worry about is what to wear in their next music fest)
most college students worry about real-world problems and feel pressure from everyone and everywhere.
College students are often caught between wanting to stay a care-free kid and adulating by taking on more
responsibilities. In fact, a research titled Stressors and Stress Responses of Filipino College Students
conducted by a team of students from the University of the Philippines found the top five main stressors of
Filipino college students. This list includes “academic difficulty of subject matter, workload due to subjects,
time management because of subjects, responsibilities due to being on one’s own, and time management
because of both subjects and organizations.”

Not Having Enough Time for Everything

And this rings true for university student Katrina Estonillo. The 20-year-old Premed Physics student feels
that life in college in general is stressful. “What stresses me out the most is not being able to do so many
things at once,” she says.
Time for her is a challenge to manage and distribute. Kat who’s also an officer for a university organization
thinks finding time to finish the requirements for academics and fulfilling her responsibilities, as an org
officer is tough. “Things got harder, when my majors came, as well as thesis, then I became an officer of my
org. So now, I have the expectations that are coming from my family and expectations coming from my
colleagues and senior in the organization,” she explains. “When long quizzes are piling and I have some org
duties to do, that’s when I feel the pressure and lose track of myself.”
So how does she handle the pressure of not having enough time for all her responsibilities? “I prioritize
things,” she quips. “I also surround myself with people who are not stressful to be with,” she adds.

Juggling Org Responsibilities with Acads

Like Katrina, Tyrone Piad feels pressure in juggling academics with org responsibilities. This 20-year-old
Interdisciplinary Business Student is also the editor-in-chief of their university paper. “It is inevitable to feel
physically tired from everything I do, from academic work to org-related duties, and other things I do outside
the campus,” says Tyrone.
This college paper editor also feels pressure from expectations coming from different people. “[My] parents,
high-school teachers, and other relatives expect me to perform well all the time,” he says. “I think this is true
for others, too: If you’re an achiever in high school people really expect you to continue achieving in college
because you simply have to.” He feels honor students in high school have a responsibility to keep achieving
all throughout to maintain their reputation.
“I still do my best to get good grades, but you know, it just doesn’t happen all the time,” he quips. “It is also
hard to keep my motivation simply because I chose my course half-heartedly. I chose practicality over
passion.” And this decision has turned out to be a wrong call, he says.
But Tyrone has gotten used to all the stress and pressure. “Stress to me is a reminder that I care enough to
do my best in everything,” he says. When it gets too much he simply just sleeps it off, or he watches movies
and TV series when he has time.

Dealing with Different Types of People

For some, moving to a big university in the city involves moving away from your local high school and
having to work with people from different cultures, with different backgrounds. For college student Mikee
Monsod, the stress comes from being forced to do group work for research and papers with other people.
“[In college] it’s really hard to find people who can work well with you, or contribute ideas, and really do
work well,” she says.
Considering the fact that students in universities often come from different cities with different cultures or
attitudes, finding the right type of people you can work well with is a challenge. “A lot of people cram their
work, or the work doesn’t make sense. Some don’t contribute much,” she explains. “It’s hard to find team
chemistry in college.” This is especially true since grades are sometimes dependent on group work or output
that needs a team to produce.

The Pressure to Achieve and Keep up

For other young Millennials, the success of the Mark Zuckerbergs of the world has added more pressure on
college students. “A lot of people became successful college pa lang. So up to a certain extent we need to
match that and keep up,” says Marco Marinda, a 20-year-old Legal Management student.
The pressure to achieve so much at such a young age comes from trailblazers, billionaires, and CEOs who
started young. On top of academic and co-curricular responsibilities “additional pressure i-achieve lahat
immediately,” Marco says. “I always feel the pressure to improve even if it means sacrificing time for my
friends.”

Self-imposed Pressure to Bring Home the Bacon

“The main pressure for me is getting ‘bling’ for graduation,” says university student Kaira Ty, 21. Some
students who take it upon themselves to finish college on top often feel the pressure to maintain the grades
and make sure they bring home awards to their families. “Since I’m currently on my last year, I keep
computing my CGPA and GPA for the next terms to project what grades I need to get Latin honors,” she
quips.
This Applied Economics student who’s had awards under her belt hopes to finish college with honors
because she feels “a lot of people have high expectations.” When the stress and pressure get too much to
handle Kaira either works out or watch TV series at home. “To distress I turn into a couch potato or a
busybody, there is no in between,” she chuckles.
Who says college kids have it easy? Aside from all these there are also those dealing with the mounting
financial pressures at home (for students who are expected to be the breadwinners after college), or the
challenge to make something out of themselves right off college (for those from high-achieving families).
Add these to terror professor induced anxiety, the pressure to fit in, and not getting enough sleep and you’ll
have a tired, stressed out college student in your hands. So let them play with their outfits, and sing their
lungs out in music fests every chance they get. It might be their only time and way to take their mind off
college life.
Teaching Teenagers to Cope With Social Stress
By Jan Hoffman, Sept. 29, 2016
Almost four million American teenagers have just started their freshman year of high
school. Can they learn better ways to deal with all that stress and insecurity?
New research suggests they can. Though academic and social pressurescontinue to pile on in
high school, teenagers can be taught effective coping skills to skirt the pitfalls of anxiety and
depression.
David S. Yeager, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin and
a leading voice in the growing effort to help college students stay in school, has been turning
his attention to younger teenagers to help shore up their resilience at an earlier age.
His latest study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found a surprisingly effective
technique. At the beginning of the school year, students participated in a reading and writing
exercise intended to instill a basic, almost banal message to help them manage tension: People
can change.
The students who completed the exercise subsequently had lower levels of stress, reported
more confidence in coping and achieved slightly higher grades at year’s end, compared to a
control group. These results were measured through the students’ self-reporting in online
diaries and through cardiovascular and hormone measurements.
The studies are small. Some 60 students, recruited from the Rochester, N.Y., area, participated
in the first trial; the second involved 205 ninth graders from a high school in suburban Austin,
Tex. In 2017, researchers will try to reproduce these results on a larger scale, in some 25 high
schools across the country.
You have 4 free articles remaining.
Adults played no significant part in the exercise, researchers said. Students essentially taught
themselves this mental buffer, and when they were inevitably rattled by social stress, they had
a reassuring interpretation ready to frame it.
John R. Weisz, a psychology professor at Harvard who was not involved in the research, found
the approach efficient and powerful. “If you’re an adolescent and you experience social harm,
it’s not fixed that you will always be a target. You can change,” he said. “And over time, others
can change, too. They may mellow and not be so cruel. That’s an interesting twist for kids to
learn, and a good one.”
First, students read a short, engaging article about brain science, describing how personality
can change. Then they read anecdotes written by seniors about high school conflicts, reflecting
how they were eventually able to shrug things off and move on. Finally, the students
themselves were asked to write encouraging advice to younger students.
Dr. Yeager and his colleagues have so far tried this intervention in five schools. In one study,
300 high school freshmen used this same method; nine months later, the prevalence of
depression they reported was 40 percent less than in a control group.
If the results remain robust after the 2017 trials, Dr. Yeager plans to release the intervention
material for free through a Stanford University project that provides learning support for
students.
The breadth and depth of adolescent depression and anxiety is well established. A 2015 study
found that nearly 11 percent of teenagers experience depression; other reports have even
higher figures. Between sixth and 10th grade, the rate of depression doubles for boys and
nearly triples for girls. And studies show that while a large percentage of teenagers face high
stress on a daily basis, rates of coping skills are weak.
Dr. Yeager’s intervention suggests that if teenagers can hold onto a long view, they can soldier
through immediate mortifications at the cafeteria lunch table. The takeaway: You are not
doomed to be excluded forever. Neither your personality nor that of your tormentor’s is frozen.
The latest results from Dr. Yeager’s study are drawn from two related trials.
In the first, 60 students, ages 14 to 17, were assessed for baseline cardiovascular activity and
levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
Then half the students received the following intervention:
First, they read the science article, which was chatty and informative and presented as new,
insider information about how personality could evolve. Next, they read accounts by seniors
which, in effect, proved the article’s thesis.
“When I was a freshman,” one wrote, “I felt left out when everyone got invited to one of my
friend’s house and I didn’t. It’s like ... they forgot about me. Or even worse that they thought
about me but didn’t think I was cool enough to get invited.”
But, the writer continued, “No matter how much it hurt, it wasn’t going to last forever. ... They
might even realize how much pain they were causing others and decide to change.”
The student made friends outside of school, became involved in clubs and sports and, in time,
“things definitely improved.”
After reading the science article and the older students’ narratives, the students in the study
were asked to reflect on a time when they felt rejected. Then they were given a writing
assignment: Looking back, what advice about change would you pass on to younger students?
Finally, both the intervention group and the control group were assigned stressful tasks: Give
a five-minute speech about what factors make teenagers popular. Then, count backward, aloud,
from 996 — by sevens.
Afterward, students who received the intervention showed half the cardiovascular reactivity
of the control group. Their levels of cortisol dropped by 10 percent; they were coping. By
contrast, the cortisol levels in the control group increased by 45 percent.
Dr. Yeager believes it helps that the teenagers learned coping skills in a lecture-free zone. “The
more adults tell kids how to deal with their social life, the less kids want to do it that way,” he
said.
“We’re asking kids to persuade other kids,” he added. “That feels respectful to them, and
motivating. It’s a chance to matter. As these freshmen reflect on how they coped in middle
school, the exercise forces them to put things in perspective.”
The second study compared 205 ninth graders in one school, half of whom received the
intervention. All of them filled out a standardized online diary for a week, noting each day’s
stressful events.
On days recorded as stressful, the intervention students showed a 10 percent decrease in
cortisol and said they could manage the stresses. In contrast, the control group showed an 18
percent increase in cortisol on stressful days and said they “couldn’t handle” the stress.
At the end of the year, the intervention students had grades that were slightly higher than the
control group’s.
Laurence Steinberg, a professor of adolescent psychology at Temple University, said there has
been much discussion about what schools can do to bolster students’ social and emotional
skills.
Research has shown, he said, that “if kids believed intelligence was fixed, they would believe
nothing could be done. But if you could change their belief to think that intelligence was
malleable and incremental, their academic performance would improve.”
Dr. Yeager, he added, has been applying this idea to personality.
“This intervention is not a self-esteem enhancer, which is a failed model,” Dr. Steinberg said.
“But it does boost kids’ self-confidence by changing their belief in their own ability to change.”
The Mind and Mental Health: How Stress Affects the Brain
BY REBECCA BERNSTEIN / TUESDAY, 26 JULY 2016 / PUBLISHED IN HEALTH AND HUMAN
SERVICES

Stress continues to be a major American health issue, according to the American

Psychological Association. More than one-third of adults report that their stress increased
over the past year. Twenty-four percent of adults report experiencing extreme stress, up from
18 percent the year before.
It’s well-known that stress can be a detriment to overall health. But can stress actually change
the physiology of the brain? Science says yes.
Defining Stress
The National Institute of Mental Health defines stress as simply “the brain’s response to any
demand.” Given that definition, not all stress is bad. It is simply a response. How harmful it is
ultimately depends on its intensity, duration and treatment.
Stress takes a variety of forms. Some stress happens as the result of a single, short-term event
— having an argument with a loved one, for example. Other stress happens due to recurring
conditions, such as managing a long-term illness or a demanding job. When recurring
conditions cause stress that is both intense and sustained over a long period of time, it can
be referred to as “chronic” or “toxic” stress. While all stress triggers physiological reactions,
chronic stress is specifically problematic because of the significant harm it can do to the
functioning of the body and the brain.
Leading Causes of Stress
Stress occurs for a number of reasons. The 2015 Stress in America survey reported that
money and work were the top two sources of stress for adults in the United States for the
eighth year in a row. Other common contributors included family responsibilities, personal
health concerns, health problems affecting the family and the economy.
The study found that women consistently struggle with more stress than men. Millennials and
Generation Xers deal with more stress than baby boomers. And those who face discrimination
based on characteristics such as race, disability status or LGBT identification struggle with
more stress than their counterparts who do not regularly encounter such societal biases.
Physiological Effects of Stress on the Brain
Stress is a chain reaction. “When someone experiences a stressful event, the amygdala, an
area of the brain that contributes to emotional processing, sends a distress signal to the
hypothalamus,” Harvard Health Publications of Harvard Medical School explains. “This area
of the brain functions like a command center, communicating with the rest of the body
through the nervous system so that the person has the energy to fight or flee.”
This “fight-or-flight” response is responsible for the outward physical reactions most people
associate with stress including increased heart rate, heightened senses, a deeper intake of
oxygen and the rush of adrenaline. Finally, a hormone called cortisol is released, which helps
to restore the energy lost in the response. When the stressful event is over, cortisol levels fall
and the body returns to stasis.
Effects of Chronic Stress on the Brain
While stress itself is not necessarily problematic, the buildup of cortisol in the brain can have
long-term effects. Thus, chronic stress can lead to health problems.
Cortisol’s functions are part of the natural process of the body. In moderation, the hormone
is perfectly normal and healthy. Its functions are multiple, explains the Dartmouth
Undergraduate Journal of Science. In addition to restoring balance to the body after a stress
event, cortisol helps regulate blood sugar levels in cells and has utilitarian value in the
hippocampus, where memories are stored and processed.
But when chronic stress is experienced, the body makes more cortisol than it has a chance to
release. This is when cortisol and stress can lead to trouble. High levels of cortisol can wear
down the brain’s ability to function properly. According to several studies, chronic stress
impairs brain function in multiple ways. It can disrupt synapse regulation, resulting in the loss
of sociability and the avoidance of interactions with others. Stress can kill brain cells and
even reduce the size of the brain. Chronic stress has a shrinking effect on the prefrontal cortex,
the area of the brain responsible for memory and learning.
While stress can shrink the prefrontal cortex, it can increase the size of the amygdala, which
can make the brain more receptive to stress. “Cortisol is believed to create a domino effect
that hard-wires pathways between the hippocampus and amygdala in a way that might create
a vicious cycle by creating a brain that becomes predisposed to be in a constant state of fight-
or-flight,” Christopher Bergland writes in Psychology Today.
Effects of Stress on the Body
Chronic stress doesn’t just lead to impaired cognitive function. It can also lead to other
significant problems, such as increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Other systems of the body stop working properly too, including the digestive, excretory and
reproductive structures. Toxic stress can impair the body’s immune system and exacerbate
any already existing illnesses.
Plasticity and the Brain: The Body’s Recovery System
Plasticity, or neuroplasticity, refers to the ways that neural pathways are able to re-form in
the brain. It’s true that these pathways — like the one between the hippocampus and the
amygdala — can get severely damaged due to constant exposure to stress, but such changes
are not necessarily permanent. While stress can negatively affect the brain, the brain and
body can recover.
Young adults, especially, are able to recover from the effects of stress, according
to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Age has a direct correlation with
the reversibility of stress-related damage. It’s much more difficult for older adults to regain
or create new neural pathways than their younger counterparts.
That’s not to say all hope is lost for older adults. PNAS points out that “interventions,” or
activities that combat stress’ wear-and-tear on the brain, are effective regardless of age.
Interventions including activities like exercising regularly, socializing and finding purpose in
life enable plasticity.
It can seem like stress is an inevitable part of life, but chronic stress can have real and
significant consequences on the brain. Understanding these effects and how to combat them
can help promote overall health.
Understanding How Stress Affects the Brain
Professionals working in health and human services or psychology have the opportunity to
help others manage their stress effectively and understand how stress affects the brain. Touro
University Worldwide offers a variety of fully online degree programs at the bachelor’s,
master’s and doctoral level that prepare students for careers in these fields.