New UMBC Stress Interventions!

We all know that the level of coursework here at UMBC can be quite stressful and that students often see this as a detriment to their physical and mental well being. Among the abundance of tests, projects, and studying it is fair to say that finding time for a social life can be seen as almost impossible. To solve this problem we have established brand new UMBC social life centered interventions served to increase opportunities to improve the ways you can interact with others.

Click any of the buttons below to view our seven new social programs!

Fast Facts on Stress

• College students now report being more stressed-out than ever before.1
• Stress is the number one reported impediment to academic performance.3
• 55% of students, nationally, claimed their biggest stressor to be academic in nature.4
• 6 in 10 college students report having felt so stressed they couldn’t get their work done on one or more occasions.5
• Nationally, 53% of students report having felt so stressed they didn’t want to hang out with friends on one or more occasions.5
• Many of the emotional and physical symptoms that occur commonly in the college population, such as headaches, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and the inability to cope, can be attributed to or exacerbated by stress.6
• Negative physical effects of stress include immune system suppression, which can increase susceptibility to physical illness and psychological conditions such as anxiety and depression.7
• Students who engaged in meditation practices demonstrated significantly greater reductions in perceived stress than students who did not.8

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Retriever Testimony on Social Media

11-20-2019 Social media is dictating my life – Madison McLaren, UMBC Student Newspaper The Retriever

https://retriever.umbc.edu/2019/11/social-media-is-dictating-my-life/

References:

1. Pryor, J.H., Hurtado, S., DeAngelo, L., Palucki Blake, L., & Tran, S. (2010). The American freshman: National norms fall 2010. The Higher Education Research Institute. Retrieved from http://heri.ucla.edu/pr-display.php?prQry=55

2. American College Health Association. (2011). American College Health Association – National College Health Assessment 2011 NYU Data. Hanover, MD.

3. American College Health Association. American College Association – National College Health Assessment 2010 National Data. Hanover, MD.

4. Dusselier, L., Dunn, B., Yongyi W., Shelley II, M., & Whalen, D. (2005). Personal, health, academic, and environmental predictors of stress in residence halls. Journal of American College Health, 54(1), 15-24.

5. MtvU, Jed Foundation, & The Associated Press. (2009). mtvU AP 2009 Economy, College Stress and Mental Health Poll. Retrieved from: http://www.halfofus.com/_media/_pr/may09_exec.pdf

6. Pace, C.R., & Stern, G.G. (1958). An approach to the measurement of psychological characteristics of college environments. Journal of Educational Psychology, 49(5): 269-277.

7. Quick, J.D., Horn, R.S., & Quick, J.C. (1987). Health consequences of stress. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 8( 2), 19 – 36.

8. Oman, D., Shapiro, S.L., Thoresen, C.E., Plante, T.G., & Flinders, T. (2008). Meditation lowers stress and supports forgiveness among college students: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of American College Health, 56(5), 569-578.