By: Tia Tricamo
You’re a college student. It’s finals week. Five assignments due. Four exams. Three essays. Two group projects. One job application. Stressed is an understatement. For college students, stress is no stranger. From heavy classwork, to internships, to the job search, college students are faced with stressful situations constantly. This way of life can be overwhelming, especially to new students adapting to their first semester in college.
How can first-semester college students lessen the stress they face during this period of change? According to a study led by communication researchers Lindsey Aloia and Claire Strutzenberg, the answer may be closer to home than you think: family. For first-semester college students, a stronger cohesion of family relationships leads to lower levels of academic, social and emotional stress.
In the 2020 study published in Communication Quarterly, 198 first-semester college students completed a survey which gathered data on family cohesion, relational maintenance strategies and stress. Family cohesion is the perceived commitment to emotional connection and affectionate bonding with family members. Previously, strong family relationships have been seen to benefit young children by improving their interpersonal communication skills and their sense of self-control. Academic, social, and emotional pressures heavily affect college students, and Aloia and Strutzenberg were prompted to investigate possible ways students can combat these stressors. The researchers wanted to know if closer family cohesion led to a decrease in students’ stress levels in these three areas: academic, social and emotional.
Aloia and Strutzenberg also wanted to know if the ways students maintained their family relationships had an impact on their stress levels. The study examined four different methods of maintaining family relationships: shared tasks, shared networks, positivity and openness.
They found that cohesive family relationships are associated with reduced stress in students. Specifically in the area of emotional stress, a strong family cohesion leads to effective coping and reduced stress levels. All it takes is routine verbal conversations, such as phone calls or video chats, for college students to see the emotional benefits of healthy family relationships.
The researchers examined the relational maintenance strategies of shared tasks, shared networks, positivity and openness, and found these to be unique variables with no connection to family cohesion. There was no clear pattern tying the strategy used to the levels of stress. This means that no matter how a cohesive family bond is maintained, the bond will improve the well-being and lower the stress levels of first-semester college students.
It is incredibly important for college students to monitor and combat their stressors, because stress can quickly overtake the mental health of young adults. First-semester college students are constantly faced with high pressure and overwhelming responsibilities, which can be a difficult transition from their lives in high school and at home with their parents. It is important to find methods to overcome academic, social and emotional stress, in order to devote time and energy to classwork, jobs, and planning for the future. Luckily, it is easier than ever to stay connected with family. The use of social media, text messaging and FaceTime to connect with family is an easy and effective way to lower stress levels. As the study reveals, it does not matter if students primarily share tasks or networks, or have excessive levels of positivity and openness. What matters is the continuation of interpersonal communication among students and their families.
Plus, whose mother wouldn’t love to get an extra phone call from their daughter or son? Families can enjoy the company and students can enjoy a decrease in stress levels– it’s a win/win!