Student stress underestimated by parents

In the words of Sir Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Will Smith, “There is no need to argue. Parents just don’t understand.”

A common complaint among teenagers regards how much their parents understand their daily lives. Many teens feel as if their parents have no clue as to the amount of stress they are under. While parents shrug off the complaints of their children, professionals finally have the statistics to support teenagers.

The annual Stress in America survey, performed by the American Psychological Association (APA), published a shocking twist concerning the stress of high school students. Almost 45% of the children who completed the survey admitted to worrying more within the past year, but only 28% of the parents of these kids believed that the children’s stress had increased at all.

This survey showed that children between the ages 8 to 17 deal with stress every day. And around 44% of the 1,206 children interviewed said that their stress related to school.

While school has contributed most of the stress, 30% of the children claimed that their stress was caused by financial problems within the family. With the widespread media coverage on how awful the economy is, many children have been affected.

According to the APA, in years past, parents protected their children from financial struggles, mainly because there was no need to worry. Now that more families are pressed on all sides, the emotional barriers have fallen. More and more children now notice that their parents agonize over the thinning of their wallets.

“Children are extremely resilient,” Dr. David Palmiter told the APA. “However, they are keenly aware of the tension in the household, whether it is from the financial situation or from familial problems. It is important to be honest with your children, yet only share information you think they can handle.”

This idea of communicating problems with children in a calm manner should not only heal the stress of students, but it will also develop a stronger and more honest relationship between parents and their children.

“It’s clear that parents do not fully appreciate the impact that stress is having on their kids,” psychologist Katherine C. Nordal, PhD. said. “What we’re seeing with stress is in line with existing research about parents’ perception of their kids’ engagement in risky behaviors. Parents often under report drug use, depression and sexual activity in their children. Now it appears the same may be true for stress.”

While Nordal’s opinion stated that the parents’ perceptions of risky behavior and stress remain separated, others believe that the risky behavior actually results from stress.

According to prevention liaison Shanika Moore, the cause of stress in teens can be broken into three categories: social, environmental, and peer pressure.

In the social realm, students deal with problems in extracurricular activities, jobs, and school. With their environment, they struggle with family problems. If a student’s parents are recently divorced it places pressure on the student. Deaths in the family can cause much grief as well.

Peer pressure, over time, can become a major cause of stress in a student’s life. Drugs, alcohol, sex, and other reckless behavior remain the basis of the peer pressure. As teenagers, they try to fit in with the “it crowd,” which involves doing whatever it takes to be approved by the “cool” kids.

If a student does not handle his or her stress correctly, the stress may, in time, lead to several negative outcomes.

“Kids tend to act out behaviorally. Stress can lead to suicidal attempts,” Moore said. “[Students] might not act out on the thoughts [of suicide], but they’re there.”

Behind accidents and homicides, suicide is the third leading cause of death in America among those ages 15-24, according to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.

Aside from many emotional problems, stress can add physical problems to teens as well. The American Institute of Stress stated that many health problems such as high blood pressure can point back to stress. Stress also increases blood sugar levels due to the need for more energy.

“Stress creates physiological and psychological problems,” psychology teacher Ouida Shephard said. “If [students] haven’t learned how to handle stress in their adolescent years then it can cause problems in their futures.”

However, medical experts have found that moderate amounts of stress can be helpful because of the hormones they release. A study posted in the Psychological Bulletin showed that the defense mechanisms that the body produces in response to stress are also used when fighting infections. They also increase alertness by quickening heart rates.

So, what should students do if they feel stressed?

The American Institute of Stress (AIS) recommends physical activity such as sports or jogging. The AIS also suggested yoga, massage therapy, hobbies, volunteer work, and even keeping a daily journal of thoughts and emotions as stress relievers.

As for the parents’ contribution to teenage stress, the APA recommends that parents spend additional time with their children and have “family time” to discuss problems within the lives of each member.

By doing so, parents will become more in tune with the needs of their children. This will assist in the process of decreasing the amount of stress a child tolerates, which could prevent more serious problems in the future.