First-year college students are more stressed out than ever trying to balance the increasing pressures of academic competition, financial responsibilities, and extracurricular activities such as running their own business.
A record 30.2 percent of freshmen feel "frequently overwhelmed by all I have to do," according to a fall 1999 survey conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles (www.uclanews.ucla.edu/docs/KC017.html).
This can lead to stress-related health problems that can't be taken care of with a few Tums, says Dr. Robert Athanasiou (Ath-an-AS-you), medical director of the Gallagher Student Health Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.
Athanasiou says that when looking at colleges, parents need to investigate how and where their son or daughter can get stress relief.
"Look for a school that has an on-campus health facility," Dr. Athanasiou says. "Staying physically well gives you a higher capacity to respond to a stress,"
"Also, make sure the campus dining service caters to a student's specific dietary needs," Dr. Athanasiou adds. "Weight gain among first-year students is stressful in itself. Having a healthy range of food options available is important."
At Rensselaer, for example, students can select everything from vegan to authentic Asian cuisine. And students and their parents can design personalized meal plans.
Ask about counseling and health services. Look for a school that employs a licensed health educator who designs outreach programs that teach about exercise, stress reduction, weight control, alcohol abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases.
"Entering college is a major life transition, and students need to know where to find help when their parents can't be there for them," Dr. Athanasiou says.
Possible signs of stress parents should be aware of are nervousness, sexual promiscuity, interpersonal isolation from friends or family, substance abuse, body tremors, and weight loss or gain.
Contact: Robert Athanasiou (518) 276-6287, [email protected]
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