A Survey Study on Mild Stress Among College Students: A Chronic Poison Affecting Mental Health

Abstract

To clarify the current status of chronic stress and superficial stress among college students as well as the corresponding intervention strategies, this study adopted a multi-dimensional research approach combining questionnaire surveys (with 102 college student samples) and case analyses. The results showed that:

• Stress is prevalent among college students: 56.86% of them perceive stress, 71.57% experience long-term negative emotions, and stress leads to linked impairments in psychological, physiological, and behavioral aspects.
• The core stressors are anxiety about employment/further education (99.02%), academic competition (scoring 3.98, the highest), and family expectations (99.02%).
• At the cognitive level, there is a significant cognitive gap in superficial stress (97.06% have insufficient cognition) and weak stress management ability (only 19.61% consider stress bearable).

A typical case (Student Li) further confirmed that the superposition of chronic stress (explicit academic load) and superficial stress (implicit cognitive burden) is likely to induce emotional problems. The study proposes a gradient intervention plan, emphasizing the need to improve the current situation by popularizing stress-related knowledge, enhancing stress management ability, and building a support system. This research provides data support and practical paths for mental health interventions among college students, and is of great significance for reducing the risk of mental illnesses.