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Article Excerpt
Abstract
Previous studies found that student health is adversely affected by examination stress. We compared faculty and student stress and health during midterm examination week. Although faculty and students reported similarly high levels of stress, fatigue, anger, vigor, and negative moods, faculty reported fewer physical health symptoms and less tension, depression, and confusion. These results may be due to differences in coping strategies. Faculty need to be aware that they are not immune to health-related issues at midterm examination time.
Introduction
Stressful life experiences positively correlate with both physical and mental illness (Hamrick, Cohen, & Rodriquez, 2002; Pandey & Srivastana, 2003; Roth, Wiebe, Fillingim, & Shay, 1989). Numerous studies have shown compelling evidence that stress affects major disease onset and progression (Cohen & Herbert, 1996; Seyle, 1950) and lowers general physical well being (Diong & Bishop, 1999). Because research has shown a dramatic increase in the levels of stress experienced by college students over the past 30 years (Sax, 1997), especially in regard to career plans (de Meis, Velloso, Lannes, Carmo, & de Meis, 2003), it is important to examine the relation between stress levels and mental and physical illness.
One high stress event experienced by most college students involves midterm examination week. Longitudinal research has shown that student stress fluctuates over the course of a semester, with marked peaks at midterm and finals weeks (Stilger, Etzel, & Lantz, 2001). These high stress levels are problematic because they can cause immune system depression (McClelland, Ross, & Patel, 1985) and subsequently lead to mental or physical illness. In fact, studies have shown that poor performance on midterm exams can lead to depression (Abela & Brozina, 2004; Pettit & Joiner, 2001).
Although all students (and faculty) are vulnerable to the effects of stress, different factors may mediate the impact of stress on health. Research suggests that certain coping tactics may decrease the impact of stress on psychological (Pearlin & Schooler, 1978) and physical (Feeney, 1995; James, 1997) outcomes. For example, studies have shown that problem-focused coping can help buffer the effects of stress on health (Parks & Adler, 2003). In addition, some studies report that problem-focused coping (addressing the stressor directly) is negatively related to depressive symptoms and emotion-focused coping (addressing the affective consequences of the stressor) is positively related to them (Kolenc, Hartley, & Murdock, 1990; Lapp & Collins, 1993; Moeller, Richards, Hooker, & Ursino, 1992). However, other studies have reported no relation or the opposite pattern (Arthur, 1998; Cobiella, Mabe, & Forehand, 1990; McQueeney,...
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