Burnout Increases Among College Students

College has always been a high-stress environment for students and mental health issues such as burnout have only increased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As final exams approach, more students began to feel symptoms of stress, anxiety and burnout. 

Mental health issues in college stem from many factors and are often related to students adapting to a new place and learning to take care of themselves while also balancing schoolwork and other activities. According to a survey led by Ohio State University, the number of students who reported feelings of burnout increased from 31% in 2020 to 71% in 2021. 

“Burnout is the result of excessive and prolonged emotional, physical and mental stress,” the Director of Marist Counseling Services Dr. Marrisa Moore said. “Research supports that there’s an “optimal” level of balancing demands and performance. However, when demands become too much or constant, we risk going past the optimal zone into burnout.”

The survey by Ohio State University also showed that the number of students who screened positive for anxiety rose from 39% in 2020 to 42.6% in 2021. Similarly, the number of students who screened positive for depression increased from 24.1% in August of 2020 to 28.3% in April 2021. 

“For college students, burnout most likely happens as they approach the end of a semester or academic year,” Dr. Moore said. “Signs include exhaustion, feeling grumpy, overwhelmed, or “over it”; difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep or appetite, headaches or stomach problems. Sometimes these symptoms can be confused for depression, so it’s helpful to pay attention to when these symptoms started and for how long.” 

Moore emphasized that stress is a normal and unavoidable part of life. Some stress is good and helps students feel motivated to get out of bed and attend classes or work on assignments. The risk of burnout develops when a student is constantly overwhelmed and overworked from attending to demands. 

“When we’re exposed to stressful situations, we release a hormone called cortisol, which usually helps our bodies stay regulated,” Dr. Moore said. “However, studies show that too much cortisol can lead to inflammation and lower lymphocyte levels (the white blood cells that help fight off infections). This is why we tend to see an increase in colds during midterms and finals.” 

Not only can students make themselves sick from the stress that comes with finals, but they can also develop bad habits. Burnout can lead to riskier behaviors that are already common in many college communities, such as alcohol or substance abuse. In addition, a student suffering from burnout may select food choices that feel comforting in the moment but hurt their overall health. 

The Ohio State University survey reported different coping mechanisms that were self-identified by students. In 2021, 29% of students at Ohio State ate more unhealthy foods when dealing with stressors. The use of alcohol rose from 15.5% in 2020 to 18% in 2021. The number of students who reported seeing a mental health counselor increased from 13% to 22%. 

“With burnout, it can be really tempting to isolate or ghost everything, but that doesn’t really fix the problem,” Dr. Moore said. “Dialectal Behavior Therapy (DBT) actually recommends “Opposite Action” or doing the opposite of what you are tempted to do.”

When the idea of getting out of bed to face the day feels overwhelming, Opposite Action tells people to plant their feet on the floor. When tempted to withdraw from everyone, Opposite Action tells people to spend some time with friends. When people are exhausted and can’t think about exercising, Opposite Action says to go for a 15-minute walk for some fresh air and movement. At the same time, having to deprioritize some things is also healthy. 

“Students tend to want to cram when studying, but research shows that more than two hours without a break actually doesn’t help with remembering material,” Dr. Moore said. “Good sleep and nutrition are also important as it helps students remember material and keeps their immune system up.” 

To help with the general stress and symptoms of burnout heading into finals week, students can practice self-care and use resources such as meditation apps. Students at Marist can also follow Marist Counseling Services on social media to receive further advice and mental health information.

Burnout Increases Among College Students. Source: MindWell