Optimal Performance In College: The New Tools

While the excitement of returning to (or beginning) college can hold the promise of many transformational and wonderful opportunities — it can also be a time filled with new stressors. Recent studies show that increased academic demands, changes in sleep and eating patterns, reduced family contact, and financial concerns can challenge even the most capable students. In fact, nearly 80 percent of students in college report having daily stress, and about 25 percent have said this has had an impact on academic performance. Daily stressors can increase depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns that can hold learners back. The accumulation of these pressures is also one of the main reasons students drop out. Research has shown that the best interventions for coping with these issues may be prevention. Dealing with upcoming demands before they become overwhelming may be the best way to counteract the effects of transitional changes. Additionally, using brief techniques for stress management along with proven methods for increasing positivity, has been shown to be of direct benefit to college students. In one study, researchers compared 18-22 year old students on two intervention programs: a coping skills group, which educated students on adaptive ways to manage stress, and a cognitive training program, which used various games to improve working memory, attention, control/inhibition, or shifting/cognitive flexibility. After six weeks of training a post-interventio...
Source: World of Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: ADHD and ADD Anxiety and Panic Books Children and Teens College Depression General Memory and Perception Proof Positive Research Stress Student Therapist Students Success & Achievement Academic Achievement Adolescence Atten Source Type: blogs