Canadian Journal of Family and Youth, 10(1), 2018, pp 25-51 ISSN 1718-9748 © University of Alberta http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index/php/cjfy

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Adolescent Stress: Causes, Consequences, and Communication as an Interventional Model

Ian G. Coward

Abstract

Adolescents are encountering a greater quantity, variety, and intensity of stress than any previous generation. This study analyses data from my own experience, pop culture, and statistics, as well as videos produced by artists and professionals. The purpose was to identify the primary stressors impacting junior high school students’ emotional well-being, examine how these stressors are affecting them socially and academically, and explore what role having someone to talk to might have in helping to reduce their stress levels. The study found that parents, peers, academics, and physical and psychological concerns are the greatest sources of stress for this particular age group. Anxiety, depression, and withdrawal/disengagement are the most common emotional effects, and communicating feelings to a trusted adult can mitigate some of these difficulties. These findings suggest that helping students cope with personal stress requires that it become a priority, teachers be provided with adequate training, and time and space be made available for students to discuss their problems. As a result, an intervention model focusing on brief, solution-focused interactions is proposed.

Ian G. Coward is currently an English Language Arts Learning Leader, Guidance Counsellor, and Multi-sport Coach at Elboya School in Calgary, AB. He is also a graduate of the M.Ed. Interdisciplinary degree program, with a focus on Children’s Mental Health and School & Counselling Psychology, at the University of Calgary. His primary areas of research interest include the impact of stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, and divorce on the intellectual and socioemotional development of children and adolescents. This is his first publication. Acknowledgements: The author is grateful to Mairi McDermott, Sandra Becker, Lesley Wenzel, and all of his other colleagues in the Green Cohort of the M.Ed. Interdisciplinary degree program at the University of Calgary for their helpful comments and ongoing support during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Introduction

A growing number of students are encountering and being diagnosed with emotional

difficulties, and a lack of support is available for them at home and at school; many have no one

in their life that they feel comfortable discussing problems with (Belfer, 2008). In addition,

academic and social engagement decreases, and potential long-term negative outcomes result,

from students not adequately dealing with these issues (Belfer, 2008). Considerable research

addresses how to solve developmental problems during adolescence, a period of dramatic

physical and psychological change, but comparatively less attention is given to what constitutes

successful coping and productive adaptation (Seiffge-Krenke, 2013). Quality of parent-child

relationships and friendships have a significant impact on positive adjustment in adolescents, and

deficits in the quality of these relationships suggest they will have fewer sources of emotional

support in times of need (Lee, Daniels, & Kissinger, 2006; Waldrip, Malcolm, & Jensen-

Campbell, 2008). The current climate of increasing mental health difficulties in youth suggests

the field is in need of further research to examine the impact of stress in students’ lives and

determine best practices for helping them develop effective coping mechanisms. To address this

gap in the literature and reinforce the primary importance of positive adult relationships in the

lives of adolescents, I investigate three specific research questions in this study: (1) what are the

primary stressors impacting junior high school students’ emotional well-being; (2) how are these

specific stressors affecting their social life and academic performance at school; and (3) what

role would talking to someone, who could help them develop goals and strategies for coping,

have in helping to reduce their personal stress levels?

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Literature Review

Stress can be defined as the “environmental events or chronic conditions that objectively

threaten the physical and/or psychological health or well-being of individuals of a particular age

in a particular society.” (Grant, Compas, Thurm, McMahon, & Gipson, 2004, p. 413) Leung

(2006) points out, “complicated family dynamics, academic pressure, and the hectic pace of daily

life can add up to stress for adolescents and children.” (p. 204) Although stress can be

uncomfortable and even debilitating at any age, adolescents are at particular risk due to the rapid

and tumultuous physical and emotional changes they are already undergoing (Byrne, Davenport,

& Mazanov, 2007). Given that behaviour in adulthood is greatly influenced by environmental

conditions during childhood and adolescence, identifying and intervening in stressful situations

is of critical importance (Niwa et al., 2013). For the purposes of this study, sources of stress are

categorized as Parental, Social, Academic, and Physical/Psychological.

Stressors

Parental

Family environmental factors are not only a source of stress, but they also have a

significant effect on how adolescents will respond to the other stressors in their lives (Bouma,

Ormel, Verhulst, & Oldehinkel, 2008). In terms of the family dynamic, if one or both parents

have a history of mental illness, if discord exists in marital or familial relationships, or if the

parenting style is authoritarian or over-protective, risk of low self-esteem and other maladaptive

outcomes increases (Dogra, Parkin, Gale, & Frake, 2009). Empirical findings generally indicate

that parenting styles characterized by low warmth and high control are associated with higher

levels of childhood anxiety problems (Perieva et al., 2014). Development and life transitions also

create significant stress and make children and adolescents more vulnerable to conditions such as

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depression. Dogra et al. (2009) further point out that “biological changes, social changes, school

transitions, parental separation, divorce or reconstitution of the family, and gender-role

expectations” can all have a negative impact (p. 183).

According to the Department of Justice (2015), separation and/or divorce is one of the

most stressful and life-altering experiences children will have to endure. Wallerstein and Kelly

(2008) concur that parent separation and its aftermath represents one of the most stressful periods

of children’s lives. This family break-up can have far-reaching effects on their emotional

development, behaviour, relationships, learning, and long-term mental health. The initial

response to divorce tends to be worse for younger children, and they tend to encounter more

problems with personal adjustment and peer relations (Department of Justice, 2015). Strohschein

(2012) identifies some potential post-divorce stressors as “a drop in economic resources, greater

parenting demands on the custodial parent, and relocation to a new home and neighbourhood” (p.

490).

Social

Gruber and Fineran (2008) report that bullied students have greater difficulty making

friends, poorer relationships with classmates, and experience more frequent feelings of

loneliness; they also have higher levels of insecurity, anxiety, and depression, as well as lower

self-esteem. Most bullied students also experience a drop in academic achievement as a result of

increased absenteeism and reduced motivation (Gruber & Fineran, 2008). Antisocial behaviours

(argumentative nature, meanness, disobedience, screaming, quick-temper, teasing, and

stubbornness) are a source of stress because they affect school performance and relationships

with others, but they also put youth at significant risk of developing a depressed mood (Rowe,

Maughan, & Eley, 2006).

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Academic

Ang and Huan (2006) discuss how constant evaluation of academic performance,

pressure to excel, competition with peers, high self-expectations, and high or unrealistic

expectations of parents and teachers can be significant sources of stress for adolescents. This

academic stress can create lack of confidence and is positively linked to depression (Ang &

Huan, 2006). Many gifted or high achieving students display perfectionist tendencies: creating

goals that set an unreasonably high standard, failing to meet these standards resulting in

psychological distress, striving for absolute perfection instead of excellence, and being prone to

self-criticism and negative thinking (Flett, Coulter, Hewitt, & Nepon, 2011). The trait

characteristics and automatic thoughts of these students dramatically affect their emotional state

and academic performance (Flett et al., 2011). Melman, Little, and Akin-Little (2007) discovered

that adolescents are engaging in an increasingly hectic schedule of extracurricular activities that

can disrupt their sleep patterns, prevent them from completing school work, and adversely affect

their relationships with family and friends. They also reported that not having enough time to

meet all of their responsibilities is a significant source of stress, and the greater the amount of

time students reported participating in activities throughout the school year, the higher their self-

reported level of anxiety tended to be (Melman et al., 2007).

Physical/Psychological

Life events and physical illness create stress and also contribute to depression in young

people; “Accidents, bereavement, trauma, abuse and loss of romantic relationships” can be

particularly difficult for young people lacking the skills to cope with such painful experiences

(Dogra et al., 2009, p. 185). Although all of the events listed above can have negative

implications, Beck and Alford (2009) draw attention to the “increased vulnerability to depression

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following childhood abuse (e.g., physical, sexual, or psychological abuse)” (p. 251). In addition,

chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cystic fibrosis can increase somatic symptoms and

functional disability in depressed young people (Dogra et al., 2009). The bidirectional

relationship between pain and depression can amplify both, making management of the physical

illness and the depression much more difficult (Katon, 2013).

Emotional Impact Hazen, Hazen, and Goldstein (2011) discuss numerous factors affecting adolescents’

responses to stress, including the nature, severity, and duration of the stressor; the gender, age,

and developmental level of the adolescent; the individual psychological characteristics, defenses,

and resiliency of the adolescent; and numerous biological, family, and cultural considerations.

Common responses to stress include the “fight or flight” reaction, physical health problems such

as exhaustion, muscle tension, upset stomach, and disturbances of sleep or appetite, as well as

behaviour changes including overreaction, restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating,

moodiness and irritability, and negativity (Hazen et al., 2011). Anxiety, depression, and

withdrawal/disengagement are the most reported and diagnosed responses to stress amongst

adolescents.

Anxiety

According to Perieva, Barros, Denisa, and Peter (2014), anxiety can have negative

implications for different areas of children’s functioning, and if left untreated, it can also have a

profound impact on their emotional and social development. Risk factors for developing anxiety

include family history of the condition (hereditary or environmental), increase in stress (school,

work, relationships, etc.), a history of physical or emotional trauma, smoking, and diabetes;

anxiety also has a high rate of comorbidity with other disorders such as depression (Fricchione,

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2004). Exposure to adversity in childhood can create a stress sensitization effect (psychological

vulnerability to future stress) that increases the risk of developing anxiety disorders later in life

(Espejo et al., 2007).

Depression

Beck and Alford (2009) assert that people “derive their self-concepts from personal

experiences, from others’ judgments and from identifications with key figures such as parents,

siblings, and friends” (p. 245). Therefore, children and adolescents’ self-image and self-esteem

could be tied to limitless stressful factors including personal failures, unrealistic media

representations, bullying, and the self-worth of those around them. Beck and Alford (2009) go on

to explain what they refer to as the cycle of negativity, “Each negative judgment fortifies the

negative self-image, which in turn facilitates a negative interpretation of subsequent experiences,

which further consolidates the negative self-concept” (p. 245). However the cycle begins,

experience can serve to reinforce the negative self-opinion of the young person. Excessive

negativity, stress and worry can lead to anxiety, which in turn can develop into depression; as

mentioned previously, depression and anxiety frequently co-occur (Hirschfield, 2001).

Hirschfield (2001) also points out, “Patients who have depression and anxiety comorbidity have

higher severity of illness, higher chronicity, and significantly greater impairment in work

functioning, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life than patients not suffering from

comorbidity” (p. 247).

Withdrawal/Disengagement

Seiffge‐Krenke, Aunola, and Nurmi (2009) classify withdrawal coping as a

dysfunctional coping style that consists of withdrawal from the stressor, use of distraction

strategies, and the seeking of emotional outlets. They also point out that higher levels of stress

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and an increase in withdrawal as a coping mechanism both occur during adolescence. This

strategy can include loud or violent outbursts, as well as alcohol and drug use as an escape from

the stressor. Adolescents most often utilize withdrawal coping in future or self-related situations

as opposed to parent-, romantic-, relationship-, and peer-related situations (Seiffge‐Krenke et al.,

2009). Wadsworth and Berger (2006) refer to the related concept of disengagement coping, an

attempt to deny and suppress strong reactions to stress that can potentially lead to anxiety and

depression in adolescents.

Approach to Intervention Baker (2006) suggests that little is known about the nature or course of teacher-child

relationships, and this gap is unfortunate given the importance of the elementary school years in

children’s developmental outcomes. Eliot, Cornell, Gregory, and Fan (2010) discuss how

previous studies address perceived support and its effect on academic help seeking, but they

could find little research in the domain of how this same feeling of support affects seeking help

for other issues, such as bullying and threats of violence. Holen, Lervåg, Waaktaar, and Ystgaard

(2012) reinforce that limited research exists on the structure of coping with everyday,

controllable stressors and its relationship with overall mental health in non-clinical samples of

young children. Finally, Chan et al. (2013) explore how high quality mentoring relationships

affect youth outcomes, and since previous studies netted mixed results, they paid particular

attention to specific moderators including the role of improved teacher and parent relationships.

Teenagers encountering stress are often uncomfortable talking to their parents or friends

about their personal issues, leaving them to fend for themselves, coping with vastly different

levels of success. Relationships with parents, for example, become strained during adolescence;

this a developmental period characterized by increased conflict and disengagement, as well as

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less time spent together (Smetana, Campione-Barr, & Metzger, 2006). Given this change in the

parent-child dynamic, it is easy to see how the quality and effectiveness of communication could

be compromised. This is of primary importance, as students can’t be expected to grow socially or

academically in the face of emotional problems, lack of peer or parental support, or having no

one they trust to share thoughts and feelings with. Chu, Saucier, and Hafner (2010) found that

support from teachers had a stronger association with children and adolescent well-being than

family member or friend support. Teachers can provide this support using some of the principles

of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Brief Intervention (BI), Motivational Interviewing

(MI), and Solution-focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).

Providing Support

Active coping includes strategies such as support-seeking and discussing the problem

with parents, peers, or other concerned persons (Seiffge‐Krenke et al., 2009). Seiffge‐Krenke et

al. (2009) found that the more often teenagers used active coping in a particular situation during

early adolescence, the more likely they would be to apply these active coping strategies in the

same situation when encountered again. Although stress is difficult to avoid, teachers “can

provide socialization experiences that encourage adolescents to use active coping behaviours

when they have problems” (Zimmer-Gembeck & Locke, 2007, p. 12). Hazen et al. (2011)

suggest that being available and supportive, discussing and demonstrating stress management

strategies, and encouraging healthy habits and routines can all have a positve impact on

adolescent coping.

Teachers and support workers can take on a key role in the aftermath of stressful or

traumatic events, primarily by providing emotional support, and creating a safe, secure, and

stable environment for children (Jaycox, Bradley, & Amaya-Jackson, 2008). Steele and

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Malchiodi (2012) also discuss the power of positive connections and caring relationships, and

how the words, actions, and experiences educators provide for children can assist in their healing

process. They identify the qualities of patience, a willingness to listen without judging, taking the

time to understand feelings, and relating in a down-to-earth manner as paramount to showing

respect and establishing trust with victims of trauma (Steele & Malchiodi, 2012).

Therapeutic Strategies

CBT “is directed at the connection between thoughts, actions and feelings” and focuses

on “changing negative thought patterns and beliefs associated with depression, creating

opportunities for, and reinforcing success in order to address feelings of helplessness, and

fostering skill development to increase social competency” (Baker & Ashbourne, 2002, p. 38). It

is a problem-focused and goal-oriented process intended to help patients break the cycle of

negativity that perpetuates their depression. According to Merry (2007), CBT has helped many

patients display a significant short-term reduction in their depressive symptoms.

Erickson, Gerstle, and Feldstein (2005) discuss how BI encourages and facilitates

discussion using a communication style “characterized by partnership building, empathy,

interpersonal sensitivity, and information giving” (p. 1173). This requires therapists to integrate

“empathy, unconditional positive regard, and genuineness” into their work with adolescents (p.

1174). MI techniques assess “how a person feels about the status quo and about change through

an exploration of the person’s values, interests, and concerns” (Erickson et al., 2005, p. 1174).

The client-centered tenets of BI and MI listed here display a clear philosophical alignment with

the theory of student-centered social pedagogy currently being practiced in schools.

Fernando (2007) points out that anxiety is not necessarily negative, as it is both

unavoidable and can be used as internal motivation to make more healthy and productive

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decisions. Therefore, he suggests that the goal of therapy should not be to rid the client of their

anxiety, but to help them develop coping strategies to constructively live with anxiety. Biggs and

Flett (2005) explain that SFBT is a postmodern, constructivist approach focusing on the here and

now, solutions rather than problems, and achieving goals for the future instead of dwelling on the

failings of the past. This therapy is brief by design to establish a service contract between the

participants, which facilitates an effective use of time (Biggs & Flett, 2005).

Methodology

The methodological approach I chose for this independent inquiry was qualitative in

nature, and included various elements of narrative, ethnographic, and grounded theory research.

To conduct the preceding literature review on my topic, computer searches were undertaken with

the Google Scholar and Education Resource Information Center (ERIC) databases, using

primarily the key words stress and adolescents, and limited to empirical studies in scientific

journals and reference books published in English. Stressors were chosen and categorized based

on their determined prevalence in the lives of students, impact was reduced to a few predominant

emotional problems, and approach to intervention was centred on providing time and space for

individuals to speak with a trusted and respected adult in their life. This ultimately included a

focus on individual as opposed to school wide intervention, and being proactive as opposed to

reactive: identifying those in need and providing assistance prior to their problems becoming

unmanageable, incapacitating, or maladaptive.

The data I chose to examine included an autoethnographic component, reflecting on my

memories a way of making sense of my students’ lives and how I might best be able to help

them. Based on my personal experiences, as well as professional and informal observations, I

explored the media and aspects of pop culture that young people at my school engage with

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(books, films, music, video games, and social media), as they pertained to identifying stressors,

assessing their emotional state, and helping them develop coping mechanisms. I concluded the

collection process by looking at some statistical data, including the Tell Them From Me (TTFM)

Survey, and various videos, all of which were publicly available and not directly created or

administered by me (Hendricks, 2017). To make sense of this data, I coded for various themes

across the different sources, based on their relationship to my three specific research questions.

The analysis and synthesis of this data lead to the development of the theme statements in my

findings section and informed the proposed intervention model.

Data

Autoethnography

I was repeatedly bullied while I was in high school. I was short and overweight for my

age, with braces and bad acne. This combination of physical characteristics made me an easy

target for some of the more athletic, popular boys at my school, but one individual in particular

took it upon himself to make my life completely miserable. The bullying I endured was primarily

verbal insults about my appearance; however, occasionally it also became physical. Being

tripped in the cafeteria or pushed into lockers in the hallway was not uncommon. The worst

place in the school for me was the boys’ locker room, but it could not be avoided, as Physical

Education (PE) class was still mandatory at this time. I was often thrown to the floor and

snapped with towels. I did not tell anyone about what I was going through or display any

outward signs of trauma; my teachers, family, and friends remained oblivious throughout my

ordeal. At the time, I didn’t feel capable of sharing this information.

The impact of this bullying manifested itself in multiple ways in the years to follow. I

developed an extremely negative self-image; despite transitioning into a much taller, thinner,

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more athletic adult, I continued to perceive myself as the short, overweight, sedentary version of

myself from my youth. Baggy clothes became a staple of my wardrobe. I ate sparingly at all

meals, often opting for salad only, and shunning all desserts and fatty foods. I never took off my

shirt in public, and I avoided any public activity that traditionally requires it. I worked out

religiously, not out of a strong desire to be healthy, but out of fear that I might revert back to my

previous physique. One year over Christmas vacation, I went to Cancun, Mexico with my family,

and I vividly recall spending the entire trip working out at Gold’s Gym instead of hanging out at

the beach and swimming in the ocean.

Pop Culture Connections

Students at my junior high school prefer to read young adult fiction, primarily in the

fantasy, post-apocalyptic, and dystopian genres. These books often feature young characters

placed in extraordinary circumstances and explore themes specifically related to the stressful

nature of the adolescent experience, including pressure to conform, desire for independence, fear

of failure, loss of innocence, and development of personal morality and identity. This explains

their interest in novels such as The Book Thief, The Giver, the Harry Potter series, and The

Hunger Games and The Maze Runner trilogies. When it comes to films released in the past year,

some of the most popular among these teenagers include Captain America: Civil War, Batman v

Superman: Dawn of Justice, Deadpool, and Suicide Squad. These live-action superhero films

serve a dual purpose for young people; to begin with, they offer escapism because the

protagonists have unnatural powers, solve their problems with violence, often utilize sarcastic

humour in their interactions with allies and enemies alike, and have the freedom to act without

consequences. On the other hand, they are grounded in a certain reality because their plots

revolve around the universal theme of good versus evil and provide the predictability and

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stability that youth crave. The media adolescents seek out and engage with is interconnected; for

example, teens voracious read and repetitively watch the Harry Potter and The Hunger Games

books and films. Films and music have similar crossover; for example, the popularity of Straight

Outta Compton was both a product of, and a catalyst for, youth interest in the gangsta rap group

N.W.A.

The musical tastes of adolescents at my school tend to fall into three genres: pop,

indie/alternative, and hip hop/rap, all of which have different reasons for their appeal. Pop artists

such as Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, and Justin Bieber sing about the trials and

tribulations of relationships and the need to have a good time while you are young. In their song

“Stressed Out,” the indie/alternative group Twenty One Pilots address fear, insecurity, and the

desire to fit in, “I was told when I get older all my fears would shrink / But now I'm insecure and

I care what people think” (Joseph, 2015). Another band of this genre, Imagine Dragons, explores

the weight of expectations and the struggle to succeed and find happiness, “I don’t ever want to

let you down” / “When your dreams all fail” in their songs “It’s Time” and “Demons”

respectively (Reynolds, D. C., McKee, B. A., & Sermon, D. W., 2012; Grant, A. J., Reynolds, D.

C., Sermon, D. W., McKee, B. A., & Mosser, J. F., 2012). The hip hop/rap genre also has unique

features that attract many teenage listeners. Artists including Eminem, Tupac Shakur, and

N.W.A. provide unique political, economic, and social commentary, often using highly offensive

lyrics, simultaneously reflecting and glorifying the sex roles, poverty, violence, and alcohol and

substance abuse they see in society.

Snapchat, Instagram, and to a lesser extent, Facebook, are the most popular social

networking sites (SNS) among adolescents at my school. The instant and spontaneous nature of

communication these SNS offer can be both a cause (cyber-bullying, posting of inappropriate

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and socially damaging photos and videos, internet addiction) and a reliever (entertainment,

relationship creation, building, and maintenance, social recognition) of stress in teens (Leung,

2006). Video game play, primarily the domain of adolescent males, has a similar ability to

produce both pro-social and anti-social behaviours in participants. Incredibly popular and violent

games such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto, which allow young users to escape to an

unfamiliar historical or fictionalized world, can help develop their skills in risk assessment,

decisions and consequences, and collaboration. However, extensive gaming and video game

dependency can also increase levels of psychological and social stress through lower

achievement, increased truancy, reduced sleep, and limited alternative leisure activities, as well

as lead to the development of depression and suicidal thoughts (Rehbein, Psych, Kleimann,

Mediasci, & Mößle, 2010).

Statistics

Statistics Canada (2016a) points out that in 2014, 19.5% of teenagers (15 to 19 years old)

reported experiencing quite a lot or extreme stress on most days of their lives; 15.5% of these

respondents were male and 24% were female. 5.6% of the population (12 to 19 years old)

reported perceiving their own mental health (level of mental or emotional suffering) status as fair

or poor, including 4.3% of males and 6.9% of females (Statistics Canada, 2016b). These

statistics, relatively stable since 2011, suggest that adolescent females report feeling more stress

and emotional suffering than males, approximately 1 in 5 students in a junior high or high school

classroom is experiencing an extreme level of stress, and 1 in 18 students believe they have a fair

or poor overall level of mental health.

TTFM is an online, anonymous, and voluntary survey administered twice a year to

students in grades 7-12 in Alberta and across Canada. Its purpose is to measure student

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engagement in the academic, intellectual, and social domains; then, educators use the data

collected to monitor progress and implement changes designed to improve the learning outcomes

and school culture for students (Alberta Education, 2013). In May of last year, 112 students in

grades 7-9 at my school took the TTFM Survey (The Learning Bar Inc., 2016). While reviewing

this data, I looked for significant discrepancies between the indicator results for our students and

the Canadian norms, as they pertained to my research focus. 62% of our students reported having

a positive sense of belonging (feeling accepted and valued by their peers and others), while the

Canadian norm was 72%. 27% of our students reported having moderate or high levels of

anxiety (intense feelings of fear, intense anxiety, or worry about particular events or social

situations) and depression (having prolonged periods when they feel sad, discouraged, and

inadequate), well above the Canadian norms of 18% and 16% respectively. In terms of positive

self-esteem (students who like and accept themselves, and are proud of their accomplishments),

72% of our students reported having high self-esteem versus 76% for the Canadian norm.

Finally, positive teacher-student relations (students who feel teachers are responsive to their

needs, and encourage independence with a democratic approach) and positive learning climate

(clear rules and expectations for classroom behaviour) were both rated 5.7/10 for our students,

while the Canadian norms were 6 and 5.8 respectively (The Learning Bar Inc., 2016).

Videos

Spoken-word poet London (2013) describes the stress caused by social dynamics (labels,

bullying, leaders and followers) and academic expectations in high school, “homework is

stressful… reading textbooks is stressful… taking tests is stressful” (2:06). Koyczan (2013) talks

about the stress associated with standing up for yourself, struggling to belong, and coming to

terms with your personal identity during the junior high and high school years, as well as the

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potential feelings of sadness and loneliness that can result. Anonymous eighth grade student

ASIJemi (2014) suggests that teenagers experience the most stress as a result of “homework,

parent and friend expectations, relationships, bullying, self-esteem, and parent divorce”, which

can lead to anxiety, depression, risk-taking behaviour, self-harm, and even suicide (0:07).

Speaking about the chemical reactions in the body caused by stress, health psychologist

McGonigal (2013) points out that stress makes you social, crave contact, and want to be

surrounded by people who care about you; this reaching out to others actually helps you recover

faster from stress, “Your stress response has a built-in mechanism for stress resilience, and that

mechanism is human connection” (10:40).

Findings

High levels of stress currently exist among adolescents. What are the primary stressors

impacting junior high school students’ emotional well-being? Parents (conflict, separation,

divorce), peers (bullying, response to anti-social behaviours), academic concerns (expectations,

performance, time management), and various physical and psychological factors (abuse, trauma,

illness) are significant stressors for this particularly vulnerable age group. How are these specific

stressors affecting their social life and academic performance at school? Their stress can

manifest itself as symptoms of anxiety and depression, as well as withdrawal/disengagement,

both socially and academically. Stress is not always negative; it can be a significant motivator

and provide learning opportunities for coping with future stressful situations. What role would

talking to someone, who could help them develop goals and strategies for coping, have in

helping to reduce their personal stress levels? Brief, focused, and personal interactions with a

trusted adult have the capacity to help mitigate some of the effects of student stress. Being

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available, supportive, positive, and empathetic are among the qualities adults should possess to

improve the likelihood of success when working with emotionally troubled students.

Not discussing emotional trauma with someone in their support network can create

significant and prolonged negative outcomes for youth. Students at my school gravitate toward

books, films, music, social media, and video games that reflect the personal and developmental

issues they are dealing with. They offer an escape from, and coping mechanism for, the uniquely

stressful aspects of their daily lives. Statistical data suggests that the students at my school and

across the country are facing significant levels of stress and do not feel adequately accepted by

their peers or supported by their teachers. Personal anecdotes provided by young people

experiencing many of the emotional issues explored herein, and empirical evidence presented by

experts working in the field of psychology, confirm the prevalence of stress, most significant

stressors being encountered, and desire and need for human connection as a means of stress

reduction.

Discussion Implications Modern society, with its ever-changing family structures, expensive and competitive

education system, excessive technology dependence, and unlimited access to mature

entertainment (containing high levels of sex, violence, and alcohol and substance abuse), is

causing adolescents to grow up faster and experience more stress than any generation before. For

this reason, the findings of the study were largely expected. Teenagers feel immense pressure to

conform socially and achieve academically (Ang & Huan, 2006). Family, friends, school, and

recreation are pulling students in multiple directions. They are often over-stimulated by

technology, including their laptop, smartphone, television, and video game system. Many are

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overscheduled in terms of extracurricular activities, making time management and meeting all of

their responsibilities a significant challenge (Melman et al., 2007). The junior high experience is

particularly stressful due to the physical and emotional changes occurring, large number of

teachers and their individual expectations, and dramatic increase in the quantity of homework

and tests being given. Despite an increase in knowledge of the benefits of physical health and its

relationship to emotional health, many students are suffering from dehydration, fatigue, poor

diet, and the pitfalls of living a sedentary lifestyle. Greater awareness and more accurate

diagnosis of mental health problems, as well as reduced stigma, have lead to an increase in

perceived and reported cases of anxiety and depression resulting from stress (Belfer, 2008).

Recommendations Given the findings and implications elucidated above, two specific policies should be

implemented across school boards to minimize the ubiquitous and debilitating effects of stress.

To ensure student safety, school personnel are already required to complete regular training in

the physical domains of first aid, concussion protocol, and workplace safety. Although all of

these safety precautions and training modules are preventative, they are unlikely to be utilized at

any point in the school year by teachers not instructing PE or Science. In addition, each school in

the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) must have a designated point person who has taken the

non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and applied suicide intervention skills training (ASIST). This is

also valuable instruction, but only for one or two teachers at any given school. I recommend that

each staff member be required to take an online or off-campus training module, or devote a

portion of a professional development day, to learning about student mental health difficulties,

primarily anxiety and depression. Teachers need to be provided with knowledge about the

symptoms of these disorders, and strategies for recognizing students in need and beginning the

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intervention process. A second recommendation is that each school has at least one staff member

with additional training and time built into their schedule to talk to students. Due to repeated

budget cutbacks, guidance counsellor roles have largely disappeared at the middle school level.

The classroom environment and defined role of the teacher can prevent students from fully

opening up; providing the opportunity to talk outside of regular classes has the potential to create

more trusting, help-oriented interactions and reduce personal stress.

Future Research and Limitations Researchers wanting to build on this study should consider including student and teacher

participation (interviews and surveys), employing a broader conceptualization of data collection,

and performing similar research in different school settings to confirm these findings and gain

deeper insight into the causes and consequences of student stress (Miller, Birch, Mauthner, &

Jessop, 2012). If teachers are given the opportunity to communicate with their emotionally

troubled students, it would be beneficial to document changes in behaviour, identify successful

coping strategies, and determine the most effective use of their time together. Age, gender,

family structure, and socioeconomic status are important mediating variables impacting how

students will perceive, respond to, and cope with stress that could be included in any quantitative

analysis. It was a struggle to find and include evidence of the effectiveness of one-on-one

interactions between students and teachers, outside of the literature review section of the study. It

is also impossible to ignore the potential for bias in the findings of this study, given my

professional position and personal connection to the topic.

Conclusion

Stress and its ramifications for youth is a significant practical issue that needs to be

prioritized in my current setting and also in all middle schools (Creswell, 2014). My personal

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45

experience with emotional trauma, failure to adequately deal with it, recognition of the lack of

support for students at my school dealing with similar issues, and change in my teaching role this

year to include a guidance block all informed my decision to undertake this study. The purpose

of the research was to gain insight into what I consider to be a serious problem, help the students

at my school who are currently suffering from stress, and inform teachers working

collaboratively with anxious or emotionally troubled students. This study has the capacity to

make both my colleagues and me more informed and proactive educators, and assist the students

in our care that are in need of timely individual intervention. My hope is that all educational

stakeholders, including administrators, educators, parents, and students will be able to derive

some benefit from the outcome of this work, and that ultimately it can help to de-stigmatize

stress and other mental health difficulties, as well as affect policy-making decisions in schools,

causing those in power to prioritize individual and school-wide mindfulness, mentoring, and

counselling practices.

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