Research: in the field : Student unrest

1 March 1997

One in three university students suffers from high levels of
stress, anxiety or depression, according to research by a doctor with the Health
Service at the University of New South Wales. The doctor, Alex Tahmindjis
, calls his findings “startling”. As part of a research project for his degree of
Master of Psychological Medicine, Tahmindjis conducted a confidential
questionnaire among 100 students chosen at random. Thirty-eight per cent of
females and 28 per cent of the males suffered from high levels of stress,
anxiety or depression. Extreme depression was slightly higher in boys.
Thirty-five per cent had considered suicide at some point, according to
Tahmindjis. About 10 per cent of them considered it seriously. The stress was
often associated with homesickness, lack of support, and a lack of exercise and
proper diet. Tahmindjis believes that the pressure of continual assessment of
academic performance, rather than annual examinations, might be contributing to
stress levels among students.