The Potential Role of Resilience Education for Preventing Mental Health Problems for College Students

Abstract

CME Educational Objectives 1. Understand the various stressors experienced by college students. 2. Learn how stress, resilience, and mental health in college are interrelated. 3. Explore how resilience education can improve the mental health of college students. The transition to college can be an exciting, albeit stressful, time in students’ lives, as many begin living apart from family and friends for the first time and must adapt to new and increasingly demanding academic, social, and financial pressures while adjusting to life in an unfamiliar environment. As a result of this transition, first-year college students tend to experience greater stress, anxiety, and psychological distress (eg, depression) relative to upperclassmen. 1 The extent to which students are able to cope with stressors during the first year of college has important implications not only for their social-emotional adjustment, but also for the likelihood of their academic success and persistence in postsecondary education. 2