Summer research project focuses on stress and anxiety in undergraduate college students

This summer, Dordt University Instructor of Social Work Leah Mouw is working with Lucy Borkowski, a senior biology public health major, to conduct research on anxiety and stress in undergraduate college students.

“In my experience of counseling, a large number of clients would come in for anxiety and stress,” says Mouw. “My goal as a therapist is to provide interventions to cope with the anxiety and stress and, if possible, find the root causes of the anxiety.”

The study seeks to research a large number of undergraduates to look for themes of the cause of anxiety and stress so that they might be able to address the issues.

Borkowski was drawn to the research project because she appreciates studies that affect the holistic well-being of others. “As a biology public health major, I am an advocate for providing care for every aspect of health. Participating in this research project sounded like a great way to learn more about the mental and emotional well-being of undergraduate students,” she says.

In January, Mouw sent a 15-minute survey to all Dordt undergraduate students. She sent the survey out three times via email; it included questions on levels of stress and anxiety that students were experiencing, external influences of emotional distress, and other stress-related topics. Possible causes of anxiety and stress include academics, social media, family, friends, transition to college, career stress, and more.

“Embedded within the survey was the Generalized Anxiety Disorder assessment, which is a seven-item instrument that uses the DSM-V criteria to measure anxiety symptom severity,” explains Mouw.

She ended up having 652 useable survey responses, which, according to Mouw, is a “fantastic number.”

This summer, Mouw and Borkowski plan to review the survey responses, look for common themes, run statistical analyses, and then turn the results into a report.

“Undergraduate students are prone to experiencing stress and anxiety because of their current life situation,” says Borkowski. “Students go through a lot of change; oftentimes, college students have never lived away from home before, so the struggle of adjusting to a more independent life can leave many anxious. It’s important to understand the causes of stress in undergraduate students so that institutions, professors, families, and the students themselves can help mitigate anxiety.”

The research is related to Mouw’s doctoral dissertation work in social work. Mouw says that the term “research” can be daunting, and allowing students to participate in research gives them a chance to have hands-on experiences in the process. “Our goal is to gather the data and then allow the numbers to tell the story.”

Borkowski says she is very excited to work with Mouw on this final part of her dissertation work. “It will be a great experience to analyze common themes of stress and anxiety in college students, and I am hopeful the process will prepare me for future research endeavors that I will complete in physical therapy school.”

“I am very passionate about this issue,” adds Mouw. “I love the many students I teach and interact with at Dordt, and I hope to be able to assist them in managing anxiety. I am also hopeful that the Dordt community can learn from this research.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.