Stress is the body's response to a real or perceived threat.[1] Stress causes an increase in breathing and heart rate and a person to feel nervous or tense. Experiencing some stress is a normal part of a growing up, and these stressful situations are often manageable. For some people, stress can affect their body and brain in negative ways when they do not have adequate coping strategies. Youth who have constant feelings of stress experience poor physical (e.g., headaches, sickness) and mental health (e.g., depression).[1],[2],[3]
| Youth who report having too many problems in their lives |
About the MeasureThis measure is collected from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (WDG) Youth Survey that gathers self-reported well-being data from grade 7 and 10 students. The survey asks students how often in the last year they felt they had too many problems in their lives. Students who respond “sometimes,” “often” or “always” are classified as having too many problems. Key FindingsAcross the three Youth Survey cycles, more grade 10 than grade 7 students reported having too many problems. The percentage of students who reported having too many problems increased between 2014-15 (44%) and 2017-18 (52%). Male students (43%) were less likely than female (61%) or non-binary students (63%) to report having too many problems (not shown in graph). Grade, gender and municipal level data can be found in the downloadable Excel file.
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Source: WDG Youth Survey, 2011-12, 2014-15 and 2017-18. WDG Report Card Coalition. Last updated August 2, 2018. LimitationsThe WDG Youth Survey collects self-reported data and is subject to response and recall bias.
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[1] Canadian Mental Health Association. (2016). Stress. Toronto, ON: Canadian Mental Health Association. Available at: http://www.cmha.ca/mental_health/stress/#.WJCT2VMrJdg
[2] American Psychological Association. (2014-02-11). American psychological association survey shows teen stress rivals that of adults [Press release]. Available at: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2014/02/teen-stress.aspx
[3] Siddique, C. M., & D'Arcy, C. (1984). Adolescence, stress, and psychological well-being. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 13(6), 459-473.