Mental Health of University Students

This assignment examines the mental health of university students, focusing on factors like perceived stress, substance use, behavioral addictions, and their association with academic performance and well-being. It analyzes various studies, including cross-sectional surveys and prospective cohort studies, to understand the prevalence and impact of these issues. The assignment encourages critical evaluation of research methodologies and exploration of strategies to promote mental health awareness and support within university settings.

Running head: IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Impact of stress on the mental health of young adults
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: 3
1.1 Introduction: 3
1.2 Background: 5
1.3 Rationale: 6
1.3 Aims and objectives: 8
1.4 Research questions: 9
1.5 Significance of the study: 9
1.7 Structure of the study: 10
1.6 Conclusion: 11
Chapter 2: Review of literature: 12
2.1. Overview: 12
2.2. Extraction table of the journal articles reviewed for the study: 13
Chapter 3: Research Methodology: 28
3.1 Stages of Systematic review 28
3.2 Inclusion criteria: 29
3.3 Phenomenon of interest 30
3.4. Exclusion criteria: 30
3.5 Search strategy: 30
3.6. Assessment of methodological quality: 31

2IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
3.7 Data collection: 32
3.8. Data synthesis: 35
Chapter 4: Data analysis and results: 36
4.1 Findings and Analysis 36
4.2 Thematic Analysis 37
Chapter 5: Discussion, conclusion and recommendation: 45
5.1. Discussion: 45
5.2. Conclusion: 50
5.3. Recommendation: 51
Appendix 3: Gantt Chart: 54
References: 56

3IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Chapter 1:
1.1 Introduction:
The young generation is the most important generation in the hands of whom the fate of
the society is bestowed upon, however the young generation of the present day is sought with
extreme stress. Each and every day of their life is sought with different kinds of stress factors
that are associated with the fast- paced City life that young adults living in the present age.
According to the authors there are various kinds of stuff factors that can affect the mental health
and well-being of the younger girls who are associated with such fast paced life patterns.
Difference can be related to the educational life, personal life, professional life, or associated
with any societal abnormalities that they are going through (Abbott et al. 2014). However, it can
be stated in this context that whatever maybe the source of the stress that the young generation of
the present age is going through is reflected heavily on their mental states and their cognitive
health. According to the recent statistics published by the Global Health authorities, close to 35%
of the overstressed population belong to the young generation of our society (Cooper and
Marshall 2013).
According to recent statistics published the overall stress levels when charged in a scale
of 1 to 10,the young adults or the adolescence generation has been found to be experiencing and
overall stress factor of close to 6.5 to 8 in the scale on a daily basis. Many of the crucially
important factors that have been identified associated with the stress response in the body. It can
be stated on this context that the psychoneuroimmunological studies have attempted to explore
the mechanism behind the stress and its impact on the mental health and wellbeing of different

4IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
individuals, and the most of the results indicate at serious health related issues for the young
adults on adolescence going to the extreme amount of stress (Evans and Kim 2012).
According to the recent studies it has been identified that the byproducts of different
stress hormones that are activated when human being is going through a particular stressing
scenario, this by-product can act as sedatives. Now the major function behind the sedatives that
are secreted in the body during the stress causing scenarios is to calm the person going through
the extreme amount of stress, and allow him to overcome the impact of stress without any
considerable detrimental effects on the mental health and well-being of the individual (Gard et
al. 2012). However it has to be understood that for the cases where the sedative chemical
substances are produced in abundance, the effect of these chemicals on the body is multiplied
several folds and inevitably this elevated effect causes the emergence of low energy,
hopelessness and even depression in the victim going through the stress.
Apart from depression, there are a multitude of different mental health problems that are
associated with the abundance of stress on the mental health of the overstressed individuals, and
for the young generation with highly impressionable minds and site that can be easily influenced
by the stress related complications, the impact of the stress is much more manifested in the
young adults. Along with mental health conditions like depression, irritability, aggressiveness,
personality disorders and mood swings are very common mental health problems that are
associated with the impact of stress factors on the psych of the young generation individuals
(Gerber et al. 2013). This research paper will explore the extent of damage that different types of
stress can facilitate on the metal health and wellbeing of the young adults and will also attempt to
formulate a set of recommendations which can help in minimizing the impact of the mental
stress on the individuals.

5IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
1.2 Background:
According to many of the authors teenage years is considered to be one of the best time
of human life where the most of the psychological development takes place. However,
unfortunately the young adults and adolescents are the most overstressed generation of our
society according to the global health statistics. The impact of the stress on the young generation
can be one of the most important contributing factors behind the alarming scenario (Hamer et al.
2012). There have been many research studies that have contributed to the exploring the impact
of the stress on the mental health causing different kinds of Mental Health disorders, how far is a
significant lack of extensive cohort analysis studies to explore the differential impact that
differential kinds of stress factors can facilitate.
On a more elaborative note, many authors have distinguished that different kinds of stress
factors elicit different kinds of response on the victim. It can be a sudden change in the behavior
or body language, and it can also be a subtle change in the thought process and reaction response
of the victim under the stress. Now it has to be understood that the impact of the different kinds
of stress elements are deciding factors behind the different response it elicits in the victim (Han
et al. 2016). For instance, if professional stress is considered, the impact of professional stress
generally brings about irritability and behavioral shifts on the victim, whereas if personal stress
is considered then the response of this kind of stress factor is reflected as mood swings, low
energy and depression in the victims most usually. This differential effect of the stress of the
mental health of the different individuals does not only vary depending on the type of the stress
imposed on the particular individual, but the differential effects depend heavily upon the
different individuals as well. According to the recent discoveries, the psychological makeup of
every single individual is different from one person to another, and these differences impart a

6IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
huge impact on the stress triggers (Linscott and Van Os 2013). Elaborating more, it can be stated
that the trigger for one particular peso with the different kinds of stress can be completely
different from another person; hence if a particular stress factor affects the mental sanity of ne
young adult, that particular stress factor might not elicit any triggering response in the other
young adults. Hence, there are various factors behind the effect of the stress on the mental health
deterioration in the young generation, and there is need for extensive research to discover the
mechanism of mental health deteriorate due to stress (Mahmoud et al. 2012).
1.3 Rationale:
In a research paper the impact of the problem statement is crucial and there has to be sound
rationale behind the choice of the problem statement and justification for the relevance and need
for the particular research topic. For the research study that is going to be undertaken here, the
problem statement can be identified as the differential impact of different stress factors on the
mental health of different young adults. Now it has to be mentioned that stress has become an
integral part of our everyday life, no one can unequivocally deny of having any mental stress all
throughout their life (Neece 2014). However the capacity of tolerance of stress is not necessarily
same for every other individual, different people have different tolerance level for stress and they
are very characteristically affected by stress or stress causing triggers. Wild availability of
susceptibility to stress related mental disorders vary from person to person; young adults on
adolescence are the most vulnerable victims of stress related disorders as per the recent statistics
shared by the Global Health authorities. 1out of 4 young adults have been discovered to be under
extreme mental stress that relates to as a personal, professional, or societal aspect of their life.
However the impact of mental stress on the young generation has become significant health
priority due to the fact that in the last 5 years the percentage of younger age groups suffering

7IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
from a diverse range of mental disorders has increased in an astounding rate (Shilo and Savaya
2012). Hence if a preventative on coping strategy or policy program is to be introduced there is
need for extensive research on the mechanism how the different stress factors affect different
young adults and their mental States is crucial.
It has to be mentioned in this context that they have been many research studies dedicated to
exploring the impact of stress factors on the cognitive response mechanism of human mind and
how the accumulation of stress factors culminate to the establishment of a particular mental
disorder. the effect that have been made by the literature is published previously has to be
appreciated for the accurate and relevant data that provides a substantial inside on to the impact
of stress on the mental health and well-being, there has been a pressing gap evident in the
literature that caters to this particular scenario. One of the most evident research gaps is the range
of impact that particular stress factors on the human mental health (Sugaya et al. 2012). A very
generalized idea of the impact of stress factors on the mental health and wellbeing undoubtedly
health in bringing about clarity and trans parity on this topic but the lack of detail on how a
particular stress factor can alter the bringing about clarity and trans parity on this topic but the
lack of detail on how a particular stress factor can alter the cognitive functions of a particular
human being has become a pressing need in order to develop a targeted coping strategy. Another
very important research cat that have been left unaddressed is the fact that the young generation
has increasing to become one of the most frequent victims of mental disorders due to various
stress related factors, however there is minimal research that emphasizes on the extent of impact
only for the young generation (Tavolacci et al. 2013). Lastly and most importantly, another very
neglected but extremely important sector associated with the scenario is the difference of
different stress triggers in the lives of the young generation, which is still an untouched genre by

8IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
the progressive research that has been going on. It has to be understood that without
characterizing and categorizing the prevalence of different stress triggers the impact of these
triggers can never be standardized accurately evaluated (Thoits 2013)
1.3 Aims and objectives:
A research study is left completely incomplete without a sound and targeted set of aims
and objectives driving that research study. Aims and objectives are the set goals or visions
behind the research study process the research study in the right direction so that goal can be
met. Now the aims and objectives of research study has to be very definite, well structured,
organized and extremely well thought out. It can be easily stated that aims and objectives are the
backbone behind a research study which provides the primary outcome for the study to achieve
in its completion (Tsang et al. 2015).
As the problem statement for this research study is the escalating rate of young adults
suffering from different mental disorders due to the trees and stress factors intricately linked with
their lifestyle and living conditions, the aims and objectives decided for this research study will
follow four particular elements associated with this scenario which are the potential contributing
factors to the escalating health issue under consideration in the research study (Ul Haq et al.
2017). This systematic review will attempt to explore and evaluate each of the decided for core
elements of stress related mental disorders in the young generation by the means of a well
structured and highly scientific systematic review incorporating accurate, relevant and
transferable research articles published in the last 5 years. Aims and objectives of this systematic
review study are:
 To recognize and characterize the stress factors prevalent in the lives of young adults
of the current age.

9IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
 To explore lifestyle variables are contributing to the excessive stress in the young
adults.
 To explore and evaluate the impact of each of the different stress factors on the
mental health of the young adults.
 And lastly, to explore the overall awareness in society regarding the severity of the
deteriorating mental health of the young adults due to stress.
1.4 Research questions:
The research questions selected for this review study are:
 What are the stress factors prevalent in the lives of young adults of the current
age?
 What lifestyle variables are contributing to the excessive stress in the young
adults?
 What is the impact of each of the stress factors on the mental health of the young
adults?
 What is the overall awareness in society regarding the severity of the deteriorating
mental health of the young adults due to stress?
1.5 Significance of the study:
This study will primarily help in discovering the individual stress triggers that affect the
mental health of young generation and how the accumulation of these triggers escalate to
different kinds of mental the shortest for different groups of the young generation. A clear and
well articulated idea about the entire mechanism how stress impacts and alters the different
cognitive abilities and behaviors of a young adult will help excessively in designing curated and

10IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
age appropriate prevent it is strategy which can help numerous young adults prevent manage and
overcome the mental complications which have become societal norm (VanKim and Nelson
2013). Along with that this systematic review study will also explore the level of awareness in
the society regarding the difference trust factors and how it affects the different young
individuals across different socio economic sectors. This will help in attaining a very clear and
transparent idea about this awareness in the public regarding the severity of the issue and will
help in designing different strategic actions that can facilitate higher awareness and compassion
regarding the different young individuals going through mental complications and will also help
establish a sound mental health literacy in all sectors of the society so that the intervention or
coping programs can be optimally utilized and the rate of young individuals going through
different mental disorders can be drastically reduced.
1.7 Structure of the study:
Chapter1IntroductionChapter2LiteraturereviewChapter3ResearchMethodologyChapter4ResultsofsystematicreviewChapter5DiscussionChapter6ConclusionandRecommendations

11IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
1.6 Conclusion:
On a concluding note, it can be stated that mental health and well-being is a basic human
right for any individual and no one should be denied the right to a healthy mind and body.
Where the young generation of the society should be the most cherished and nurtured so that
the responsibility of the society may fall upon able hands, the young generation of our
society is forcibly drowned in different kinds of stresses which is eventually but substantially
altering the cognitive abilities and deteriorating their mental health. That is the reason the
alarming ratio of young adults suffering from mental disorders is one of the most concerning
public health priorities and there is need for extensive research to focus on different aspects
of the scenario so that the young generation of our society could be saved with compassion
and care. The systematic review study will attempt to evaluate all the possible influential
sectors of this scenario which will inevitably help in devising a robust preventative or coping
strategy which will help numerous young adults.
This first chapter of the dissertation has been an introductory part of the actual research
that will be carried out to achieve the goals and objectives set in this chapter. An extensive
idea about the background of this societal health issue has also been included in this chapter
along with considerable justification or rationale behind the choice of this topic as the rising
public health priority. Hence, it can be hoped that this research study upon completion will
be an effective tool in discovering the essential factors that are playing the pivotal role in
escalating the chosen public health issue and help in arriving at the best possible solution to
overcome the issue.

12IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Chapter 2: Review of literature:
2.1. Overview:
Sound physical and mental health is a basic human right and each and every
individual has an equal right to. However in this fast paced world of the current age, for an
individual to have a chance at options physical and mental health is blasphemous. There are
countless stress factors associated with a wide variety of external and internal factors
associated of human life, and all of these stress factors have a pound impact on the mental
health of all human beings, regardless of the age group. The stress factors and their impact
however depend heavily upon a few key life- oriented variables. For instance, the factors like
lifestyle choices, occupational status, health condition, socio-economic status, and
qualifications impact the mental health and sanity of the individuals effectively. However, it
has to be understood in this context that the stress factors are differential on the basis of age-
group of the target population. For instance, the adolescents and young adults have different
kinds of stress factors and a very different kind of impact of the stress group. And on the
other hand, the adults have different stress impact and elderly age group go through different
stress scenario and hence are impacted differently than the other age groups. However, in the
recent statistics shared by the world health authorities, the majority of the mental health
concerns have been reported in the young adult age groups and threatening acute depression,
personality disorder and suicidal rates are also alarmingly high in this particular age group.
On a more elaborative note, the young generation has been detected to be the most stressed
out generation as of the last few decades and that is probably the most influential
contributing factor behind the extreme terrifying condition of the young generation of the

13IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
society in terms of mental health. Although many of the authors have attempted to discuss
the impact of different stress factors and its differential influence on different mental health
facilitators. This research study attempts to discuss the individual impact of different stress
groups on the mental health of young adults and the pattern of awareness of the different
individuals belonging to the young adult age group. This literature review with explore and
evaluate the data represented by the literature published previously so that the trend can be
discovered and characterized, and along with that the research gap can be identified that this
research study will attempt to bridge. In order to do so the research study will attempt to
review the journal articles published from the year of 2010 onwards, all the journal articles
selected for the review study had been judged for the quality, relevance, feasibility,
reliability, authenticity, generalizability and transferability of the studies under question. The
extracted findings from the journal article sources selected have been summarized and
represented in a tabular format in this section.
2.2. Extraction table of the journal articles reviewed for the study:
Sl
no
.
Title Author/
year
Design Data
collectio
n
method
Objective Outcomes Strengths
and
weaknesse
s
Selection
status
1. Short Sleep
Duration in
Prevalent and
Persistent
Psychological
Distress in
Young Adults:
The DRIVE
Glozier et
al.
(2010)
Prospectiv
e cohort
study
Survey The objectives
of the research
study had
been to
explore the
impact of the
differential
level of
Shorter sleep
duration was
discovered to
be linearly
associated
with psycho-
social in the
young adults
This research
article has very
clearly depicted
the co-relation
between the
different range
of psychosocial
distress in the
Included for
the insight
provides on
the impact of
stress factors
n the mental
health by
measuring

14IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Study psychological
distress on the
rising
insomnia in
young adults,
which
precedes the
onset of a
number of key
mental
disorders.
and with
relative risk of
1.11. And
along with
that it has also
been
discovered
that with each
hour of lesser
sleep is
directly
proportional
with the
persisting
psychological
distress in the
young adults
after the
adjustment of
confounding
variables.
young adults
and its possible
relation
between the
onset of
different mental
disorders
indicated by the
most common
compliant in
young patients
with emerging
mental
disorders. The
stress factors
and its relation
with
demographical,
socio-economic
, occupational
and gender
related factors
are also
adjusted in the
study for better
understanding
of the
psychosocial
factors on the
stress levels
and its impact
can be
understood.
Although,
limitations of
sleep
deprivation, a
common
compliant in
cases of
mental
illnesses and
predecessor
many acute
mental
disorders.

15IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
the study
include the
possible
attrition bias
and lack of
outcome
persistence.
2. Stress and Its
Effects on
Medical
Students: A
Cross-
sectional
Study at a
College of
Medicine in
Saudi Arabia
Abdulghani
et al.
(2011)
Cross
sectional
qualitative
study
Questionnair
e based
survey
The objectives
of this study is
to determine
the prevalent
level of stress
in the medical
students and
how is affects
the mental
health and
academic
performance
competencies.
The primary
outcome of
the study
indicates at
63% of
prevalent
stress in the
87% of the
respondents.
The study
recorded that
the prevalence
of stress is
higher in
females
(75.7%) as
compared to
males (57%).
The study also
describes that
the stress level
generally
increases
throughout the
tenure of the
course and the
mental health
of stability of
One key
finding of this
cross-sectional
study is the fact
that the for the
study subjects
of this study,
the stress levels
continued to
decrease as the
students
progressed
towards the
very end of the
school year.
Which is
indicative of
the fact that the
educational
stress and the
stress
associated with
acculturation
procedure of
the young adult
students in a
course as
difficult as
Included for
the direct link
of
educational
stress and its
impact on the
psychological
wellbeing of
the medicine
students

16IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
the students
also continue
to worsen
accordingly
from the start
towards the
end of the
school year.
medical
gradually
decreases as the
tenure of the
course comes to
end. This study
validates the
understanding
that the
students with
psychological
distress in the
medical
students
facilitated
significant
amount of
psychological
illness in the
students which
often get drop
out of the
course itself.
The study
further
validated the
need for
adequate
psychological
services for the
students so
optimal
psychological
support can
reach the needy

17IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
students. Along
with that the
study
incorporated
the level of
awareness in
the society
regarding the
mental health
of young
students, and
indicated at the
need for better
mental health
promotional
activities to
increase the
awareness and
help the
students in need
before the
conditions
escalate.
Although the
study only took
into
consideration
the medicine
students, which
decreases the
scope and
generalizability
of the study.
3. Mental Health
Problems and
Hunt and
Eisenberg
Narrative
review
Secondary
data
The main
objective of
Mental health
problems are
The study also
discovered the
Included due
to meeting

18IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Help-Seeking
Behaviour
among
College
Students
(2010) study collection this study is to
discover the
current state
of the mental
health in the
college
students, the
stress risk
factors behind
the present
mental health
condition of
the students,
the possible
cause behind
the worsening
trend along
the years, and
the awareness
of the society
and statistics
on what rates
are the
students
receiving the
necessary
treatment.
prevalent in
the college
students more
than the young
adults not
undertaking
college
studies. The
stress factors
identified
behind the
poor mental
health of the
college
students
include socio-
economic
stressor,
relationship
stressors, lack
of social
support, and
victimization
stress.
prevalence of
suicidal
tendencies in
the male
students and
depression and
anxiety
disorders in
female students
due to different
categories of
stress. The
study also
critically
evaluated the
level of
awareness and
policy action on
the topic of
deteriorating
mental health in
the young
adults due to
psycho-social
stressors
associated with
college
education and
the need for
better policy
action for
improving the
mental health
promotional
outcome for the
almost all of
the objectives
of this study.

19IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
young college
students.
4. The
Relationship
among Young
Adult College
Students’
Depression,
Anxiety,
Stress,
Demographics
, Life
Satisfaction,
and Coping
Styles
Mahmoud
et al.
(2012)
Cross
sectional
study
Questionnair
e based
survey
The main
objective of
this study is to
discover the
contributing
factors behind
the prevalent
ill mental
health
conditions like
depression
anxiety and
its relation
with stress
factors
prevalent in
the emerging
adult age
group.
A total
number of 508
undergraduate
s participated
in the study.
The maximal
mount of
depression
and stress had
been detected
in the
sophomores
with
maladaptive
coping
strategies in
place.
Students with
lower GPA
were detected
to be under
more
educational
stress and had
far worse
mental health
complications
than the rest.
Anxiety and
lack of life
satisfaction
has also been
detected as the
This study co-
aligns with the
purpose of this
review study
effectively by
incorporating
the age group
of 18-24 as the
target
population.
Along with
incorporating
the evaluation
of the link
between most
common stress
inducing
factors in the
young adults,
the study has
also indicated
at the existed
strategies and
preventative
programs being
limited to
transitional
academic
levels. This
research study
has very
cleverly linked
the stress
Included for
the crucial
link between
the research
study and the
primary
objectives of
this paper.

20IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
strong
predictors of
depression in
the young
adults,
however
demographical
predictors had
been detected
to be not
imparting
significant
effect on the
three mental
health
determinants.
factors
prevalent in the
lives of the
emerging adults
and indicated at
the need for a
more
pronounced
awareness and
support
program for the
youth to
understand the
impact of stress
on mental
health.
5. Computer use
and stress,
sleep
disturbances,
and symptoms
of depression
among young
adults–a
prospective
cohort study
Thomée,
Härenstam
and
Hagberg
(2012)
Prospectiv
e cohort
study
Questionnair
e based
survey
The main
objective of
this study was
to discover
whether the
techno stress
derived from
excessive
addition to
computer in
young adults
is indicative of
the pattern in
mental health
disorders.
The main
outcomes of
this study had
been the
discovery of
strong
association
between high
techno-stress
and several
mental health
outcomes.
The study had
contrasted the
extent of
technology use
with several
techno stress
inducing
factors like
sleep
deprivation,
depression,
fatigue, and
decreased
performance.
The study
discovered the
impact of
techno stress
was higher in
Included
because of
incorporating
a the novel
concept of
techno-stress
on mental
health of
young adults.

21IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
the male
population
whereas
continued
computer usage
without a break
had more
detrimental
effects on the
mental health
and sanity of
the female
population.
6. Mental health
disorders,
psychological
distress, and
suicidality in a
diverse
sample of
lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and
transgender
youths.
Mustanski,
Garofalo
and
Emerson
(2010)
Population
based
qualitative
analysis
study
Structured
diagnostic
interview
The main
objectives of
this study had
been to
analyse the
association
between the
minority stress
associated
with the
impact on the
mental health
and wellbeing
of the young
adults.
The age group
of 16 to 20
had been
selected for
this LGBT
population
based study.
In which 17%
had been
identified to
be having
behavioural
conduct
disorders,
15% having
major
depression
and 9% had
conspicuous
PTSD
symptoms.
And along
This is the first
research article
to utilize the
diagnostic
assessment
method DSM-
IV to judge the
impact of the
minority stress
on the mental
health and
wellbeing of
the LGBT
individuals.
Along with that
the study has
attempted to
contrast
different factors
associated with
minority stress
and its impact
Included for
the fact that
the study can
affectively
explain the
concomitant
pattern of
change in
increase of
mental
disorders and
minority
stress on
young adults.

22IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
with that the
study could
also discover
that the
minority stress
was associated
with
significant
suicidal
attempts as
well.
manifested as
different kinds
of mental
health
disorders.
7. Perceived
barriers and
facilitators to
mental health
help-seeking
in young
people: a
systematic
review.
Gulliver,
Griffiths
and
Christensen
(2010)
Systematic
review
study
Secondary
data
collection
and analysis
This research
study aims to
discover the
level o
awareness in
the young
adult
population
and the
perceived
barriers and
facilitators in
mental health
help seeking
behaviours in
the young
adult
population.
This
systematic
study
reviewed 15
qualitative and
7 quantitative
articles, there
are various
social stigma
identified in
the mental
health help
seeking
behaviour.
Although it
has also been
identified that
the stress from
the social
stigmatization
further
worsens the
mental health
of th4e
This research
study discovers
the outcome of
the thesis paper
by explaining
the impact of
the stress
induced by
social
stigmatization
on the already
mentally
unstable youth.
This study
discovers the
lack of
adequate
awareness in
the society
regarding the
health and
wellbeing of
the mentally ill
young adults
Included for
the different
point of view
provided by
the article on
the impact of
stress of
social
stigmatizatio
n on the
youth seeking
help for
psychological
distress

23IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
victims and
there is need
for more
progressive
awareness and
promotional
campaigning
for better
mental health
delivery to the
young adults.
and the need
for active
efforts to
reduce the
stress of social
stigmatization
and bullying to
ensure better
health for the
mentally ill
youth.
8. Evaluation of
a campaign to
improve
awareness and
attitudes of
young people
towards
mental health
issues
Livingston
et al.
(2013)
Qualitative
study
design
Interview
based survey
The main
objective of
this study was
to discover the
impact of In
One Voice
campaign to
raise the
societal
awareness on
mental health
of young
adults and its
contributing
factors.
The result
judged the
efficacy of the
campaign
across a
variety of
different
opinions
variables.
24.8% of the
respondents
were
discovered to
be retained the
name of the
campaign
although the
behavioural
and attitude
factors were
discovered to
be shockingly
similar
between the
The study
focussed on one
social media
campaigning
that attempted
to increase the
societal
awareness and
compassion
towards the
mentally ill
young adults.
The study
discovered that
the
campaigning
was completely
effective and
there had not
been much
change on the
attitude and
behaviour of
the individuals
Included for
the emphasis
on the failure
of a social
media
campaigning
to incorporate
better
awareness for
the mentally
ill.

24IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
respondents
who were and
were not
aware of the
campaign.
towards the
mentally ill
youth and their
health and
wellbeing
needs.
9. Strategies and
future
attempts to
reduce
stigmatization
and increase
awareness of
mental health
problems
among young
people: A
narrative
review of
educational
interventions.
Yamaguchi
, Mino and
Uddin
(2011)
Narrative
literature
review
Secondary
data
collection
and analysis
The main
objective if
this study had
been to
discover the
level of
stigmatization
in the society
regarding the
mental health
of the young
people and the
effect of the
awareness
strategies in
place for the
young adults.
Among the 40
studies
selected for
the review, the
impact of
educational
intervention
was studied in
12 studies and
tthe4 review
article could
effectively
describe a few
potentially
affective
educational
intervention
strategies for
increasing
awareness
regarding the
mental health
of the young
people.
However the
perceived
dangerousness
The study
evaluated the
evolution of the
educational
intervention
provided to the
society over the
years and how
much it had
been able to
ease life for the
mentally ill
young
individuals.
However the
only limitation
of the study can
be the sole
focus on the
educational
interventions.
Included for
the
evaluation it
provided on
the evolution
of
educational
awareness
campaign and
the gaps left
behind in the
scenario.

25IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
of the
mentally ill
youth is one
of the
strongest
contributing
factor
identified to
increase the
social
stigmatization.
10. Stress
symptoms
among
adolescents:
The role of
subjective
psychosocial
conditions,
lifestyle, and
self-esteem
Schraml et
al. (2011)
Cross-
sectional
qualitative
study
Questionnair
e based
survey
The main
objective of
this study had
been to
discover the
prevalent level
of chronic
stress among
the
adolescents,
understand the
factors
contributing
behind the
stress
symptoms and
discover the
influence of
gender role.
This research
study involved
the age group
of 16 years
old and more
than 30% of
respondents
were
discovered to
have high
degree of
stress
symptoms.
However,
among the
others, every
second girl
and every fifth
boy were
discovered to
have acute
stress
prevalence.
8.2% were
This research
study very
critically
explored the
role of gender
inequality in
facilitating
acute stress in
the female
young students.
The
psychological
burden of this
stress has been
discovered to
be having a
significant
impact upon the
sleep patterns,
self esteem,
eating habits,
mood and
behaviour , all
of which is
Included for
the insight on
gender
inequality
stress on
females and
its
subsequent
impact

26IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
discovered to
be having
acute stress
symptoms
levels
indicated by
poor self
esteem, sleep
disturbance
and poor
social support.
indicative of
the onset of
poor mental
health in the
target
population.
Excruciating
parental
demands and
lack of
acceptance has
also been
discovered as a
key facilitator
in the
prevalence of
tis stress factor
in the young
females
11. Self-
compassion
and
psychological
resilience
among
adolescents
and young
adults
Neff and
McGehee
(2010)
Qualitative
cohort
study
Survey The main
objective of
this study had
been to
discover the
link between
self
compassion
and
psychological
resilience in
young adults.
This study
could discover
a strong
association
between the
upbringing
condition and
self
compassion
and mental
health.
This study
checked the
level of self
compassion as
facilitated by
the parental or
family related
stress and
mental well
being. This
study explored
a number of
external and
internal factors
associated with
parents support
Included for
the insight it
provided on
the impact of
stressful
parenting or
upbringing
on the mental
health of the
youth.

27IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
and upbringing
and the ip[act
of stressful
upbringing on
lack of self
esteem and
impaired
mental health
of the
individuals.

28IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
12. Stress
trajectories,
health
behaviors, and
the mental
health of
black and
white young
adults
Boardman
and
Alexander
(2011)
Qualitative
cohort
study
Survey The main
objective of
this study had
been to
discover the
stress
trajectories
among the
black and
white young
adults.
The African
Americans
were
discovered to
be having
significantly
higher stress
levels in their
teen and
tween years.
Prevalence of
depression
had been
found to be
significantly
higher than
the whites and
intensity of
depression
increases with
the prolonged
exposure to
racial stress to
the African
Americans.
This study
examined racial
discrimination
as the stress
exposure and
its impact on
the mental
health and
wellbeing of
the non-
Hispanic black
and white
young adults.
Included for
the insight
provided on
the concept
of racial
discriminatio
n and
stressors in
black and
white young
adults

29IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Chapter 3: Research Methodology:
For this study, a systematic review process is followed. A systematic review is the
process of collecting and critically analyzing the multiple research studies (Clement et al.
2015). For the systematic review, the literature research will be carried out considering the
objectives of the study. Literature search includes extracting the articles and critically
analyze the same for including the relevant papers in then systematic review. This process is
based on the method that is selected before formulating the research questions. The rationale
for choosing the systematic review is its consideration as strongest medical evidence (Goyal
et al. 2014).
3.1 Stages of Systematic review
The stages of systematic review are defining of question, search of relevant data,
extraction of relevant data, assessment of the quality of the data and lastly the analysis of
data to combine the results. The research questions are defined to agree on the objective
method. By employing certain inclusion and exclusion criteria, relevant data is searched. The
relevant data is then extracted which may include the method of intervention, participants of
research and the outcomes. The quality of the data is then assessed against the initial criteria
set for extraction and then analysed for obtaining a set of comprehensive statements (Taylor
et al. 2015).

30IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Figure: Systematic Review- steps
(Source: www. http://guides.library.cornell.edu)
3.2 Inclusion criteria:
The systematic review considered all the publications that include the stress and mental
health among the young adults. This review considers what factors cause stress and how it
influences the mental health of young adults. The review is not only restricted to the stress
caused in the adulthood and its impact on the mental health. Stress due to childhood adversity
is also factor for mental illnesses and is included in the systematic review. Stress due to
diverse regions is also included in the study such as religion, LGBT experiences, serious
illnesses such as cancer and various others. The journal articles published between 2010-

31IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
2017 were searched. Empirical studies published in the English language were used for
extraction. This criterion was searched as the goal was to the capture the international debate.
3.3 Phenomenon of interest
The relationship between the stress and the mental health experienced by the young
adults is the phenomenon of interest. The systematic review considered the qualitative and
quantitative studies and any interpretive studies that conclude how stress impacts the mental
health of the young adults.
3.4. Exclusion criteria:
This review excluded the papers that were –
 Reflective journals
 Text policy papers
 Studies conducted on impact of stress on physical health
 Studies published in languages other than English
 Studies published before 2010 and not relevant to research question
3.5 Search strategy:
The aim of the literature search was to extract the journal articles pertaining to the
research topic and published between 2010-2017 in the English language. The rationale for
selecting this time range for journal extraction is to gain latest and updated information on
the research area. The search includes hand search of relevant journals. The search strategy
includes three steps. Initial search is limited to “Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied
Health Literature” (CINAHL) and “Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System
Online” (MEDLINE) databases. Other search engines include Mednar, Google Scholar,

32IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
ScienceDirect and subdatabases, Scopus and subdatabases, and Dissertations Abstract
international. Initial search includes the screening of the abstracts and the titles. During the
search, the main focus was on the impact of stress on mental health. It was assumed that
these articles might contain the various aspects of the research objectives (Taylor et al. 2015).
The search was conducted by the key words contained in the title of the article. Terms from
the abstract as well as the index terms were used to search these databases. Further research
will be extended to other databases such as Cochrane library, EMBASE, Pubmed, and
PsycINFO. When searching these databases, it was confirmed if the full-text article was
available in different electronic databases used (Moher et al. 2015).
The published research journal was extracted by searching the reference list given and by
review of the citations. The keywords or the search terms used for the literature search are
“stress and mental health”, “stress on young adults”, “mental health and stress in young
adults”, “impact of stress”, and “mental health due to stress in young adults”. While
searching in the database, “smart text searching” was mainly used and sometimes “search all
terms” option was used. The search terms were also connected by the Boolean operators.
3.6. Assessment of methodological quality:
There is a need for quality assessment for the papers retrieved before it can be included in
the review (Zeng et al. 2015). Hence, with the help of critical appraisal instruments, the
methodological validity was assessed. The rationale or this step is to determine the final
eligibility of the papers according to the inclusion criteria of the study (Hannes, Lockwood
and Pearson 2010).
Critical appraisal Skills Programme or CASP tool was used for the assessment as the tool
contains checklists for assessing all types of quantitative and qualitative papers. Assistance

33IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
from the peers was taken for confusions arising at the time of critical appraisal. The
confusion was resolved through discussion with second or third reviewer. All the studies
were included by agreement between both the reviewers (Nadelson and Nadelson 2014). The
rationale for using the CASP tool is its popularity as an efficient tool to validate the chosen
studies and identify its relevancy by investigating the results (Munn et al. 2014). The tool
appraised the studies on different young adults mentally affected due to stress. The articles
were reviewed and rated on a ten-point scale for determination of the methodological quality.
It is based on the Jadad scale. It is adapted for the accountability, blinding and randomization
of the studies (Rosella et al. 2016).
3.7 Data collection:
Qualitative data and the quantitative data will be obtained from the systematic review of
the paper extracted using the CASP tool. The data extracted include details that were specific
about the phenomenon of interest, interventions, impact on the young adults, study design
used, outcomes generated, and significance of the outcome to the research objectives and
questions. After analyzing the studies, all the research questions will be answered in the
structured methodology.
The framework used for the data collection is the PRISMA tool. It is the evidence-based
tool that contains minimum set of items that is to be reported in the systematic reviews
(Moher et al. 2015). It is the effective tool and is used as basis for reporting the reviews of
different types of research. It is used in this study for evaluation of the interventions
(Shamseer et al. 2015). According to Panic et al. (2013), PRISMA may not be useful in
gauging the quality of systematic review but improves the reporting of the systematic review
and meta-analysis. PRISMA will help in finding the mental health impact of the different

34IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
stress factors on the young adults. It will help in transparent reporting of the systematic
review. In the present study, the PRISMA guidelines were implemented using the inclusion
and exclusion criteria. Please refer the statistic flow chart below-

35IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Records from database search
n = 600
Excluded duplicate records
n = 450
Screening was done using abstract and title
n = 450
Excluded Records
n = 350
Access eligibility for full-text papers
n = 100
Excluded articles
n = 50
Included articles from different sources
n = 50
Excluded irrelevant articles
n = 40
Peer-reviewed articles included based on the studies on young adults pertaining to stress
n = 8
Other articles included
n = 4
Total articles included in this systematic review
(8 + 4)
n = 12

36IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
3.8. Data synthesis:
From the various studies included in the systematic review, the results were combined.
This step was systematic and comprehensive. Wherever, it was possible qualitative research
findings were pooled. This process involved aggregation of the findings from all the journal
articles extracted. From these findings, similar ideas or concepts were categorised. From
different categories of data, further synthesis of findings was carried out. The objective of
the synthesis is to generate the set of statements that will reflect the aggregation. In order to
do so, the findings are assembled as per the quality. These may be called level one findings.
Based on the similarity of the ideas or the meanings these findings are categorised for
subjecting it to Meta-synthesis. The new or the level two findings are comprehensive set of
synthesized data. These synthesised data can be used as evidence, which can be further
implemented into practice. Some of the findings are narrated as textual pooling was not
possible as highlighted in the paper of (Zeng et al. 2015).

37IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Chapter 4: Data analysis and results:
4.1 Findings and Analysis
This chapter of the project will mention about the findings that is obtained from various
secondary sources. The finding will be analysed using the thematic approach and then
synthesizing the theme with detail description.
Findings 1: Regular exposure to the stress can result in the increase in tendency of addiction
of alcohol and drug
Findings 2: Stress can result in the people getting isolated from the society due to their
irregular behaviour.
Findings 3: The stress relating factors can result in the poor level of mental behaviour within
the adolescents
Findings 4: Long term exposure on stress can result in the increase in tendency of the of
help-seeking behaviour among the college students
Findings 5: The quality of sleep is highly dependent on the level of mental stress
encountered by young adults
Findings 6: Due to the increase in frequency of mental health disorder and stress more
number of young people are taking part in the health awareness program.
Findings 7: There is a strong relationship among the stress of the college students and the
nature of their lifestyle and demography
Findings 8: Youths from the LGBT community has the risk of suffering from stress related
disorders mainly due to the social issues

38IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Findings 9: Self compassion is one of the effective ways that can be used to measure the
level of stress among the young adults
Findings 10: The individual lifestyle and self-esteem among adolescents is believed to play a
significant role in the degree of stress related symptoms
Findings 11: Increased usage of electronic devices like computer and mobiles is believed to
be major cause of stress in the young adults that result in the sleep disturbances and disorders
4.2 Thematic Analysis
Following themes are derived from the findings:
Theme 1: Impact of stress factors prevalent in the social lives of young adults and poor
health behavior
Long term exposure to chronic stress can result in poor mental health behavior among the
young adults. They often indulge in poor social activities that include addiction to drugs and
alcohol. There is a strong connection between the impact of stressors and the mental health
condition of young adult and the action they took as a part of social activity. This is one of the
major cause of stress that occur within the young adults that enforces them to get affected by
poor social behavior. It has been often seen that people suffering from stress isolate themselves
from all social activities. In order to get temporary relief from the moment of stress they often
get accustomed with the use of alcohol and drugs. This often creates an unusual behavior of the
individual within the society. The individual suffers from behavior change and often are forced
to isolate themselves from the society.

39IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
The pressure exerted by the society in my occasions is believed to be one of the prime
cause of stress. The social discrimination due to racial issues is believed to be one of the major
stress factor. This factor can increase the chance of depression within an individual, thereby
resulting in lack of enthusiasm to participate in all forms of social activities.
Lack of sleeping is also one of the prime factors that affect the mental health behavior of
an individual, thereby increasing the risk of stress. The sleeping disorders is highly common
among the students, who have to take high level of pressure due to their academic life. Hence,
the education is also believed to be one of the major stress factors that can result in the social
isolation of the young adults. It has also been seen that students indulging themselves in the
addiction of smoking and alcohol due to the influence of the society that is mostly prevalent
within the education centers.
Theme 2: Changes in the behavior, attitude and interpretation of young adults due to
increased exposure of stress
The change in the social behavior is one of the common attitude that is noticed within the
young adults that is regarded as one of the common impact of stressor. As people start feeling
distress, there is an increase in tendency of seeking help from other people within the society.
The young adults try to take Full support in all forms of mental counselling that can help them to
deal with all the forms of stress and its relevant symptoms. Help seeking behavior can also be
regarded as a major indicator for stress suffering people. The severity of the stress can also be
measured with the help of the behavior to seek assistance from the elderly individual. Hence, it
can be used as a form of diagnosis tool to measure the level of stress. The stigmatizing attitude of
the student in an Educational Institute is believed to be highly connected with the help seeking

40IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
behavior. As an individual is isolating themselves from the society, they grow the hidden
behavior to develop a help seeking attitude. Nevertheless, one of the major positive impact of
this behavior is due to the fact that this behavior can help to significantly reduce the cases of
suicides among the young adults.
Nevertheless, one of major barriers of the help seeking attitude among the young adults is
due to the stigmatization of the society that is usually obtained from the society. The individual
often have to face the tension of social isolation and bad behavior from the society that is
believed to affect the mental health status. Due to this social behavior, the stress suffering
patients often fear to seek proper forms of help from the society. This is also one of the major
drawbacks of the help seeking attitude that is usually obtained from the young adults. It is the
duty of the mental health counselors that to spread and develop this attitude among the young
adults. The background culture within the society seems to play an important role in the
development of the mental help seeking behavior. In most of the cases, the main purpose of the
help seeking behavior is to prevent from complete isolation of the patients, which can worsen
any condition.
Theme 3: Common contributing factors of stress are race, marginalization status, and
lifestyle of individuals
Social factors like race Gender and ethnicity along with sexual orientation of individual
seems to play an important role in deciding up on the stress factor of an individual. Lifestyle and
demographic culture within an area seems to play an important role in the deciding upon the
stress disorders. Various type of maladaptive practices in a society can also be regarded as one of
the major cause of stress within an individual.

41IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Individual belonging from the LGBT community also seems to have an increasing tendency and
risk of stress. As minority community of deprived from various type of Services within the
society, they often do not get the privilege of affording the basic Health Care service. Similar
type of problems is also obtained within the community of bisexual and transgender. This can
cause an increase in the risk of suicide attitude within the patients.
In the current days, there are special legal polices that are implemented to ensure that
most of the people within the minority community can enjoy all forms of social service. This is
believed to reduce the risk of mental stress within the community of the minority as they will
now have the opportunity. As the people of the minority community are able to express out their
social and mental desire the chance of having healthy mental health is increased. Thera are
special mental health counselors, who will have the ability to guide the people during the time of
mental health disorders.
Theme 4: Stress factors relating to upbringing condition, parental demands and gender
discrimination.
It has been seen that the stress related factors are more prevalent among female due to the
extra burden of the society. As the female member of the society, they have to bear the extra
burden of high level of expectation from the family. This is prevalent among most of the young
adults, who also have to deal with the pressure of getting high level of education degree. This
pressure from the family and parents is also one of the major stress factor among young adults.
This long term exposure to pressure can lead to chronic stress among the young adults, which
also has the potential to affect the physical health of the individual. Emotional exhaustion is also
experienced by the individual as they are isolated from the society in order to fulfill their aim of

42IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
having high level career. With the change in the lifestyle of the people, there is always growing
demand of having higher source of financial income.
Self-evaluation is one of the major criteria that help to determine the level of stress within an
individual. It has been seen that individual with high level of stress have lower level of
confidence and self-esteem. This is mainly due to the negativity that develops within the
subconscious mind. Global scale of self-esteem is believed to be one of the distinguished feature
that can help to represent the level of stress.
Gender discrimination within the society is also believed to be one of the major cause of
lower level of self-esteem and self-confidence within female individuals. People with high level
of stress are believed involved in lower level of self-confidence and self-motivation, there is a
higher chance of social isolation which can also increase the level of depression within an
individual. In certain society female have to be bear the pressure of high level of demand from
the family. This has a strong effect upon the self-esteem level of the women. The percentage of
stress seems to increase with increase in the age of an individual. This is mainly due to the fact
that with increased age and individual has to face high level of social pressure of achieving
effective performance at various level. Nevertheless, with high level of self-esteem it is possible
to overcome all the adversities and challenges that result in high level of stress.
High level of stress symptoms and chronic stress are prevalent among young adult mostly
due to the pressure of the society of the current age. However, it is essential to have a critical
indicator to measure the level of stress in order to provide proper form of treatment to the
individual and help them to deal with challenging situations in life. It can also help them to
properly communicate with the society and overcome all the barriers.

43IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Theme 5: Increase of stress due to high usage of electronic devices and impact of techno
stress
Usage of electronic devices is highly common among the current day youth. The widespread
use of the modern information is carried out through the help of electronic devices. The
increased use of the electronic devices has resulted in several negative effects among the younger
generation. Excessive use of computer or smartphone can result in muscular disorder among the
younger people. As individuals are exposed to less amount of movement and physical activities,
there is an increase in chance of having stress related disorders. Occupational strain is believed to
be one of the major cause of psychophysiological stress among young adults. It can be also said
that people who are socially isolated often get Addicted with electronic usage in order to keep
their mind engage. This is highly dangerous due to the fact that increased use of electronic
devices increases the tendency of stress factor.
It can be also said in the contact is that increased use of electronic devices and the addiction
can affect the sleep cycle of an individual. This can further influence the stressor that can result
in poor mental health condition. High level of exposure to electronic devices for various purpose
can result in poor brain functioning. Hence, it can be said that excessive use of computer can
result in the increase in chance of mental stress among young adults. It has been seen that young
people who are addicted to electronic devices have more risk of suffering from Mental Health
and stress related disorders. The degree of the stress or mental health, mainly depends upon the
duration, which an individual spends in with electronic devices. Therefore, the degree of stress
within an individual can be measured by the total duration spend by the individual in the various
forms of electronic devices. The effect of computer exposure can mainly be observed in the form

44IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
of sleeping disorder. It is therefore important to assess the relationship between sleeping disorder
and stress in order to properly understand the negative impact of electronic devices.
It can also be said that more number of men are dependent upon electronic devices for
communication compared to that of women. Hence, men are at more risk that can help with the
exposure of stress related disorders.
Theme 6: Importance of awareness program in the context of coping strategies, social
support and preventative or promotional initiatives.
With the increase number of cases of mental stress and disorders among the young adult, it is
highly essential to have advanced level of awareness programme. One of the major challenge for
dealing with mental stress and disorder is due to the social exclusion and stigma that are often
encountered by the mental patient. This prevent them to get proper form of treatment. Education
intervention program is highly essential in the context of raising awareness related to stress
related disorders.
The World Health Organisation has implemented several criteria that include diagonal zing
an individual suffering from high level of mental stress. This Mental Health Programme has been
Highly Effective in changing the attitude of young adult towards all form of mental diseases or
stress related disorder. Most of the awareness programme are implemented through the form of
website. Digital form of communication is believed to be one of the effective way to reach out to
the modern day youths. The social media is also used as a major platform to spread important
information about mental health disorders. It is therefore possible for the young adult to take
proper precautions in order to decrease the effect of stress. The awareness program can also be
effective in eradicating all form of social stigmas that are usually associated with mental health

45IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
disorders. Hence, it will give the opportunity of an individual, who are suffering from mental
health disorder to speak freely with their personal issues and get better result.
The specific intervention can be adopted depending upon the condition of individual.
Primarily, it is highly essential to deal with the high level of misunderstanding that exist within
the society about the concept of mental health disorder. This can be one of the effective way to
resolve all form of social exclusion principles that are applicable with all mental health patient. It
is also important to have proper knowledge about the functioning of brain in order to properly
provide treatment related to all forms of mental disorder.
As people will become more aware about fact related to mental disorders, it will be possible
to take proper precautions and deal with all forms of challenges.

46IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Chapter 5: Discussion, conclusion and recommendation:
5.1. Discussion:
This research study had attempted to discover the impact of different stress factors on
the mental health and living conditions of the young generation involving both young adults
and adolescents. In order to do so four core sectors associated with this scenario had been
identified, explored and evaluated. For instance, the very first set of findings of this review
study, as explained is the very first theme of the systematic review; there are various stress
factors prevalent in the lives of the young adults pertaining to psychosocial distress. Such as,
socio-economic factors such as the demographic, socio-economic, occupational and
educational stress factors (Lea, de Wit and Reynolds 2014). The articles selected in the
review very clearly depicted that the impact of the abovementioned different categories of
stress. Now it has to be mentioned in this context, different personal psychosocial distress
factors lead to different kinds of mental health disorders in the young adults. As per the first
theme of the systematic study, the article by Glozier et al. (2010), the excessive impact of
stress often manifests as the sleep deprivation and anxiety, which is considered to be
predecessors of a wide variety of mental disorders like depression, personality disorders,
schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorders. Now, the most significant impact of these
stress factors can be seen manifesting on the social behaviour of the youth. For instance,
according to the article by Low et al. (2012), the stress exposure and the resultant anxiety,
depression and personality disorders often propels the youth towards the dark world of
alcohol and substance abuse. The first theme discusses this inevitable impact of stress
induced mental instability and its effect on the social life of the young adults. According to

47IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
the article by Boardman and Alexander (2011), the authors have discussed that the impact of
racial exposure to stress significantly deteriorates the mental sanity in the African American
young adults, and with prolonged impact of these stress factors the inclination of the young
adults towards addiction continues to increase. Now the most influential contributing factor
behind the psychological distress of the young adults is the need to escape from the
paramount stress that these young adults are under. According to the article by Lereya et al.
(2015), the tendency in the young adults to steer towards alcohol or substance abuse is due to
the strong instinct in the young adults to escape temporarily from the paramount amount of
stress that the young adults are under. Although the dependency of the young adults on these
recreational substance increases the severity and risk factors of various mental disorders
multiple folds. The social isolation, paranoia, schizophrenia, personality disorders and many
other mental health adversities are potentially aggravated by the alcohol or drugs and hence
the young adults living under extreme personal psychosocial stress instead of seeking out the
help needed are propelled towards addiction that further worsens their mental condition.
Considering the second theme of the review study, the mental illness that is facilitated by
the prevalence of stress factors is first manifested as the subtle changes in the behaviour.
According to the article by Pedrelli et al. (2015), the most common behavioural changes in a
young adult due to the extreme amount of stress is the onset of agitation, frustration, anger,
arrogance, exhaustion an d paranoia. Now it has to be understood that the young adults often
do not understand or do not have the potential to recognize these subtle changes in their
behaviour or attitude and hence they neither seek out counselling help and the mental
condition continues to deteriorate. Although it must not escape notice as well, that when the
young adults and adolescents can finally seek out the help they need, the fear of societal

48IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
rejection and discrimination is a major restriction in the path for them to get the help they
need. Now, in the article by Hunt and Eisenberg (2010), the authors have discussed the
impact of the stress of social rejection and discrimination on the courage of the young
generation to seek out psychiatric help. The impact of this stress is paramount on the
wellbeing of the mentally unstable youngsters, as they struggle to cope with the onset of a
particular mental health adversity due to extreme stress, the additional pressure of fitting in
the societal norms and fear of rejection often further deteriorates the condition (Gulliver,
Griffiths and Christensen 2010).
It has already been discussed that the adverse impact of the mental instability due to
stress is drastic, however the differential impact on the mental health of the individuals
depends heavily on the type of stress that the individual is dealing with. The third theme of
this article discusses the different category of stressors and its individual impact. For
instance, this systematic review had been successful to discover three fundamental categories
of stressors. For instance, considering the impact of race as a stress exposure, it has to be
mentioned that the young while growing up, gets the maximal intensity of stress exposure
and discrimination due to the racial or ethnic background. According to the article by
Boardman and Alexander (2011), the non-Hispanic African American young adults have
15% higher exposure to stress than the native Caucasian young adults and the prevalence of
mental health disorders like depression and anxiety is almost double in prevalence in the
racial minority groups. Now the impact of racial stress is different from any other stress
group, as it affects the self esteem, personal inclination towards native culture and the
process of acculturation. Such a stress group often impacts the individuals in terms of self

49IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
respect, confidence and dignity. The impact of this group of stressor leads to mental distress
that facilitates social withdrawal, depression and in some cases aggression and violence.
The second category of stress as explained in the third theme is the stressful impact of the
marginalized status. It is common knowledge that the different minority backgrounds and the
emerging youth belonging to the background face a significant amount of stress exposure.
Social rejection, discrimination, and bullying are a few extremely frequently seen stressors
for the young individuals belonging to the minority groups. For instance, the LGBT
populations have been discovered to be having a great proportion of mental distress due to
the societal discrimination and rejection. In the study by Emerson (2010), mental disorders
like depression, anxiety and PTSD has been observed in the LGBT population extensively.
The major contributing factors behind the prevalence of these kinds of mental diseases can be
due to the social rejection, isolation and bullying these populations face on a daily basis.
According to the article by Raposa et al. (2014), a very similar pattern of stress exposure and
impact relationship can be identified in the ethnic minorities and marginalized groups where
the rejection and isolation impacts the sanity and life satisfaction exceptionally. The last
category of stressor can be identified as the personal psychosocial social stress, which can
bear link to demographics and personal life style choices. According o the article by
Mahmoud et al. (2012), the personal psychosocial factors like educational stress,
occupational stress and personal stress have also been reported to have a significant impact
on the mental health of the young adults. Although, as these stress factors are highly personal
and dependent on the personal experience of the individual, the impact of the stress also is
known to differ accordingly.

50IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
When discussing the different groups of stress and their impact, the childhood stress and
the stressful parenting and upbringing can also be a significant impact on the mental health of
the young adult. According to the Sanchez, Lambert and Cooley-Strickland (2013), the
cumulative stress from a difficult childhood phase can have lasting impact on the
psychological and cognitive wellbeing. For instance, as opined in the article by Schraml et al.
(2011), the impact of a stressful upbringing is represented on both behaviour and personality
of an individual. With adequate paternal and maternal stress, the level of self compassion and
sound mental health has been discovered to be far better thn the ones with stressful
childhood. The parental demands also contribute a significant amount of stress factors to an
emerging adult, with higher expectation bar the stress of constant failure and rebuttal, the
children have been discovered to grow up with extremely fragile mental health. Gender roles
are often intricately associated with the extreme parental expectation and the tress associated
with it. As explained in the article by Neff and McGehee (2010), the impact gender role and
parental demands relate stress is extremely high on the female child than the male child. It
has to be mentioned in this context that the fragile mental strength and emotional
vulnerability observed in the female young adults surpasses that of the male counterparts and
the excessive demand and mental pressure to behave or appear in a particular manner can be
the most contributing factor behind this.
The impact of techno stress and virtual life cannot be ignored when discussing the
population of young adults. The extreme addiction to computer or the virtual social reality is
known to incorporate number of stress impact on the young adults as well. According to
Thomée, Härenstam and Hagberg (2012), the impact of techno stress is extreme as perceived
in the theme 5. As explained by the article, the symptoms like sleep deprivation, fatigue and

51IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
anxiety had been found as the primary contributing factor. Lastly the emphasis of the study
has been on meeting the final objective of the study, the level of awareness regarding the
mounting stress and resultant deteriorating mental health of the young generation. The theme
6 discussed the inadequate awareness and lack of robust preventative campaigning on
supporting the mentally ill youth of our society living under extreme stress. According to the
article by Livingston et al. (2013), the level of awareness intended by the In One voice
campaign was nowhere near met after the years. The authors argued for there to be extreme
need for strategies that are both that both target coping strategies and preventative supportive
management for the already mentally unstable young adults. This viewpoint of authors
resonates loud and clear in the articles that have societal awareness on this issue under focus.
For instance, the article by Yamaguchi, Mino and Uddin (2011), the impact of educational
awareness has been discussed, which despite being comparatively beneficially still lags
behind on the mounting need. It has to be understood in this context that the stress and its
direct impact on the mental health of the young generation is inevitable, with the optimal
competitiveness ruling the dynamic economy, stress factors belonging to educational,
occupational, and personal psychosocial domain, the stress factors will be ever-present.
Hence, there is need for optimal awareness in the society across all age groups so that the
young generation can recognize the subtle changes in attitude and behaviors that marks the
onset of a mental disorder and along with that, each and every sector of the society will be
able to provide compassionate support so that the youth of our society can be restored again
(Zoogman et al. 2015).

52IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
5.2. Conclusion:
On a concluding note, it can be stated that there are countless stress factors that play a
pivotal role in the development and maintaining of the cognitive health of the youth. It must
not escape notice that the impact of extreme stress is detrimental in any age setting, however
for the emerging adulthood, the impact of the stress is even more profound in case of the
highly impressionable minds. As discussed and discovered in the thesis, the prevalence of the
different stress factors can impart a different effect on the mental health and wellbeing of the
emerging youth, which eventually can be manifested on the physical health and wellbeing of
the target population as well. It has to be understood in this context that, the contributing
factors to the stress categories, be it education, occupation or psychosocial, minimizing the
stress factors demands exponential efforts from all the stakeholders associated with this
scenario. Although this should be the first strategy to be put under focus immediately to
restore the future of the youth of this society, it has to be understood that is will be time
taking procedure. Although the need for a revolutionary societal reform is mounting, so that
the escalating number of the suicidal rate in the young generation can minimize so that the
millennium developmental goals can be met. The most instant results can be expected from
the awareness campaigns which will elevate the level of awareness in the society. The
emphasis of these strategies however needs to be on heightening the understanding and
reducing the stigmatization in the society sp that the stressed mentally unstable youth can be
given the opportunity to avail coping strategies that will help them to overcome the impact of
stress and their mental health can be improved.

53IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
5.3. Recommendation:
Based on the above results, the following recommendations are made that may help
eliminate this issue.
It is critical for the mental health providers to gain knowledge on the severity of the issue.
It means the providers need to have extensive knowledge on the prevalence of mental health
issues on young adults due to stress. It is recommended that they must update themselves on
the rage of mental health issues on these young adults. It is recommended to the government
bodies to take initiative for college students to receive services from the mental health
providers. The university students must be able to access the mental health services and
referral services both in and out of campus. A positive effect may be observed as academic
calendar may influence the continuity of care. Therefore clinicians are recommended to
ensure that the college students receive treatment 365 days (Pedrelli et al. 2015). As per some
of the empirical studies, mediation programs are effective reductions of psychological stress
among all age groups. The reduction may be moderate but meditation reduces the multiple
negative dimensions of psychological stress. It is recommended that government bodies
should formulae mandatory norms for the clinicians to discuss with the patients about the
meditation programs. These programs have been found to have potential to improve the
positive dimensions of mental health. It can improve any stress related behaviour. However,
there is a need of stronger study design that can determine the effect of meditation in
improving the positive dimensions of mental health (Goyal et al. 2014).
It is recommended to conduct more research on the ways to enhance treatment seeking
behaviour among the young adults. The strategies will help in treatment retention. It is also
recommended that for the mental health providers the young people with the same-sex

54IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
attracted partners should be the priority population. The other priority population should be
young adults with substance abuse, for intervention and prevention (Lea et al. 2014). It is
recommended to the public health advisors and service developers to deal with peer-bullying.
Exposures to bullying in the childhood stage have been found to increase stress and have
been reported with long term adverse mental health impact on the young adults. Further
studies are recommended that may be explained by poly-victimisation (Lereya et al. 2015).
Long term stress can harm an individuals’ health particularly when the source of stress is
constant. Therefore, the community initiatives are recommended to spread awareness on the
ways to manage the stress. It can be initiated by the development of preventive online mental
health and wellbeing programs. These programs should be tailored to symptoms and gender
of the young adults experiencing the mental health issue. Mindfulness-based stress reduction
programs are recommended for the young adult with techno stress and the childhood
adversities. The rationale for these recommendations is the lasting implications of non-social
and social stress in adolescence. Early life adversities also influence the physical health in
later life to a deep extent. The important mechanism in this regard is the presence of
depression caused by stress (Khoury et al. 2015).

55IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
Appendix 3: Gantt Chart:
Main
Stages /
Activities
Firs
t
Wee
k
Seco
nd
Wee
k
Thir
d
Wee
k
Four
th
Wee
k
Fift
h
Wee
k
Sixt
h
Wee
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Eigh
th
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k
Selection of
the Topic
Layout
Creation
Literature
review
Research
Plan
Formation
Research
Technique
Selection
Data
Collection
(Secondary

56IMPACT OF STRESS ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS
)
Data
Interpretati
on and
Analysis
Data
Findings
Study
Conclusion
Rough
Draft
Formation
Final Work
Submission
