Media code for stress experienced by students?

Media code for stress experienced by students?

Where does all that stress and pressure to perform experienced by students come from? From every nook and cranny, according to a new study by the Trimbos Institute. It also suggests that too much media attention does not help either.

Almost half of all students in the Netherlands have mental health issues, the Trimbos Institute reported at the end of last year. The study has been the subject of criticism: reportedly, too few students completed the survey. But something is definitely wrong. Statistics Netherlands has also reported an increase in problems.

Media reports probably do not always help either, say the experts interviewed by the Trimbos Institute. They believe that so much attention is paid to stress, pressure to perform and mental health problems among students “that it sometimes gives them the feeling that all is not well with them”. Acknowledging the problems is good, but be careful of what you say: you must not exacerbate the problems, in the view of the study advisers, student deans, supervisors and other experts that were consulted.

Students agree with that view. The abundance of reports about the pressure to perform, stress and mental health of young people does not help them to cope with the pressure to perform and stress. The researchers advocate a media code, similar to the code for suicide prevention (in reports about suicide, the media always mention that help can be obtained via 113.nl). (HOP/BB –  Translation: Taalcentrum-VU)