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A Person-Centered Investigation Into the Co-Development of Perceived Stress and Internalizing Symptoms Among Post-Secondary Students

  • Empirical Research
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Abstract

The early post-secondary years are regarded as a period of heightened vulnerability for stress and internalizing symptoms among emerging adults. However, there is a lack of research examining variability in stress and internalizing symptoms among students, the co-occurrence of stress and internalizing symptoms, or predictors of distinct profiles of stress and internalizing symptoms. To address these gaps in the literature, 1125 ethnically diverse first-year students (71% female; Mage = 17.96 years, SD = 0.69; 55% East or South Asian, 21% Caucasian, 24% other ethnicity) were surveyed three times across the first year of university. Latent growth mixture models revealed four distinct profiles (i.e., high distress, moderate increasing distress, low distress, high decreasing distress), in which patterns of perceived stress and internalizing symptoms co-occurred. Higher levels of exposure to stressful life events, identifying as female and/or LGBQ+ were associated with increasing and high distress profiles. The findings underscore variability in distress among students, as well as the strong associations between stressful experiences, perceived stress, and internalizing symptoms.

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Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge receipt of funding support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to conduct this research (grant number: 435-2018-0961).

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  1. Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Lexi Ewing & Chloe A. Hamza

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  1. Lexi Ewing
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L.E. and C.A.H. conceived this study, participated in its design and coordination, performed statistical analysis, and drafted the manuscript. Both authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Lexi Ewing.

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Ewing, L., Hamza, C.A. A Person-Centered Investigation Into the Co-Development of Perceived Stress and Internalizing Symptoms Among Post-Secondary Students. J Youth Adolescence 52, 852–865 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01738-1

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