Examining Factors That Increase and Decrease Stress in Adolescent Community College Students 1

In contrast to adolescents attending traditional universities, adolescents attending community colleges represent a large but relatively unstudied population with respect to stress and mental health issues. The purpose of this study was to determine what factors increase and decrease stress in a sample of adolescent community college students (N = 166). Findings from a self-administered questionnaire indicated that students had moderate levels of stress and resilience. Contrary to predictions, males demonstrated statistically significant higher levels of stress than females, but as expected, resilience had a significant negative effect on stress (p < .05). Practice and research implications are discussed for nurses in pediatric settings.