Edison Media Research

AP/mtvU Poll Shows that Many College Students are Stressed

Entry by Tom Webster

Edison Media Research recently conducted a poll of U.S. undergraduates on behalf of the Associated Press and mtvU to gauge the level of stress they feel and how it impacts their lives. Four in ten students said that they endure stress "often," while nearly 20% responded that their stress level within the past three months has caused them to consider dropping out of school. More coverage is available here, while the survey results can be obtained at the Associated Press Polls page. The survey was conducted from Feb. 28-March 6 by Edison Media Research (www.edisonresearch.com) using exit polling techniques, with a total sample of 2,253 undergraduate students filling out confidential forms. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The students, age 18-24, were handed the questionnaires at 40 randomly chosen four-year schools around the country by interviewers from Edison's exit poll staff. To protect privacy, the schools where the poll was conducted are not being identified and the students who responded were not asked for their names.

MtvU's sponsorship of the poll is related to its work on "Half of Us, " which it runs with the Jed Foundation, a nonprofit group that works to reduce suicide among young people. "Half of Us" is a program designed to raise awareness about emotional problems faced by college students.