Association of chronic stress during studies with depressive symptoms 10 years later

Weinmann, Tobias ; Wibowo, Razan ; Forster, Felix ; Gerlich, Jessica ; Wengenroth, Laura ; Weinmayr, Gudrun; Genuneit, Jon; Nowak, Dennis ; Vogelberg, Christian ; Radon, Katja und Herbig, Britta (18. January 2025): Association of chronic stress during studies with depressive symptoms 10 years later. In: Scientific Reports, Vol. 15, 2379

Abstract

The long-tern implications of stress during university for individuals’ mental health are not well understood so far. Hence, we aimed to examine the potential effect of stress while studying at university on depression in later life. We analysed data from two waves of the longitudinal Study on Occupational Allergy Risks. Using the ‘work overload’ and ‘proving oneself’ scales of the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2), participants reported chronic stress during university (2007–2009, mean age 22.2 years, T1) and depressive symptoms ten years later (2017–2018, mean age 31.6 years, T2). We performed linear regression analyses to explore the association between stress during university (T1) and later depressive symptoms (T2). Participants (N = 548, 59% female) indicated rather low levels of stress and depression (PHQ-2 mean score: 1.14 (range: 0–6)). We observed evidence for a linear association between overload at T1 and depression at T2 (regression coefficient (B) = 0.270; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.131 to 0.409; standardised regression coefficient (β) = 0.170). Our analyses yielded evidence for an association between chronic stress while studying and risk of depressive symptoms later in life. This finding underlines the importance of implementing sustainable preventive measures against stress among students.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Medicine > Institute and Polyclinic for Occupational, Social and Environmental Medicine
• Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• Language: English