Stress management in college students: why journaling is the most effective technique for this demographic

Abstract

Stress is a major health problem that faces college students today. There are many stress management techniques that get attention in the media or become popular in the form of “fads,” but journaling is one technique that goes underappreciated. This thesis will be an in-depth literature review that aims to show the effectiveness of journaling as a stress management technique among college students. Journaling will be comprehensively analyzed in order to determine the factors that make it more effective than other techniques. Other techniques that will be examined in comparison to journaling include meditation, exercise and therapy. Some factors that will be used in the examination of these techniques are cost, accessibility, convenience and overall effectiveness. The implications of this research will be applicable to all college campuses in implementing stress reduction initiatives, and in promoting overall positive well-being for their students.