This and more is revealed by the report ‘Harder Better Faster Stronger?’ by the Trimbos Institute, ECIO and RIVM, commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The report and the guidance document outlining possible solutions were presented on 14 June to Her Majesty Queen Máxima, honorary chair of MIND Us, and Minister Dijkgraaf of Education, Culture and Science at Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Den Bosch.
The study into performance pressure and stress among students in higher professional and academic education was conducted in response to the findings of the Monitor of Mental Health and Substance Use among Higher Education Students (MMMS) from 2022. This showed that many students experience high levels of performance pressure and stress. This new in-depth study examined what performance pressure and stress actually entail and how they interact. It also looked at which students are at greater risk of performance pressure and stress. Various discussions were held with students from universities of applied sciences and universities, as well as education experts, about risk factors and possible solutions.
Students are taking part in an endless ‘obstacle run’
“Students who constantly try to keep up the high pace of a world full of obstacles”—that is what researcher Jolien Dopmeijer sees when she looks at the results of the study. “Students are, as it were, taking part in an endless obstacle run. They are also constantly competing with themselves and others, which contributes to high pressure and excessive stress.” There are three domains from which performance pressure and stress arise: the individual student, education and society. Not every student suffers equally heavily from performance pressure and stress, and some students indicate that they experience positive aspects of pressure and stress. It is nevertheless clear that every student encounters obstacles in education and society that hinder their functioning and development. This in turn affects their mental health and sense of well-being.
Need for space and time for development
Developing yourself requires time and space to experiment and make mistakes. At your own pace. But time and space are precisely what currently seem to be lacking. Students indicate that they have to excel, always be switched on, and that there is hardly any time for reflection or breaks. They want more room for development, which is at odds with the fast pace and demanding nature of today’s society.
Lack of inclusion and connectedness
Students experience a strong lack of understanding of their experience of performance pressure and stress. There is a sense of a lack of connectedness with the educational institution and society. International students in particular, as well as students with support needs, do not always feel represented and included. The study therefore also shows that performance pressure and stress are often associated with loneliness. “Experiencing connection and social support is precisely essential for student well-being,” explains Lotte Scheeren (senior researcher at ECIO). “When students feel supported and connected, they feel less lonely. They are more likely to discuss the problems they are experiencing and to ask for help sooner when things are not going well.”
“There are also many negative reports about performance pressure and stress,” Dopmeijer says with concern. “This type of reporting contributes to the problematisation of experiencing performance pressure and stress. Combined with the message that life is ‘makeable’, it reinforces the feeling of failure when you are not feeling well.” Students experience a lack of societal support and facilities to help them meet high demands. They indicate that they consider themselves responsible for their development and for coping with pressure and stress, but that they cannot do this alone. The accumulation of uncertainties experienced by students calls for recognition and solutions. At the same time, there is a need to normalise the experience of performance pressure and stress in life.
Strengthen skills and reduce uncertainties
Two approaches are needed that reinforce each other. First: strengthen students’ opportunities and skills to cope effectively with pressure and stress. Second, and at least as essential: reduce the uncertainties in the student’s educational and living environment that exist and arise outside their sphere of influence. This study shows that performance pressure and stress cannot be attributed solely to the individual student and their ability to cope with them. “What stands out in the study is that students are suffering from a loss of security,” says Scheeren. “They experience choice stress, are uncertain about their future and the housing market, and are concerned about, for example, the climate crisis. In developing solutions to reduce stress, it is therefore also important to consider how we can offer students greater security or a new perspective.” Dopmeijer therefore argues: “Reducing performance pressure and stress is a shared responsibility of the individual student, educational institutions, the government and society. Recognising and understanding the student’s experience is essential in this respect.”