Working College Students At Risk Of Mental Problems From Toxic Colleagues

media@latinoshealth.com By Staff Reporter Jul 24, 2015 06:00 AM EDT

Toxic relationships, just like toxic environments, can negatively affect one's health, Psychology Today reports. A long-term study done at the University of Michigan revealed that "subjects in negative relationships were at a greater risk for developing heart problems, including a fatal cardiac event, than counterparts whose close relationships were not negative." These types of relationships can cause stress, depression, anxiety and other medical problems.

More recently, a study revealed that working college students who have toxic relationships with coworkers are more likely to have mental health problems, Channel News Asia reports.

“It makes sense that the people a college student works with would also have the potential to be health-relevant," explained lead study author Allison Vaughn, a psychology researcher at San Diego State University. “Students who need to work their way through school should try to make the most of these workplace relationships, just as you would with any friendship or romantic relationship.”

Vaughn and her study colleagues revealed in the Journal of American College Health that working students amount to 58 to 78% of undergraduates, 24% to 47% of which spend at least 20 hours per week working.

Researchers studied 170 working students, analyzing their responses regarding questions about their supervisors and coworkers. The study found that those who felt ambivalent towards their superiors had poorer mental health than those who expressed that they had positive working relationships.

“Perceptions of relationships may be colored by mental health, so it might actually be that students with better mental health or higher self-confidence to start with interpreted relationships at work as being more positive in general,” a researcher in psychiatry and psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Kathy Rospenda explained.

It is also recommended before taking a job opportunity to take into consideration if the work fits one's needs, talents and skills.

Rebecca Vidourek, a researcher in health promotion and education at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, recommended: "Asking about demographics, work climate, flexibility for students, etc. can help determine if a workplace will be a good personal fit."

Once at work, keep stress at bay by proactively responding to challenging people or situations. According to the American Psychological Association, one may take the following steps to manage stress at the workplace by tracking your stressors, developing healthy responses to negative experiences or individuals, establishing boundaries, taking time to recharge and learning how to relax.

However, it is still imperative to take into consideration the other aspects of one's life, such as health and nutrition, which directly impact work and study performance.

“Students who work full-time may not have time to sleep, eat well, exercise and engage in pleasant activities,” Paola Pedrelli, a mental health researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, explained. “Neglect of these areas may lead to low energy, irritability, and poor concentration and academic performance and overall dissatisfaction.”

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