How Do College-Level Honors Students Perceive and Manage Their Mental Health: An Interview-Based Analysis of Stress in Undergraduate Barrett Students

Over the past decade, there has been a rise in the prevalence and severity of mental health illnesses across college campuses nationwide. Students are reported struggling with mental health issues and stress at increased rates, which have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The central purpose of this thesis project is to better understand how college-level honors students perceive and manage their stress and examine potential barriers that prevent them from addressing those concerns. The honors population investigated in this study was undergraduate students enrolled in Barrett, the Honors College at Arizona State University. Twenty honors students were interviewed about the causes of their stress, their stress management, barriers that prevented them from tackling their stress, and how their role as an honors student may affect those areas of interest. Finally, recommendations and improvements are provided for Barrett, the Honors College to consider for the benefit of current and future honors students and to set an example for other honors colleges across the nation.