Perceived stress in gifted adolescents : an exploratory study.

Abstract

High school aged adolescents face many challenges, including academic, social, athletic, and personal obstacles that can be forms of eustress (i.e. “good stress”) which promote growth and development across domains, however these chronic stressors can also pose the threat (i.e. “distress”) of undermining success and mental health. Psychological health has been rated at an all-time low in high school adolescents, and nearly one-third report high levels of daily stress. Despite some empirical exploration of stress in adolescent populations, one subset of teens that has garnered relatively little attention is gifted adolescents. It is possible that gifted students may be vulnerable to the ‘culture of achievement’ and performance expectations. It is also possible that they may be able to problem solve and cope with stress better than their peers. However, this is an area of limited research. This study will provide novel insight into this relatively unexplored field because it not only considers global perceptions of stress in gifted adolescents, but adolescents in general. It is important to understand if gifted students perceive stress differently, as this cognitive mechanism may be an effective target for intervention.