From Leaving CertiFiCate to Leaving SChooL a Longitudinal Study ...

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From Leaving Certificate to Leaving School
the levels found among Junior Certificate students or young adults
(compare Hannan et al., 1996). As in the earlier period, strong gender
differences are evident in the patterns found. On four of the six items,
female students are reporting significantly higher stress levels than male
students. Fifty-five per cent of female students report that they feel constantly
under strain ‘more’ or ‘much more than usual’ compared with 37
per cent of male students. Female students are also more likely than male
students to report losing sleep over worry, losing confidence in themselves
and having problems concentrating.
The six items were used to form a scale of current stress. This scale
is reliable with a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.79. Table 3.1 presents a multivariate
model of the factors affecting overall stress levels, focusing on
the main processes found to have an influence. A multilevel model is
used to take account of the clustering of students within schools, since
young people attending the same school are likely to share certain experiences.
A positive coefficient indicates that the factor is associated
with higher stress levels while a negative coefficient indicates that a factor
is associated with lower stress levels.
Figure 3.4: Current stress levels among sixth year students (% ‘more
than usual’/‘less than usual’)
Lose confidence
Constantly under strain
Lose sleep
Capable of decisions
Female
Male
Play useful part
Concentration
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
In keeping with Figure 3.4, female students have higher stress levels than
male students, even controlling for a range of school experiences and
prior achievement (Models 1 and 2). Stress levels are higher among
%