This pilot study explores whether the quality of relationships between students and professors influences mental and physical health. Students’ stress, anxiety, and depression will be assessed alongside ambulatory blood pressure monitoring to track daily cardiovascular responses.
Research Goal: To examine whether supportive versus mixed professor–student relationships carry measurable health implications.
College is both an opportunity and a challenge for students. While higher education is linked to long-term benefits—such as better health, greater income, and protection against depression—many students still experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression during their transition to college. Academic pressure, social changes, and personal expectations can all shape how students adapt. At the same time, students who are motivated by a love of learning may be more resilient to these challenges.
One important and understudied factor in student well-being may be the relationship between students and their instructor. Instructors play a central role in students' day-to-day academic experiences, and their teaching style and attitude can impact not only academic performance but also emotional health. Similar to workplace settings, where relationships with supervisors are both supportive and critical are linked to higher stress and depression, college students might react similarly to professors who send mixed signals.
This pilot study will look at how the quality of student-instructor interactions relate to both their mental and physical health. Students’ experiences will be assessed through self-reported measures of stress, anxiety, and depression, along with ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) monitoring, which captures fluctuations in cardiovascular activity throughout the day. The findings will provide early insights into whether classroom dynamics carry measurable health implications and will inform whether a larger-scale project is warranted.
