Data Talks: A Myriad of Articles, Research & Surveys

The Station Co-Lab Learning Institute is dedicated to empowering young adults around the planet… but, as Simon Sinek would say, “what’s the why?”

While this article isn’t meant to dive deep into our “why” (that article is coming soon!), it is safe to say there was a common thread across all members of our organization which ties into our why. The thread being that we all had witnessed, in our personal and professional experiences, some concerning trends, seemingly connected habits and a growing disconnect with this younger generation.

I know. You’re probably thinking, “Gee-Willikers Grandpa! Growing disconnect with a younger generation? Only said every generation about the next… ever!”

… Aaaaand, you’re right.

How were we to know whether our current understanding was based in fact or whether we were strictly anecdotal grumpy grandpa’s (and ma’s). Thankfully our licensed experts are trained to stay up on this data, but we wanted to ensure we had plenty of documented sources that both spoke to the need for this type of programming and supported how our model sought to address these concerns.

With the mountains of data we have saved as sources/resources, we wanted to share at least some of that data with you! Below you will find links to various articles, organizations, research studies and surveys organized by topic, all which speak to the many levels of our organization. While many of these links speak to problematic areas facing our young adults, we want to ensure you that there are also many positive areas of growth (like record High School graduation rates) which are important to celebrate. This list is meant as an educational resource for you to help raise awareness around the importance of our cause and share sources relevant to data points reflected on this website.

Physical & Mental Health:

• American Psychological Association, “Stress in America: Are Teens Adopting Adult’s Stress Habits”
  • Full Report
  • Summary Press Release
  • USA Today Summary Article – They made their own graphs using this data which provides a better visual representation
• Trends in Mental Health Care among Children and Adolescents
• American Academy of Pediatrics: National Trends in the Prevalence and Treatment of Depression in Adolescents and Young Adults
• American College Health Association: National College Health Assessment
  • List of Publications & Reports for Comparative Analysis
  • Most Recent Executive Summary Undergrad Report – Fall 2017
• Trust for America’s Health, F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America’s Future 2013
• Center for Collegiate Mental Health: 2017 Annual Report
• The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, Mental Health and Academic Success in College
• The Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors: Annual Survey 2017
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps
• Preventing Chronic Disease: Obesity on Campus
• American Psychological Association, Stress in America 2017: Technology and Social Media

Debt & Finances:

• International Journal of Business and Social Science, “Financial Literacy and Credit Cards: A Multi Campus Survey”
• National Center for Education Statistics: Back to School Statistics
• Student Loan Hero, A Look at the Shocking Student Loan Debt Statistics for 2018 – This article by studentloanhero.com has gathered a number of statistics from verified cited sources
• The Institute for College Access & Success, Student Debt and the Class of 2016
• Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies, 18^th Annual Transamerica Retirement Survey of Workers
• The College Board, Trends in College Pricing Report 2017
  • The College Board’s “Trends in Student Aid” & “Education Pays” reports are also available on this site
• 21^st Century Insurance did a survey and made a good infographic – Note: the source material cannot be found but they did site other sources which were verified including The College Board reports previously referenced.
• LendEDU: 2016 College Students and Personal Finance Study

Relationships

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Teen Dating Violence
• Journal of Interpersonal Violence: A National Descriptive Portrait of Adolescent Relationship Abuse
• Pew Research Center: Teens, Technology and Romantic Relationships 
• University of Chicago NORC: The National Survey of Teen Relationships and Intimate Violence (STRiV) – Active Research Pending
• Race, Abuse & Incest National Network, Victims of Sexual Violence: Statistics – This is not a study but a collection of data points from various cited studies and government reports
• Me Too Movement – this is not a study but a powerful movement

Social-Emotional Learning & Life-Skills Training:

• Enhancing School-Based Prevention and Youth Development Through Coordinated Social, Emotional, and Academic Learning – Warning: PDF Download Link
• Social & Emotional Learning: A Framework for Promoting Mental Health and Reducing Risk Behavior in Children and Youth
• New Directions for Youth Development, Life skills training: preventing substance misuse by enhancing individual and social competence
• International Journal of Advanced Research: Impact of Life Skills Education on Adolescents in Rural School
• American Psychological Association: Impact of social-emotional learning on academic achievement
• Patel A. Need For Life Skills Education among Tribal and Non Tribal Students. The International Journal of Indian Psychology. 2014;2:17–28.
• International Journal of Preventive Medicine: Effect of Life Skills Training on Drug Abuse Preventive Behaviors among University Students
• Social Learning Theory and the Health Belief Model

General Career & Education Data

• UCLA Higher Education Research Institute, CIRP Freshmen Survey – They’ve been running this survey for 50 years!
• National Center for Education Statistics: Graduation Rates for Students Obtaining A Bachelor’s Degree
• All About School Leavers & YouGov: The School & College Leaver Careers Market 2016 Annual Research Report

We’ll continue to add relevant research to this page over the next few weeks. We’re also planning our own research studies which we’ll share, along with new studies found, as they come out! Keep an eye out for these through Social Media, our newsletters and this site!

What studies or surveys have you seen recently? How are our young adults faring? Let us know your thoughts and any data you’ve come across in the comments below!