Y. van Zyl

Abstract

WHEN THINGS GET TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING: UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ PERCEIVED STRESS AND COPING MECHANISMS

Abstract

Stress has become an inevitable part of life for students in a university environment due to various factors, such as increased pressure, competition, decreased resources, inadequate family support and the increased use of drugs and alcohol. Moreover, the transition from adolescence to adulthood for university students is a difficult journey, filled with various risks, rapid changes and seemingly endless choices when placed within a university environment. This study examines perceived stress and coping strategies among university students. A cross-sectional survey involving 334 students at a university in Gauteng, South Africa was undertaken using validated perceived stress and coping scales. The prevalence of stress among university students seems to be high. Through a factor analysis procedure, two primary dimensions of stress were identified, namely perceived helplessness and low self-efficacy and five primary coping strategies are used by students, namely negativism and denial, emotional support, introspection and veneration, substance abuse, and humour. Female students seem to experience higher levels of stress compared to their male counterparts. The results point toward the need to develop a training module to promote proactive coping strategies and the improvement of the general self-efficacy of university students. Furthermore, these results have implications for designing stress reduction workshops with the assistance of the student support and counselling department in the university. Limitations and implications for further research are discussed

Keywords

• Stress, coping, self-efficacy, university students

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