Effects of Psychosocial Stress, Neuroticism Liability and Unhealthy Coping Strategies on the Physical and Mental Welfare of Pre-University Students in the National University of Malaysia

Author(s):  
J.Soosiamaal a/p Joseph Thomas ◽  

Stress is the body's response to changes that create taxing demands. Coping mechanism plays a significant part to overcome or reduce the stress experienced by individuals. The purpose of the study is to study the relationship between psychosocial stress, neuroticism liability and unhealthy coping strategies on the physical and mental welfare of pre-university students. One hundred and forty four pre-university students from the National University of Malaysia are included in this study. A quantitative study utilizing a cross sectional non-probability sampling research design is used to gather data. The data is collected using a questionnaire which analyzes three main aspects of this study namely, psychosocial stress, neuroticism liability and unhealthy coping mechanisms. The instruments used to measure psychosocial stress is the individual items of the University Students Stress Scale .The unhealthy coping strategies will be assessed by the Brief COPE Inventory through the ordinal data (individual survey items) obtained. However, neuroticism liability will be measured through the Eysenck Personality Inventory. The SPSS Statistics Data Editor Version 25 is used for statistical analysis. In conclusion, all three variables are correlated with each other. When a person experiences immense psychosocial stress, the person tends to inculcate more unhealthy coping strategies in daily lives and it may contribute to increasing neuroticism liability.

Author(s):  
J.SOOSIAMAAL JOSEPH THOMAS ◽  
PRIYADIANA ANNADURAI ◽  
KAVIYARASI MANOHARAN

Stress is the body's response to changes that create taxing demands. Coping mechanism plays a significant part to overcome or reduce the stress experienced by individuals. The purpose of the study is to study the relationship between psychosocial stress, neuroticism liability and unhealthy coping strategies on the physical and mental welfare of pre-university students. One hundred and forty four pre-university students from the National University of Malaysia are included in this study. A quantitative study utilizing a cross sectional non-probability sampling research design is used to gather data. The data is collected using a questionnaire which analyzes three main aspects of this study namely, psychosocial stress, neuroticism liability and unhealthy coping mechanisms. The instruments used to measure psychosocial stress is the individual items of the University Students Stress Scale. The unhealthy coping strategies will be assessed by the Brief COPE Inventory through the ordinal data (individual survey items) obtained. However, neuroticism liability will be measured through the Eysenck Personality Inventory. The SPSS Statistics Data Editor Version 25 is used for statistical analysis. In conclusion, all three variables are correlated with each other. When a person experiences immense psychosocial stress, the person tends to inculcate more unhealthy coping strategies in daily lives and it may contribute to increasing neuroticism liability.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Viana Machado ◽  
Mirtes Garcia Pereira ◽  
Gabriela G. L. Souza ◽  
Mariana Xavier ◽  
Carolina Aguiar ◽  
...  

AbstractModern life comprises a myriad of stressful situations, ranging from life-threatening ones to others not so deadly, all of which activate a physiologic stress response. Engaging in healthy ways to cope can prevent us from wearing out our physiological systems. Heart rate variability (HRV) is often used as an index of emotion regulation response. Hence, our goal is to investigate whether the habitual use of coping strategies is related to a distinct pattern of HRV changes when the individual is exposed to a moderate psychosocial stressor. In this study, 60 female participants performed a psychosocial stress task—oral speech preparation—while ECG signals were collected during the whole experimental procedure. Heart rate (HR), HRV parameters (SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF) and coping strategies (Brief COPE) were registered. Participants were divided into two groups (low and high groups) as a function of their scores on the maladaptive and adaptive coping strategies of the Brief COPE. As expected, the task alone induced increases in heart rate and reductions in HRV parameters. Additionally, the analyses revealed a different pattern of HRV (SDNN, RMSSD, LF and HF) changes in response to the stressor, with participants using less maladaptive strategies being able to maintain the HRV at baseline levels when confronting the stressor, while those using more maladaptive strategies reducing HRV during the task. These results show a different pattern of HRV changes as a function of the coping style, suggesting a possible autonomic advantage, namely, the maintenance of HRV, in individuals who use maladaptive coping strategies less frequently.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Salman ◽  
Noman Asif ◽  
Zia Ul Mustafa ◽  
Tahir Mehmood Khan ◽  
Naureen Shehzadi ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundCOVID-19 is spreading quickly, causing great deal of fear and unrest in the public. We aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 on university students and their coping strategies.MethodsThis web-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among students of four Pakistani higher education institutions. Google forms were used to disseminate the online questionnaire to assess anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), sources of distress (14-items) and the coping strategies (Brief-COPE).ResultsA total of 1134 responses (age 21.7 ± 3.5 years) were included. The frequency of students having moderate-severe anxiety and depression (score ≥ 10) were ≈ 34% and 45%, respectively. The respondents’ aged ≥ 31 years had significantly lower depression score than those below 30 years. Males had significantly less anxiety and depression scores than females. Additionally, those having a family member, friend or acquaintance infected with the disease had significantly higher anxiety score. The main sources of distress were the changes in daily life due to the ongoing pandemic. Regarding coping strategies, majority of respondents were found to have adopted religious/spiritual coping (6.45 ± 1.68) followed by acceptance (5.58 ± 1.65).ConclusionsCOVID-19 have significant adverse impact on students’ mental health. The most frequent coping strategy adopted by them are religious/spiritual coping, acceptance, self-distraction and active coping. It is suggested that mental health of students should not be neglected during epidemics.


Author(s):  
Katharina Diehl ◽  
Alessia Brassat ◽  
Jennifer Hilger-Kolb

Abstract Background To assess physical activity (PA), a comparative measurement – evaluating one’s own PA compared to others – may be an appropriate method. In previous studies, the use of comparative measurements led to an effect known as unrealistic comparative optimism (UCO) – people being unrealistically optimistic about their behavior. Our aim was to use this comparative measurement in university students to quantify the prevalence of UCO at the group level and to draw conclusions on its validity. Methods We used data from the Nutrition and Physical Activity in Adolescence Study (NuPhA), a cross-sectional online survey that included only self-reports (n = 689). To assess PA among students, they were asked to rate their PA level compared to that of their same-aged fellow students. In addition, we used the Godin-Shephard leisure-time PA questionnaire and other questions on PA for comparisons. We used bivariate and cluster-based analyses to identify potential UCO. Results We found that UCO at the group level led to an uneven distribution, with a higher proportion of students who rated themselves as being more physically active than average. However, the individual assessment of PA with a single and simple comparative question seemed to be valid. Discussion A global single comparative question seems useful for studies where PA is measured as a covariate in university students.


BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (S1) ◽  
pp. S238-S239
Author(s):  
Mohammed Binnwejim ◽  
Atheer Alhumade

AimsThe present study aims at investigating the level of stress among Saudi healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the present study sought to identify the coping strategies adopted by Saudi healthcare workers to alleviate the stress related to COVID-19 pandemic.MethodA descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in the period between September and November/2020. A sample of 381 healthcare workers (Physicians, nurses, and technicians) were recruited from King Saud Medical City (KSMC). Both Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4) and BRIEF-COPE scale were used to assess the levels of stress and the stress coping strategies, respectively. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the healthcare workers’ responses about the COVID-19 related stress and their adopted coping strategiesResultThe results of the study showed that there was a moderate to high level of COVID-19 related stress (11.64 ± 0.73) among the Saudi healthcare workers. In addition, it was found that planning (3.89 ± 0.61), positive reframing (3.69 ± 0.77), venting (3.39 ± 1.01), and emotional support (3.27 ± 0.63) were the most adopted coping strategies by the healthcare workers to overcome and reduce the stress levelsConclusionThe study concluded that both problem-focused and emotion-focused stress coping strategies were the most commonly adopted coping strategies among Saudi healthcare workers in KSMC. The study recommends increasing the number of the healthcare workers in the KSMC, in addition to increasing the healthcare workers’ knowledge, awareness and practice of the stress coping strategies, especially in crisis events, such as COVID-19 pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 168-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Subedi ◽  
Dana S. Edge ◽  
Catherine L. Goldie ◽  
Monakshi Sawhney

Background Since 2008, Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in Canada, including Ottawa. This relocation and resettling process is associated with significant physical and psychological stress, as individuals acclimatize to a new country. Purpose To assess the relationship between coping strategies and psychological well-being of Bhutanese refugees resettled in Ottawa. Methods A cross-sectional survey utilizing a convenience sample of adults (n = 110) was conducted in the fall of 2015 in Ottawa. Two tools, Brief COPE and general well-being schedule were used. Results Bhutanese refugees were in moderate distress. Using multiple linear regression, age, education, and three coping strategies (positive reframing, self-blame, and venting) were identified as predictors of general well-being ( F (11, 96) = 3.61, p < .001, R2 = 21.2%). Higher levels of education and positive reframing were associated with greater general well-being scores, while self-blame and well-being between ages 41 and 50 years were inversely associated with general well-being. Conclusions Findings suggest that a broad intersectorial approach between nurses and partner agencies is needed to enhance the mental health of this population for better adjustment in the host country. Nurses could provide support and counseling to minimize the use of self-blame and venting and promote positive coping strategies.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Salman ◽  
Noman Asif ◽  
Zia Ul Mustafa ◽  
Tahir Mehmood Khan ◽  
Naureen Shehzadi ◽  
...  

Abstract High levels of stress are expected when crises affect people’s lives. Therefore, this web-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among university students from Pakistan to investigate the psychological impairment and coping strategies during COVID-19 pandemic. Google forms were used to disseminate the online questionnaire to assess anxiety (Generalized Anxiety disorder-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and the coping strategies (Brief-COPE). A total of 1134 responses (age 21.7±3.5 years) were included. The frequency of students having moderate-severe anxiety and depression (score ≥ 10) were ≍ 34% and 45%, respectively. The respondents’ aged ≥ 31 years had significantly lower depression score than those ≤ 20 years (p = 0.047). Males had significantly less anxiety (6.62 ± 5.70 vs 7.84 ± 5.60, p = 0.001) and depression (8.73 ± 6.84 vs 9.71 ± 7.06, p = 0.031) scores. Those having family member, friend or acquaintances infected with disease had significantly higher anxiety score (8.89 ± 5.74 vs 7.09 ± 5.56, p < 0.001). Regarding coping strategies, majority of respondents were found to have adopted religious/spiritual coping (6.45 ± 1.68) followed by acceptance (5.58 ± 1.65), self-distraction (4.97 ± 1.61) and active coping (4.81 ± 1.57). In conclusion, COVID-19 cause significant impairment on mental health of the students. The most frequent coping strategy adopted by students were religious/spiritual and acceptance coping. During epidemics mental health of students should not be neglected.


2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zohreh Tavakoli ◽  
Ali Montazeri ◽  
Ali Asghar Farshad ◽  
Zahra Lotfi ◽  
Ismail Noor Hassim

BACKGROUND: Physicians are at risk of having high levels of stress which affect their performance. Finding the stressors and the coping skills to manage stress could be used to develop program to decrease stressful situation. No study has been done on Physicians' stress and coping in Iran. The main objective of this study is to find out the main stressors and coping strategies among Iranian Physicians working in hospital in Tehran-Iran.METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 780 Physicians,using a questionnaire consisted of two sections ;The first section were the stressors which included 67 questions and The second section were The Brief COPE with 28-items for assessing a broad range of coping behaviors among respondents.RESULTS: A total of 1100 questionnaires were distributed to all the available Physicians in the hospitals selected. 780 Physicians returned complete questionnaires with observed response rate of 75%. The majority of respondents (56.9%) were women. The first 3 sources of stress in workplace (Job stressors) are physical environment problem (75%), too much volume of work and poorly paid. The main sources of stress outside the work place (non-job stressors) ranked by Physicians were; financial problem (9.09), not enough time to spend with family (8.87), conflicts with household tasks (7.36).The top five coping strategies used by Iranian Physicians were Behavioral Disengagement, Planning, Instrumental support, Acceptance, and turning to religion.CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that both workplace and non-job sources of stress can affect the Physicians performance and there is an association between gender and coping skills.


Author(s):  
Shahid Bilal ◽  
Jaiperkash Dayaram ◽  
Ali Nawaz Bijarani ◽  
Mariam Muneer ◽  
Saba Arshad ◽  
...  

Aims: The aim of current study is to find out the prevalence of depression in doctors in different hospitals of Karachi and its association with lifestyle, the field of specialty and coping mechanisms. Place and Duration of Study: The sample was collected from 10 different hospitals of Karachi, in a period of one Year i.e., March 2019 to February 2020. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design using non-probability consecutive type of sampling technique was used. Sample size was calculated at 95% confidence interval and was found to be 368. The sample was classified in two broader categories Surgery & Allied and Medicine & Allied. For identification of depression level, Public Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used. A 28-item questionnaire Brief COPE was used to asses coping mechanisms. Results: In total 400 forms were used for data analysis. The mean age of doctors was 35 ± 4 years, 65% were males while 35% were females, there was a statistically significant association of female gender with depression. Chi-Square was applied to determine the association of depression and departments and it was found to be highly significant with a P < .001. Highest level of depression was found in Orthopedics and Psychiatry departments followed by Surgery and Gynecology. While Otolaryngology was the least depressed department. Chi-square was applied and a statistically significant association of low monthly income and depression with a p-value of 0.02. In Surgery and allied there was a statistically significant association of depression with extensive working hours and lack of facilities with a p-value of 0.01 and 0.04. While in Medicine and allied there was a statistically significant association of depression with a harsh attitude of seniors and an uncomfortable working environment with a p-value of 0.02 and 0.03. A linear regression model comparing depression and its associations with coping strategies was applied. Conclusion: Our study shows that depression is present in a vast majority of doctors from multiple specialties. Various risk factors for depression have also been identified so appropriate coping strategies should be formulated to deal with it.


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