Abstract
The stress coping mechanisms used by undergraduate university students affects their psychological well-being, stress level, and mental health outcomes. Increasing students’ use of positive coping mechanisms may increase academic outcomes, and overall health and well-being. This study evaluated the stress coping mechanisms used by undergraduate university students prior to and since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Brief COPE inventory was used to measure stress coping responses. The results of this research indicated a significant change in 9 out of the 14 main coping mechanisms used by undergraduate university students prior to since the pandemic began. The top two stress coping mechanisms used by undergraduate university students both prior to and since the pandemic began were avoidance and humor. The third most commonly used coping mechanism prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was avoidance but since the pandemic began, students are using acceptance. Universities must create programs to increase students’ use of positive coping mechanisms to improve their academic and health outcomes. Future research should examine the mechanisms used by specific student groups to better target coping mechanism programs.
Advisor
Joseph Visker
Committee Member
Emily Forsyth
Committee Member
Charis Davidson
Date of Degree
2022
Language
english
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
Master of Science (MS)
Program of Study
Community Health Education
Department
Health Science
College
Allied Health and Nursing
Recommended Citation
Diefenderfer, K. (2022). Stress coping responses of undergraduate university students prior to & since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic [Master’s thesis, Minnesota State University, Mankato]. Cornerstone: A Collection of Scholarly and Creative Works for Minnesota State University, Mankato. https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/etds/1199/
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Higher Education Commons, Mental and Social Health Commons
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