Perceived stress and coping strategies among Tunisian health sciences students
H. Daoud, I. Sellami, A. Feki, M. Hajjaji, M. L. Masmoudi, K. Jmal HammamiIntroduction
Health sciences students are frequently exposed to academic pressure, clinical responsibilities, and emotional challenges, which can contribute to elevated stress levels. Coping strategies play a crucial role in how individuals manage stress and maintain well-being.
Objectives
This study aimed to assess the relationship between stress levels and coping strategies among health sciences students.
Methods
We conducted a cross-sectional study among health sciences students. Data were collected anonymously through a Google Forms survey from October 2023 to January 2024. Participants completed a questionnaire collecting sociodemographic and academic characteristics, followed by standardized assessments of stress and coping. Stress was measured using the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Coping strategies were evaluated with the Brief COPE Inventory, which distinguishes between problem-focused coping (PFC), emotion-focused coping (EFC), and avoidance coping (AC).
Results
Our study included 472 health sciences students, with a sex ratio of 0.44. Nursing science students represented 71.8% of the sample. The mean of participants perceived stress was 7.19 ± 2.45. The mean total coping score among students was 63.97 ± 10.96, with subscale means of 19.54 ± 3.74 for problem-focused coping, 25.56 ± 4.50 for emotion-focused coping, and 17.83 ± 3.47 for avoidance coping. Bivariate analysis showed that higher stress level was associated with lower scores on emotion-focused coping (EFC) (r=-0.093, p=0.044) and avoidance coping (AC) (r =-0.132, p =0.004).
Conclusions
Higher levels of perceived stress were inversely associated with the use of emotion-focused and avoidance coping strategies, underscoring the need to promote effective coping mechanisms to enhance students’ mental well-being.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared