Stress Levels and Coping Mechanisms among First-Generation Female College Students in Different Academic Streams

Description

Page: 525-532

Elangbam Reebika Devi¹ and D. Chao² (Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi¹ and Zakir Hussain College, University of Delhi, Delhi²)

The study aims to assess the level of stress and the types of coping mechanisms used by first-generation female college students across three academic streams: Arts, Science and Commerce at the University of Delhi. Stress levels are measured using a standardised stress scale, while coping mechanisms are categorised into emotion-focused, problem-focused, and appraisal-focused strategies. The objective is to identify how stress levels varied across different streams, to determine which coping mechanisms are most frequently employed by the students, and to study stream-wise comparison on the level of stress and its coping mechanism. The sample consists of 156 female students, aged 19-25 years by using a random sampling technique. Using quantitative methods such as descriptive and inferential analysis are employed for this study. The study finds that female students in the Arts, Science, and Commerce streams experience significant stress, often due to concerns about the future and inadequate academic environments. Specifically, Arts students face heightened stress from future-related worries and a lack of proper support, which worsens their stress levels.