Extent of Adoption of Specified Stress Coping Mechanisms by Benguet State University First Year Students Living Away From Their Parents

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the extent of adoption of stress coping mechanism employed by the first year students living away from their parents. Specifically, the study sought to determine the extent of adoption of the specified coping mechanisms of BSU first-year students living away from their parents along the following dimensions: Physiological stress, Psychological Stress and Social Stress. The study also sought to determine the differences in the level of adoption of the specified coping mechanisms on the three dimensions and when the respondents are compared according to Gender, Religious Affiliation, Ethnicity and College. The subjects of the study consisted of two hundred eighty respondents (280) from all the four colleges, namely: college of Agriculture, Arts and Sciences, Teacher Education and Nursing. The study utilized the descriptive quantitative research design in the presentation of pertinent data. Data were obtained through a questionnaire that adopted a liker type response (e.g. always, often, sometimes, seldom, never). The T-test and F-test in the ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses of the study. The findings of the study revealed that the extent of adoption of the specified coping mechanisms employed by first year students of BSU-CA, CAS, CTE and CN who are living away from their parents is often along the following dimensions, namely: physiological stress, psychological stress and social stress. There were no significant differences in the extent of adoption of the specified coping mechanisms on the three dimensions compared to the hypothesized extent of “often”. Likewise there were no significant differences in the extent of adoption of stress coping mechanisms. But there was a significant difference when respondents were compared according to religious affiliation. The study revealed that gender, ethnicity, and college have no effect while religious affiliation has an effect on the level of adoption of the specified coping mechanisms along the three dimensions. Based on the findings of the study, the following are recommended: It is very important for the respondents to maintain the extent of adoption on the specified coping mechanisms on the three dimensions to prevent stressed or depressed. Music is very effective way to cope with stress, it is not bad to listen to music once in a while most especially when we stressed or depressed. Even if we are in the different denomination when it comes to serving the Lord the way to cope with stress must be similar because God supplies everything if we just believe. Lecture on stress management should be conducted to all the colleges to assists the students to deal with stress. Distribution of pamphlets or teaching about the effect of the coping mechanisms to their health when it’s overused shall be done.A further study should be conducted on the same problem by increasing the number of specified coping mechanisms and also to consider other year levels other freshmen in the same colleges studied and also the other colleges.