Leyla Mansur, Mary Jo Coiro Ph.D., Dustin F. Sentz, Psy.D., Jason A. Parcover Ph.D.
Do Sources of Stress Moderate the Association between Coping and Psychopathology Among College Students?
Abstract:
College is an especially stressful time for young adults (Hurst et al, 2012), with
academic, financial, and interpersonal stressors as being particularly prevalent among
college students (American College Health Association, 2015). These stressors are
associated with a range of mental health disorders and health-risk behaviors (MacGeorge,
Samter, & Gillihan, 2005; Misra & McKean, 2000), although using adaptive coping strategies
may reduce these associations (Coiro, Bettis & Compas, 2017). The current study aimed
to understand whether the specific source of stress moderates the association between
coping and mental health-related outcomes among a sample of college students. Based
on prior literature it was hypothesized that students would report academics as their
greatest sources of stress; that interpersonal stress would be more strongly associated
with depression and anxiety symptoms (measured via the Patient Health Questionnaire;
Spitzer, Kroenke, & Williams, 1999) than other forms of stress; and that source of
stress would moderate the association between coping (measured via the Responses to
Stress Questionnaire; Connor-Smith et al., 2000) and mental health symptoms.
Participants included 301 undergraduate students from two mid-sized comprehensive
universities. Responses to an open-ended self-report question regarding the greatest
source of stress were coded by two raters who achieved inter-rater agreement of 94%.
Academic stress was reported as the greatest source of stress by 53% of students,
followed by interpersonal (15%), and financial (7%) stress. Twenty-one percent of
students reported a primary stressor that did not fit into these three predetermined
categories (e.g. body image, homesickness, stress related to the future). Additional
analyses found that use of adaptive coping strategies was associated with lower depression
and anxiety, while use of maladaptive coping was associated with greater depression
and anxiety. However, major source of stress did not moderate the association between
coping and mental health symptoms (measured via the Responses to Stress Questionnaire;
Connor-Smith et al., 2000); and symptoms of depression and anxiety, suggesting that
coping is associated with poorer mental health regardless of source of stress.These
findings have the potential to inform interventions for college students experiencing
high levels of stress, depression and anxiety.