Covid-19 Stress, Adaptation, and Coping Among Male and Female U.S. College Students
Abstract
The present study explored the relationship between binary gender, stress, adaptation, and coping in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study participants were college students, ages 18+, attending an institute of higher education in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because male and female students have been known to experience stress, adaptation, and coping differently, this study randomly selected males (n = 91) and females (n = 102) and analyzed their responses to validated scale items focusing on the effect of gender, coping, and school adjustment to stress and adaptation to COVID-19 across various domains. Students’ adjustment to college accounted for 28% of the overall variance in scores, with academic adjustment (28%) and school attachment (11%) impacting specific aspects of stress and COVID adjustment significantly. Coping also contributed to specific aspects of stress and COVID-19 adjustment, with escape avoidance (13%), planful problem-solving (8%) and positive reappraisal (9%) accounting for variance in specific domains. No significant overall effect of gender on stress and COVID-19 adaptation was found, although gender did play a significant role discriminatory impact adjustment. Findings can inform systemic interventions used by institutions during times of abrupt, high magnitude changes to education and students’ lifestyles.
Subject Area
Psychology|Community college education|Gender studies|Social psychology
Recommended Citation
Prieto, Denise Nathalie, "Covid-19 Stress, Adaptation, and Coping Among Male and Female U.S. College Students" (2024). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI30570841.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI30570841
