Perceived Stress, Styles of Stress Management and Academic Adjustment Among University Students During Covid-19

Zainab Manzoor * ¹ , Munnaza Tariq ² , Dr Mubashra Tariq ³ , Sadia Raza ⁴

1,2. Clinical Psychologist, Riphah International University.

3. Doctor of Physiotherapist, Riphah International University

4. Reader College.

Corresponding Author: Zainab Manzoor, Clinical Psychologist, Riphah International University.

Copy Right: © 2023 Zainab Manzoor, This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received Date: January 13, 2023

Published Date: February 01, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10101427

Abstract

Stress Impact of COVID-19 on Pakistan University Student and how they are coping in COVID-19 when this vires spreading rapidly. This study is focused on stress of academic under these circumstances. The aim of this study was to analyze the perceived stress and styles of stress management in academic adjustment during COVID-19. Hypothesis, there is likely to be relationship between Perceived stress, styles of stress management and academic adjustment during COVID-19. Style of stress management is likely to predict in academic adjustment during online classes. Style of stress management is likely to mediate the relationship between perceived stress and academic adjustment during COVID-19. There is likely be gender difference between Style of stress management and academic adjustment. the web-based, cross- sectional study was conducted among university students form private and government university of Pakistan. The sample size is 100 university students; non-purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data from three groups of age range between 20-25, 26-30 and 30-35 years. Google forms were used to disseminate online questionnaire to assed Perceived stress for Perceived stress scale (Cohen et al,1988) styles of stress management for Measure of Current (Carver, C. S,2006), Academic adjustment for Academic Adjustment Scale (Anderson 2016). The Result fine that Pearson product moment highlighted that there is significant relationship between perceived stress, style of management and academic adjustment. Regression analysis highlighted stress is predicted academic adjustment. Mediation analysis highlighted Style of stress management is significantly   mediate the relationship between perceived stress and academic adjustment. The t-test highlighted that there is significant difference between male and female students. These findings can be useful for education ministry who formed SOPs for students and related department and also useful for HR departments who work for the betterment of student.

Keywords Perceived stress; Style of stress Management; Academic Adjustment.

Introduction

COVID-19 is a great challenging situation for Pakistani students they are facing a lot of issues due to online classes which provoke stress and many mental health issues and stress it’s a grave issue for students who are used to study in formal way they can’t built such association which they have during formal class they face problem mentally as they perform many task in group activities due to this they are unable to do it accurately or in a good sense many students lives in far places they travel to big cities lives in hostel’s for studies they have a great issue which is they haven’t a good internet access in this scenario those who have good access this situation prove like hell for them become mentally disturb which effects not only academic performance but their whole health as well as social life also disturbed due to this they feel great uneasiness to settle with this. COVID-19 has caused worldwide pandemonium over the past few months. With so much panic in such a short period of time, it’s natural to feel stress and anxiety over the current situation. Worldwide, government officials have asked citizens to stay quarantined to limit the spread of the disease, but staying in has created heightened emotions of fear and stress for many of those that are confined to their homes. The current world context of social distancing, stay?at?home mandates, online or cancelled college classes, fear of contagion, and uncertainty of the future due to COVID?19 puts additional stress on students’ mental well?being as well as colleges capacity to provide emotional support for their students. As a result, stress management interventions for college students have never been timelier and more relevant. Although there have been a handful of meta?analyses on stress management interventions in different populations, (Amanvermez etal;2020) the World Health Organization World Mental Health College Student Initiative, which surveyed students in 19 colleges from eight countries around the world, found that almost a third of college students arrive on campus having experienced some common mental disorder due to stress and academic performance due to COVID-19 condition (Auerbach et al., 2018). Despite the increasing demands for mental health services in college campus mental health clinics, most students in need do not seek treatment.

In fact, less than a quarter of students say they would definitely seek treatment if they had a future emotional problem (Ebert et al., 2019). Although (Amanvermez et al;2020) did not examine the effects of in?person versus online stress management programs, the current pandemic of COVID?19 and the measures of moving students off campus and into online classes suggest that online stress management programs might be the most relevant in reaching college students and attending to their mental needs from a distance. Such interventions have been growing steadily even before the pandemic. students (hypothetically) in?person to online interventions, but that students whose reason for not seeking help included embarrassment, worry about harm to one's academic career, wanting to handle problems on one own, and uncertainty about treatment efficacy, as well as those having depression or attention?deficit hyperactivity disorder, had a greater preference for eHealth delivery methods than other students (Benjet et al., 2020).

Let see the Literature Review

Cross-sectional research was led among in understudies of four famous Pakistani instruction organizations.  Google base structures were utilized to disperse the online poll to survey tension, gloom, Wellsprings of tension and the regulating approaches quick cope Peoples had essentially much less anxiousness and despondency ratings than females. Moreover, the ones having a relative, associate or colleague tainted with contamination had altogether better anxiety score. The precept wellsprings of ache have been recognized with adverse effects of non-stop pandemic on daily existence observed with the aid of using the short virous spread. COVID-19 have important adverse impact on understudies' mental wellness. The maximum successive adapting system embraced with the aid of using them are strict/profound adapting, acknowledgment, self-interruption and dynamic adapting. It is proposed that emotional health of understudies ought now no longer to be ignored for the duration of pandemics. (Salman et al., 2020). A target of research was to wellsprings undergraduate medical student facing enrolled problem in Constructed Instruction Program. The study planned to investigate the apparent pressure, stressors, and adapting methodologies applied by clinical understudies concentrating in an issue-based learning educational plan. It was a cross-sectional investigation of arbitrarily chose clinical understudies that investigated socioeconomics, saw pressure scale, wellsprings of stress, and adapting techniques .378 clinical understudies that took an interest in the investigation. Over 82% discovered contemplating upsetting and 64.3% were not resting soundly. Half of the understudies detailed low confidence. pressure scores were factually altogether high for explicit stressors of concentrating all in all, agonizing over future, relational clash, and having low confidence. Adapting methodologies that were factually basically applied all the more regularly were accusing oneself and acting naturally basic, looking for counsel and help from others, and discovering solace in faith. Female understudies more over worried in guys however they utilize all the more adapting techniques too. Stress is extremely basic among clinical understudies. A large portion of the stressors are from project and relational connections. Low confidence combined with self-fault and self-analysis is very normal. (Farhan. B, Agha. A, & Ibrahim, 2020) . In  repetitive report named anxiety, stress and see worries  on the planet because of the COVIE-19 pandemic, March 2020 which was directed in 41 nations, uncovered that noteworthy higher scores of apparent pressure were seen among ladies, youth, understudies, and among the individuals who communicated concern and the individuals who saw expanded defenselessness to the COVID-19 (Limacaoco et al, 2020). An objective of the study was to define distributed in clarifies the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on Understudies.  In the research group  there was 2111 participant with the age of 25 years  with a dysfunctional behavior history in the UK ,83% members said the pandemic had aggravated  with the condition , 26%  members said they couldn't get to emotional wellness support; peer bolster gatherings and vis-à-vis managements have been  dropped, and funding by phone or online can be trying for some youths. (Lancet ,2020).

(Senturk et al,2018) wanted to investigate in turkey decided in a spellbinding report done on the nursing understudies that the degree of stress looked by them was above moderate level. Thusly, managing the feverish understudy nursing life the intense way of life changes forced due to COVID-19 pandemic can be testing. As there is no current investigation done in India among nursing understudy, the current examination endeavors to investigate the apparent pressure and the adapting systems used by the BSc nursing understudies in the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. A Study examined during COVID-19 the student of colleges in Pune take from B.Sc. Nursing to examined the perceived stress and coping strategies Pandemic Lockdown was directed by (Sherou et al, 2020). The worldwide pandemic has confirmed to be trying for understudies in a bigger number of ways than one. Since the time face to face classes moved on the web and Remain at Home Stay Safe official request was executed, numerous understudies have confronted an upsetting change in their business status. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional online examination was attempted from fifteenth to twentieth of May 2020. Members were BSc Nursing Students whose apparent pressure and adapting techniques identified with COVID 19, were surveyed utilizing an online poll. The apparatus has 3 areas comprising of segment information as segment A, Perceived Stress Scale as Section B, and Coping Strategies Scale as segment C. Score was classified into three sections as great, moderate and low Results: An aggregate of 427 nursing understudies finished the poll. Male understudies had more seen pressure score than female understudies. Larger part of members was between 21-25 years. The investigation demonstrates moderate degree of saw worry with mean apparent pressure score of the understudies. The IV Year Nursing understudies have the most noteworthy pressure score with a mean of 22.56 ± 4.207. Subsequently there is a need to take measures by the specialists to lessen worry among the understudies. A goal of study to investigation Psychological impacts of the COVED-19 episode and lockdown among understudies and laborers of a Spanish college (Gonzáleza, Irurtiaa, &Garcíab,2020). The point of this examination was to break down the mental effect of COVID-19 in the college network during the main long stretches of restriction.  The depression anxiety scale (DASS-21) was used to assess side effects of despondency, uneasiness and stress. The enthusiastic effect of the circumstance was dissected utilizing the Impact of Event Scale. An online review was satisfied by 2530 individuals from the University of Valladolid, in Spain. A sum of 50.43% of respondents introduced moderate to extreme effect of the flare-up. Understudies from Arts and Humanities and Social Sciences and Law indicated higher scores identified with tension, gloom, stress and effect of occasion as for understudies from Engineering and Architecture. College staff introduced lower scores in all measures contrasted with understudies, who appear to have endured a significant mental effect during the principal long stretches of the COVID-19 lockdown. So as to give ideal emergency arranged mental administrations and to take preventive measures in future pandemic circumstances, psychological well-being in college understudies ought to be painstakingly checked. The study explored that the different components that influence understudy feelings of anxiety incorporate the dread of educational disappointment, associations with instructors, enormous class measures, the training framework, method of execution evaluation, long school hours, and substantial schedules (Agolla & Ongori, 2009; Mahajan, 2010), (Sreeramareddy et al., 2007; Deb et al., 2015.; in Reddy et al., 2018). Different elements that have been recognized as affecting understudies' feelings of anxiety likewise incorporate money related issues, natural changes, and troubles in overseeing scholarly and individual life (Byron, Brun, & Ivers,2008; Chernomas and Shapiro, 2013; Goff, 2011; Osorio & Diaz, 2010; Moscaritolo, 2009, in Reddy et al., 2018). Rational The importance of this study was to explore Perceived stress, styles of stress management and academic adjustment during online classes during COVID-19. Stress impact of academic adjustment in undergraduate and postgraduate University Students of Pakistan and how they Coping to use of different style of stress management when COVID-19 is spreading rapidly. To determine Perceived stress, styles of stress management and academic adjustment during online classes during COVID-19.

Materials and Methods

Sample and participant Selection

The web-based, cross- sectional study was conducted among university students form private and government university of Pakistan. The sample size is 54 university students male and female; non-purposive purposive sampling technique was used sample to collected the data from three groups of age range between 20-25, 26-30 and 30-35 years. Google forms were used to disseminate online questionnaire. all the participants in our study had to have academic background.in table 1 show the all characters of the participant.

Measures and procedure

Google forms were used to disseminate online questionnaire. The perceived stress is operationally defined as the degree to which people see (assess) that their requests surpass their ability to adapt (Cohen 1983). The style of stress management is operationally defined as stress management methods incorporate giving psychological procedures, such Academic Adjustment is operationally define as academic life style that refers to the match of an individual’s considerations and activities to his/her brief job as understudy, Academic achievement that refer  to agreeable to understudy with his/her scholastic advancement and execution and academic motivation that refer to A space in scholarly change that alludes to an understudy intrigue and objective to continue in college (Anderson, Guan, & Koc, 2016) has, intellectual rebuilding, self-guidelines, and efficient critical thinking (Carver 2005), Information sheet and Informed consent were given to educate the study participants about the purpose of the study. Those who gave their consent for participation were included in the study. They assured about the confidentiality and were also given the liberty to leave the study at any stage of the assessment. Every participant was asked to read carefully and fill the consent form along with three questionnaires perceived stress, style of stress management and academic adjustment.

Result

In table2 Cronbach’s alphas and descriptive were computed.  The table 3 Independent sample t-test comparing the gender difference between Perceived stress and Academic Adjustment    In the table 4 Pearson product correlation analysis was carried out between Perceived stress, Measure of current and Academic adjustment. the table 5 assess style of stress management as predicted academic adjustment. in the las table 6 step mediation analysis was carried out finding the mediating role Measure of current and relationship between   Perceived stress and Academic Adjustment.

The result of reviled that reliability the Perceived stress scale which is adopted for the reliability analysis found that the reliability value of (.663) which means the scale internal consistency was not good. On the other hand, Measure of current scale reliability value found (.822) which shows that the internal consistency was good, whereas academic adjustment scale reliability was found to be (.633) which show the internal consistent was not good.

The regression analysis also interprets the positive relation of dependency of the academic adjustment upon style of stress management. This egression model proves to be significant that with the increment of styles of stress management increase the adjustment toward academic activities which is also available and detailed discussed in the literature review previously.

Mediation results indicated that Style of stress management was found to be positive significant predictor of Perceived stress and ‘Academic adjustment. The mediation value is significant with Perceived stress that show Perceived stress predicts with mediation but value also significant with Academic adjustment. That Show mediator does not affect the relationship between Perceived stress and Academic adjustment) however the indirect effect of Style of stress management was found to be positively significant between Perceived stress and Academic adjustment.

The result of in depend sample t-test shows that there is no significant difference in female and male among perceived stress and academic adjustment. results show there is non- significant relation of male and female in perceived stress. The result also revealed that women mal no significant difference in academic adjustment. As Leaven’s value F = .00, p<.05 so the Assumption of the Homogeneity of Variance was not assumed.

In this result there was not significant difference were found one is sample size because there are no homogenic of sample were found and other is small sample also effect the result. 

As the correlation coefficient between style of stress and perceived stress is .281, shows the weak positive correlation which means the respondents styles of stress management shows increment with a larger increment in the perceived stress. Along with this the perceived stress level also have the weak positive correlation with .390 coefficient of correlation. We may conclude the perceived stress level shows a minimal positive impact on style of stress management and academic adjustment. On contrary, the relationship between stress management and academic adjustment is moderately positive which is slightly higher than the previous two relationships.

This correlation analysis is supporting the literature review, but with minimal impact that might be due to a sample size of only 54 participants with significant results.

Discussion

This study indicated the emergence of objective and subjective categories. Regarding academic adjustment participants highlighted the stress as an intellectual disturber. Supporting existing literature (Amanvermez et al.’s (2020) systematic review and meta?analysis of stress management interventions for college students contributes to the literature by separating studies that intervene with highly stressed students, from those that intervene with unselected student populations, restricting studies to guided stress management programs, and excluding interventions that focus on additional aspects to stress.)

Perceived Stress will predict problem in academic adjustment in COVID-19. The web-based, cross- sectional study was conducted among university students from private and government university of Pakistan. The sample size is 100 university students with age range of 20-35, Google forms were used to disseminate online questionnaire to assed Perceived stress for Perceived stress scale (Cohen et al,1988) styles of stress management for Measure of Current (Carver, C.S,2006), Academic adjustment for Academic Adjustment Scale (Anderson,2016).

In our study there is gender difference between Perceived stress, styles of stress management and academic adjustment during covid-19 in university students. The t-test highlighted that there is significant difference between male and female students.

It is a legally mandated modification or service that gives a student with a disability an equal opportunity to benefit from the educational process. It may be useful to think of academic adjustment as an adjustment to how things are normally done. Academic adjustments are individualized and specific to each student’s disability-related functional limitations. Appropriate adjustments must be discussed and approved by a DSPS faculty member such as an academic counsellor, learning disabilities specialist, High-Tech Centre instructor, or the ABI program leader. World Health Organization World Mental Health College Student Initiative, which surveyed students in 19 colleges from eight countries around the world, found that almost a third of college students arrive on campus having experienced some common mental disorder (Auerbach et al., 2018). Despite the increasing demands for mental health services in college campus mental health clinics, most students in need do not seek treatment. In fact, less than a quarter of students say they would definitely seek treatment if they had a future emotional problem (Ebert et al., 2019). Preference for self?sufficiency and embarrassment was associated with significantly reduced odds of having at least some intention to seek help. Stress management interventions in college students may have two important collateral benefits for reducing the burden of mental illness in college students. As the results of (Amanvermez et al,2020) show, stress management interventions also reduce depression, albeit to a lesser extent than they reduce stress and anxiety Stress. Stress is how our body responds to changes that require adjustment /it can be those changes which are beyond our interest. For example, staying quarantined in your home can be a large adjustment. Our bodies react to stress physically, mentally, and emotionally. Each person is different and responds to stress differently. When you understand how you react to stress, you can take the next steps in stress management. Managing your stress will help you react differently–usually in much healthier ways. stress and styles of stress management (how to handle it) among university students during COVID-19.

The current world context of social distancing, stay?at?home mandates, online or cancelled college classes, fear of contagion, and uncertainty of the future due to COVID?19 puts additional stress on students’ mental well?being as well as colleges’ capacity to provide emotional support for their students. As a result, stress management interventions for college students have never been timelier and more relevant. Although there have been a handful of meta?analyses on stress management interventions in different populations, (Amanvermez et al, 2020) systematic review and meta?analysis of stress management interventions for college students contributes to the literature by separating studies that intervene with highly stressed students, from those that intervene with unselected student populations, restricting studies to guided stress management programs, and excluding interventions that focus on additional aspects to stress.

Perceived stress is not mediate by any other factor it directly affects out mental health after running the analysis of mediation, we get to know that. Perceived stress scale which is adopted for the reliability analysis found that the reliability value of (.663) which means the scale internal consistency was not good. On the other hand, Measure of current scale reliability value found (.822) which shows that the internal consistency was good, whereas academic adjustment scale reliability was found to be (.633) which show the internal consistent was not good. Along with this the perceived stress level also has the weak positive correlation with .390 coefficient correlation. We may conclude the perceived stress level shows a minimal positive impact on style of stress management and academic adjustment. On contrary, the relationship between stress management and academic adjustment is moderately positive which is slightly higher than the previous two relationships.

This correlation analysis is supporting the literature review, but with minimal impact that might be due to a sample size of only 54 participants with significant results.

Conclusion

study concluded that as students as use to study in conventional method they are convenient in that way while during covid-19 they have to attend online classes this not only create distress but also make them uneasy and some of them cope with their stress management abilities while many of them was  stressed and couldn’t perform well this study will helpful for institution to overcome these issues if in future such issues arrived .

Strengths of the study

• The convinced strength of the study included.
• Standardize scale were used in research.
• The method of the data collection was retained constant.
• Moral standard suggested by American Psychological Association (APA)were followed.

Suggestion for future study

• The sample range in future must be increase.
• Future research should also include some other important variables which addressed as important for psychological health.
• In future sample can be broader then now, on provincial or national level so, issues can be highlighted.
• Workshops can be arranged for the awareness of pandemic vulnerability.

Implication

• This study provides valuable information about psychological health and its effect on working and abilities of students .
• Common people should also aware that they also human being so they also have some behavioral issues so should if they have some communication or try to sort these issues so, they could bear and feel better.
• Study will help students to overcome stress level in diverse way so they can settle with their own capabilities
• Helpful for government ensure such facilities which are helpful for students like internet facilities technological advancement such gadget which are required for study  as many of students in Pakistan from rural areas where such facilities are not available this create a great stress for them .
• Teacher also gets trained to provide online education as they are also not aware of all that ,how to arrange and organize class.

Limitation

• Sample should be increase
• Interviews should be conduct to explore more issues
• This study may be report biased result staff may reluctant to report reality due to social desirability.