Perceived stress and coping strategies in high school gifted students in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

Mental disorders in adolescents are a major emerging public health challenge. Gifted students may experience more stress, anxiety, and adjustment problems than non-gifted students due to several reasons. This study investigated the prevalence of stress, coping strategies, and their association in high school gifted students. A cross-sectional study among 535 students from Le Hong Phong high school for the gifted was conducted. Participants completed a self-report questionnaire containing questions about background information, the Perceived Stress Scale to assess stress perception, and the Coping Strategies Inventory to evaluate coping strategies. Among 500 completed questionnaires included in the analysis, the prevalence of perceived stress was 28.4%, including 21.4% moderate stress and 7.0% severe stress. Problem solving was the most preferred strategy (2.6 ± 0.6), followed by wishful thinking (2.5 ± 0.9) and cognitive restructuring (2.4 ± 0.7). Students who had higher level of stress, experienced excessive parental control or parental aspiration for their academic performance were more likely to have disengagement strategies such as wishful thinking, social withdrawal, and self-criticism. In contrast, higher likelihood of having engagement coping strategies was found in students who had good relationship with teachers and peers and those who joined extracurricular activities. In overall, the prevalence of perceived stress in Vietnamese high school gifted students was high, but not all students chose proper stress coping strategies. School-based routine screening and intervention should be conducted, focusing on providing students with proper stress coping strategies.