Perceived Stressors and Coping Mechanisms of Selected First-Year Psychology Students Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed Method

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed significant and diverse stressors on first-year psychology students in the Philippines. This research explored into various coping mechanisms employed by these students to navigate the stressors. Employing a descriptive-evaluative design, the study aimed to comprehend the stressors experienced by the students and utilized a phenomenological approach to explore their coping mechanisms. Upon analyzing the data, the researchers categorized the stressors and coping mechanisms according to their prevalence. The most prevalent stressor identified was the Psychosocial Environment, encompassing issues such as School-Related problems, Family-Related problems, and financial difficulties. Leisure activities emerged as the most frequently adopted coping mechanism. Chronic and Acute Burdens, Biological Environment, and Psychosocial Environment were all identified as significant stressors perceived by the respondents. However, the Psychosocial Environment stood out as the primary stressor among the three, supported by both quantitative findings and qualitative analysis, which highlighted School-Related problems as the foremost perceived stressor by students. Conversely, the results indicated that leisure activities were the coping mechanism most commonly utilized by respondents, garnering 28.9% of the responses. This underscores the importance for schools to consider the volume of extracurricular activities they mandate and for family members to regularly check in on their children. Lastly, the study recommends conducting in-person interviews and expanding the sample population to obtain more comprehensive insights.