Stay at Home Stressors and Coping Strategies of Students due to COVID-19

Abstract

The study aims to look into the stressors of the stay at home order and their psychological effects as well as the adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies used by high school students. A total of 240 respondents participated in the descriptive quantitative study. The study was conceptualized and conducted from May 2020 to March 2021 at the height of the stay at home order due to the COVID-19. The respondents completed a survey questionnaire with three parts. The study used simple random sampling. The quantitative data was treated with descriptive statistics; moreover, weighted mean and ranking were used. Results revealed that the respondents were moderately affected by the stressors of stay at home order and their psychological effects with a grand mean of 2.74 (e.g. inadequate supplies and access to regular medical care etc.) Moreover, the respondents often use the adaptive coping strategies with a grand mean of 2.61 (e.g. performing with the use of online application such as TikTok, tending ornamental plants etc.). Finally, the respondents sometimes use the maladaptive coping strategies with a grand mean of 2.22 (e.g. being emotional, playing online games excessively etc.). In conclusion, the respondents moderately felt the stressors of stay at home order and their psychological effects, they often use the adaptive coping strategies and they sometimes use the maladaptive coping strategies.