Stress and Coping Strategies Among Participants of Stress Management Interventions at the Science, Technology and Art Festival

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of the study was to measure the level of perceived stress and coping strategies among attendants of the Science, Technology and Art Festival in Lodz in Poland, as well as to identify relationships between these two variables and demographic factors. Method: The research includes the data from 298 volunteers aged 16 to 79 years (M = 32.09; SD = 14.22). The Perceived Stress Scale was used to assess the level of stress, and Brief – COPE to evaluate coping strategies. Results: Fifty-one percent of participants revealed a high level of perceived stress, with women and younger people tending to be more stressed. Five coping strategies (denial, venting, substance use, behavioral disengagement, self-blame) were positively correlated with perceived stress. Negative relationships were observed between the level of stress and the following coping strategies: active coping, planning, positive reframing, acceptance and sense of humor. The strategy of self-blame turned out to be the strongest predictor of perceived stress. Conclusion: Building self-awareness about the individual level of stress and coping is an important element of promoting psychological well-being. The results of this pilot study may improve stress management interventions in the future.