Stress Coping Strategies at University Students - Part I: Gender Differences

Abstract

The aim of present study is to investigate the particularities of using various stress coping strategies by undergraduate students at the Czech University of Life Sciences (CULS) with a special regard to the balance between positive and negative stress coping strategies, and resulting consequences. Authors focused on comparing differences in the use of coping strategies between standardized scores of the Czech population and student population, as well as on identifying differences in the use of coping strategies between both genders. The data were collected using the standardized stress coping strategies questionnaire - SVF 78. Of the total number of 177 students, 63 were male and 114 were female undergraduate students of Faculty of Economics and Management (FEM) at CULS. The most important outcome of the current study research is a proven significant distinction between the positive-negative stress coping strategies employed by CULS undergraduate students and those of the Czech population sample. From the global point of view, the use of positive stress coping techniques seems comparatively high and might therefore be considered as satisfactory. However, significantly lower use of the most constructive and, in longer prospective, most approved group of strategies is rather disappointing.