Stress, stressors and coping among high school students

Abstract

A sample of 333 tenth and eleventh grade students in the Los Angeles area were surveyed to determine the degree of stress experienced, the stressors encountered most frequently, and the frequency with which specific coping strategies were employed along with their perceived effectiveness. The respondents scored above the norms for their age on the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, and up to one third of the sample reported high levels of daily stress. The stressors highest in frequency reflected concerns about one's future goals followed by several school-related items. No gender differences were found in degree of stress or most frequent stressors. White students reported experiencing personal and school-related stressors more often than African American or Latino students. Latino students experienced family stressors more often than their cohorts in other ethnic groups. The frequency with which coping strategies were employed was low, with no ethnic differences and females employing adaptive coping strategies more often than males. Gender and ethnic differences were found with respect to specific adaptive coping strategies. Comparisons with regard to stressors and coping strategies were also made between students reporting high levels of stress and those reporting moderate to low levels of stress.