Student Coping Research Articles

“I am afflicted with the evil eye!” How Islamic cultural beliefs influence college students’ perceptions of their academic experience

PurposeIslamic culture believes the evil eye can cause distress, mental illness, physical illness and even death through envious glances. However, the gap was highlighted about the influence of college students’ religious beliefs, particularly those of the evil eyes, on their academic failures. Based on this notion, this study aims to explore how evil eye beliefs affect students’ academic experiences with failures in a culturally diverse educational environment.Design/methodology/approachThis study included 18 female Sunni-Muslim students from Kuwait University by using Heidegger’s phenomenological framework. The study conducted 18 face-to-face interviews over four weeks and analyzed the data using NVivo 14 with thematic analysis and phenomenological assumptions.FindingsThis in-depth study shows how the pervasive belief in the evil eye in academic settings challenges students. The study found how this cultural belief affects students’ mental health, academic performance and social interactions. The study also explored cultural sensitivity’s wider implications, how educational institutions face the psychological stress this belief causes, cultural effects on academic failure and student coping mechanisms.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the study was qualitative and exploratory, the findings provide depth rather than breadth of understanding about students’ evil eye perceptions. The study does not consider the possibility that “evil eye” beliefs might be psychological delusions, complicating cultural beliefs and mental health symptoms. This oversight makes it challenging to select participants who have genuinely experienced evil eye effects. Teachers interviewed students who might withhold private information or alter their responses due to power dynamics or a desire to appear positive. This setting might bias data, reducing its authenticity and depth.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that academic institutions should address cultural beliefs to support students’ education and academic performance rather than promoting hate, evil eye and oppression.Originality/valueThis study highlights the need for academic environments to address and mitigate the evil eye belief’s unique challenges, creating a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.

Stress, Coping, and Adjustment of International Students during COVID-19: A Quantitative Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 caused unexpected and unprecedented disruptions worldwide. University students, especially international students, underwent unique challenges during this volatile era. This secondary quantitative data analysis study aimed to investigate the experiences, stress, adjustment, and ways of coping of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from 112 international university students and 112 domestic American university students were included in the statistical analyses. The differences in Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ), Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WAYS), COVID-19-related questionnaire, and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) between international and domestic students were analyzed using independent samples t-tests. Multiple regression models predicting PSS by SACQ, WAYS, and COVID-19-related questionnaire subscales were estimated for international and domestic students separately. The results showed that international students and American students did not report significant differences in their university adjustment, usage of coping strategy, and perceived stress level during the peak of the pandemic. Additionally, American students reported more factors impacting their perceived stress than international students. Implications of the findings as well as limitations and future directions were discussed.

Gender differences in the relationship between medical students’ emotional intelligence and stress coping: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundGiven the increasing stress levels among medical students due to the impact of COVID-19, it is crucial to effectively reduce their stress levels for their future development. To better understand medical students’ stress coping, this study investigated how their emotional intelligence is related to stress coping and whether this relationship is moderated by gender differences.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted. A random sample of 744 medical students from Hebei Province, China, was investigated via an emotional intelligence scale and stress coping questionnaire from March–May 2023. The response rate was 93%. SPSS and Mplus statistical software were used for the data analysis.ResultsThe self-emotional appraisal of medical students had a significant negative effect on avoidant coping (β = -0.173, CI 95% = [-0.243, -0.099], p < .001). However, the other dimensions of emotional intelligence (others’ emotional appraisal, use of emotion, and regulation of emotion) had a significant positive impact on the active coping of female medical students (β = 0.146, CI 95% = [0.082,0.214], p < .001; β = 0.235, CI 95% = [0.167,0.304], p < .001; β = 0.165, CI 95% = [0.084,0.247], p < .001). In contrast to those of female medical students, other dimensions of emotional intelligence had a significant positive impact on the avoidant coping of male medical students (β = -0.161, CI 95% = [-0.284, -0.062]; p < 0.01; β = 0.126, CI 95% = [0.043,0.246], p < 0.001; β = 0.159, CI 95% = [0.054,0.277], p < 0.05; β = -0.221, CI 95% = [-0.363, -0.129], p < 0.001). Moreover, the use of emotion had a significant positive impact on the active coping of male medical students (β = 0.272, CI 95% = [0.182,0.382], p < .001). Furthermore, gender differences had a moderating effect on the relationship between emotional intelligence dimensions and stress coping (β = 0.178; CI 95% = [0.068,0.292]; p < 0.05). Others’ emotional appraisal has a greater impact on female students’ active coping. In addition, with increasing regulation of emotion ability, female medical students reduce avoidant coping (β = 0.169, CI 95% = [0.002,0.326]; p < 0.05).ConclusionsThe current study revealed that gender is a significant moderator of the relationship between medical students’ emotional intelligence and stress coping. These findings may help medical colleges focus on gender differences when improving medical students’ ability to cope with stress.

A longitudinal examination of appraisal, coping, stress, and mental health in students: A cross-lagged panel network analysis.

In their seminal Transactional Theory of Stress, Lazarus and Folkman described a complex adaptation mechanism that involves appraisal and coping processes that lead to the subjective experience of stress. In this study, we examined the temporal order of all components of this theory using a cross-lagged panel analysis. A sample of 354 students (62.10% female, mean age=20.63y.o.) participated in a 5-week study and completed weekly self-reported measures of prospective appraisal, coping, core burnout, and mental health (i.e. depression, anxiety, and stress). Using cross-lagged panel network analyses, we analyzed how each measured variable is predicted by all variables from the previous measurement moment. Convergent with the transactional stress theory, we found that threat appraisals and negative self-perception predicted future anxiety and depression. Contrary to expectations, core burnout and somatization emerged as significant predictors of poor mental health outcomes, suggesting a self-perpetuating spiral. Furthermore, our study highlighted the importance of recognizing the bidirectional connections between appraisals, coping strategies, and mental well-being.

The Role of Student Coping Strategies on Success in the Command Actions Course: A Special Operations Selection Course of the Brazilian Army.

Army Command Action units in Brazil are recognized for their operational effectiveness, operating in hostile scenarios. However, these operations are extremely stressful, requiring specific stress-coping skills. The objective of this study was to identify the profile of stress-coping strategies of military personnel enrolled in the Command Actions Course (CAC) and their relationship with completion of the course. A prospective cohort study was carried out with 87 military personnel from the CAC class of 2022. Data were collected on personal characteristics, coping strategies, and stress levels, among other variables. Specific instruments were used to assess coping (Brief-COPE), stress (DASS-21), social support (MOSS), and sociodemographic variables (own instrument) to evaluate the relationship between coping with stress and course completion. Descriptive analyses were performed (central tendency and dispersion measures), and overall survival analysis was performed using the log-rank test for comparison (P < .05). Cox regression was used for multiple analyses considering a statistical significance of 5%. A total of 31% of the participants completed the course. The profile of graduates is mainly composed of young people with higher education, single status, and White. Certain coping strategies such as Active Coping (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.25-1.75) as well as high stress levels (HR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.11) were associated with disengagement, while the Humor-based coping strategy reduced the chance of disengagement by 15% (HR = 0.85; 95% CI, 0.74-0.98). This study highlights the importance of investigation using coping strategies in the military context as a useful tool in coping with stress in the CAC.

Evaluation of Resilience and Mental Health in the "Post-Pandemic Era" among University Students: Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study.

The mental well-being of university students has been a growing concern in Public Health and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic (including the post-pandemic era) introduced and exacerbated a variety of potential stressors for vulnerable individuals and communities, resulting in an increase in mental health issues among university students. Resilience, as a process, is the ability of a system to adapt and grow in the face of adversity. This is a crucial aspect to consider when examining the coping of university students in critical situations such as COVID-19. This study aims to assess the association between resilience and mental health outcomes among university students in Cyprus during the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. A parallel embedded mixed methods research design will be utilized to assess resilience, measured by the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the COVID-19 Impact Scale (CIS) and mental health outcomes measured by the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL 90-R), during the COVID-19 post-pandemic era (January 2022-July 2024) among university students in the Republic of Cyprus. The study will be conducted in two stages: a pilot study followed by the main study. Quantitative data will be collected through a web-based survey, while qualitative data will be obtained through in-person focus groups designed to capture participants' experiences. Participants will be recruited using a proportional quota sampling approach to achieve representativeness based on predefined demographics. The study protocol has been approved by the Cyprus Bioethics Committee (approval no: EEC/EP/2023/31). This study is expected to broaden our understanding of the intricate interactions between the COVID-19 pandemic's impact, resilience, and mental health outcomes. The focus on university students' psychological wellbeing is consistent with the call by the WHO to focus on mental health (World Health Organization, 2019).

The positive and negative consequences of stress and its relationship with coping in medical students: A qualitative study

Rates of mental health problems among medical students have prompted efforts to reduce stress during medical training. However, stress can be motivating and is a feature of clinical work. This qualitative study explores what makes an experience stressful, and how medical students respond to such experiences. In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 medical students. Experiences were distressing when they threatened students’ self-perception, goals or coping mechanisms, or when they reminded the student of distressing past events. Moderate stress was motivating and could build resilience. Students selected coping mechanisms based on their availability, acceptability, likely outcome and their previous experience of using these mechanisms. Social support, extra-curricular activities and exercise were helpful. High levels of distress, poor self-esteem and course factors, including remote placements, impaired engagement with coping strategies. Perception of stressors as being insurmountable or beyond one’s control, led to increasing distress and the adoption of avoidant coping strategies. University strategies need to consider the beneficial effects of stress and seek to bolster coping resources as well as minimising unnecessary sources of stress.

Facilitating the coping and development of college students with mental disorders: a positive clinical psychology approach.

In serving college students with mental disorders, on-campus mental health professionals have been lacking integrative theoretical frameworks to guide their missions of prevention, remedy, and development facilitation. In the current paper, we propose the positive clinical psychology as a theoretically and practically valuable framework for these missions by narratively reviewing the preventive, remedial, and developmental mechanisms derived from the theory and summarizing the most recent empirical evidence that supports each mechanism. We further discuss why and how these mechanisms and findings can be applied to on-campus mental health services to facilitate the resilience and optimal development of college students with mental disorders. Particularly, the use of resilience-focused and strength-based intervention strategies are promoted for services.

Parallel enrollments: associations between stress and coping of college students with their performance

College students are known to have high stress levels, which can have negative consequences on their academic performance. In Austria (Europe) there are no tuition fees and students are allowed to enroll in as many degree programs as they want simultaneously. The unique setting of Austria allows examination of the impact of parallel enrollments on students’ stress dimensions. Therefore, this study aims to exploratively determine associations between performance and well-being, stress coping and resource load of students in one and multiple enrolled programs. 213 students took part in a survey and their answers were merged with their performance indicators of the last academic year, retrieved from the university’s internal database. The questionnaire was sent out during the finals- and examination phase prior to the summer holidays. Multivariate linear regression analyses with performance as outcome were conducted on three analysis levels: (1) unfiltered dataset, (2) students with one enrollment and (3) students with two or more enrollments. Results show that well-being, stress coping and resource occupation are associated with performance indicators, but differently on each analysis level. Students with one study program and students in multiple simultaneous programs may be treated as different populations performance-wise. Due to the correlative nature of this study, the outcomes and predictors are likely influencing each other, making future research on the causal relationships warranted.

The big five factors as differential predictors of self-regulation, achievement emotions, coping and health behavior in undergraduate students

BackgroundThe aim of this research was to analyze whether the personality factors included in the Big Five model differentially predict the self-regulation and affective states of university students and health.MethodsA total of 637 students completed validated self-report questionnaires. Using an ex post facto design, we conducted linear regression and structural prediction analyses.ResultsThe findings showed that model factors were differential predictors of both self-regulation and affective states. Self-regulation and affective states, in turn, jointly predict emotional performance while learning and even student health. These results allow us to understand, through a holistic predictive model, the differential predictive relationships of all the factors: conscientiousness and extraversion were predictors regulating positive emotionality and health; the openness to experience factor was non-regulating; nonregulating; and agreeableness and neuroticism were dysregulating, hence precursors of negative emotionality and poorer student health.ConclusionsThese results are important because they allow us to infer implications for guidance and psychological health at university.

EmoVis: exploring data-enabled analogue journaling to promote self-reflection for mental wellness among college students

ABSTRACT College students are known to face many stressors, making them one of the most vulnerable groups to mental disorders. To tackle such an issue, this paper presents a design study that investigated data-enabled analogue journaling (DEAJ) to help college students improve their mental wellness through paper-based self-reflection aided by automatic self-tracking. Specifically, based on several design iterations we developed a DEAJ tool, called EmoVis, which could generate a printed visualisation based on daily physiological data and event tags to support doodling or structured writing in analogue journaling for everyday stress management. We conducted a six-day mixed methods field study with 32 college students to evaluate the effectiveness and user experience of EmoVis. Results suggested that EmoVis can significantly improve the engagement and need for self-reflection due to context-based reflection and data-enabled exploratory journaling. Furthermore, the doodling canvas was experienced as a joyful tool for mindfulness and creative DEAJ, while reflecting with a writing template was perceived as efficient. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of DEAJ approaches for daily stress coping in students’ college life.

How fear of COVID-19 promotes posttraumatic growth during COVID-19 epidemic: A moderated mediation model.

Recent studies have shown that the COVID-19 lockdown contributes to the psychological and physical stress of college students, who are forced to adjust to this tough time. The objective of this study was to explore how positive coping behaviors and fear of COVID-19 predicted posttraumatic growth (PTG) among Chinese college students in Wuhan during the latest lockdown. Chinese college students in Wuhan (N = 982) aged 18-30 were recruited and completed an online survey, which assessed the fear of COVID-19, positive coping, reflective rumination, and PTG. Chinese college students reported high levels of PTG at the total scale (79.4%) and subdomains (83.7%). Fear of COVID-19 can not only directly influence PTG, but can also indirectly affect PTG through the mediating role of positive coping. Additionally, reflective rumination moderates the association between fear of COVID-19 and positive coping, whereby fear of COVID-19 promotes positive coping in college students with a higher level of reflective rumination. PTG in college students is the result of both positive behavior and reflective cognition during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Therefore, in order to promote students' positive psychological changes, students should be encouraged to interpret situations positively and take proactive responses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Coping and emotions of global higher education students to the Ukraine war worldwide

Trauma scientists have raised the alarm about the devastating consequences of the Ukraine war on mental health. We examined how higher education students—as indirect victims—coped with this conflict and how they emotionally reacted during 2022. We involved 2314 students from 16 countries through an online survey. A structural equation model indicated significant relations between war-related worry about military and macroeconomics domains and two coping strategies (opposition, support giving), in turn significantly linked with six emotions. The model was strongly invariant across gender, study field, and geographic area. The most frequent emotions were anger and anxiety, followed by two future-centred emotions (hopelessness and hope). Emotions were more frequent for females and students of the countries geographically close to the war region. Our findings call for evidence-based policy recommendations to be implemented by institutions to combat the negative short and long-term psychological sequelae of being witnesses of armed conflicts.

Patience with final year students' academic stress at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana

This study is quantitative correlational research which aims to determine the relationship between patience and academic stress. In this study, researchers used a purposive sampling technique with a total of 103 participant’s final year psychology students from the 2020 class of Psychology at Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, who were working on their TA/thesis. The research instrument uses a patience scale and an academic stress scale. This research uses Spearman product moment correlation data analysis method. The results showed a correlation of r = -0,212 and a significance value of 0,016 (p &lt;0,05). These results show that there is a negative relationship between patience and academic stress in final year students who are working on their thesis, which means that the higher the patience, the lower the academic stress. On the other hand, the lower the patience, the higher the academic stress. The results of this research can provide knowledge and coping for final year students who are working on their thesis so that they can increase their patience so that they can minimize academic stress when working on their thesis. This study associates the variable of patience with the variable of academic stress because the results of previous studies have not been conclusive, namely showing pro-contra results. In addition, the concept of patience is considered a positive character and is an important part of well-being which is one part of the study of positive psychology.

Identifying predictors of resilient coping in students during COVID-19 lockdown

IntroductionAlthough increasing resilient coping throughout life is beneficial, it is particularly important in young people. To prevent the development of mental health problems, it is crucial to understand the factors associated with resilience. However, among university students, the characteristics considered conducive to resiliency have not been sufficiently studied, particularly during pandemic times.ObjectivesThe present study examined factors associated with resilient coping in Portuguese higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsData were collected from an opportunity large sample of participants during the academic year 2020/2021. Four self-report measures were utilized within the study: Herth Hope Index, Brief Resilient Coping Scale, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale – 21 items, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised. Additionally, a demographic questionnaire was used to collect data including age, gender, have children, education level, and study area. Ethics clearance was obtained. In order to test the research question, a multiple regression was conducted (using SPSS 28), with resilient coping as the dependent variable and the other variables entered as potential predictor variables.ResultsA total of 1522 students (75.1% women and 24.9% men) took part in this study. Most participants were single (91.2%), had no children (93%), and the ages ranged from 18 to 59, with a mean age of 22.88±6.93 years. In terms of study level, the majority of students (73.7%) are at the undergraduate level and are not working (76.6%). Among the participants, 35.7%, 36.2%, and 28.5% had symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression above the normal range, respectively. High resilience scores were found in 215 participants (14.1%). The mean hope (HHI) was 35.53 (SD = 5.92). Our results also demonstrated that hope is the only predictor of resilient coping (p&lt;0.001). A higher level of hope is expected to affect people’s psychological adjustment by influencing both their appraisal of, and their coping with, the stressors confronted by them.ConclusionsEstablishing and improving protective factors should increase the likelihood of the individual successfully avoiding negative outcomes and increase their ability to function normally, thus promoting resilient outcomes. We were able to draw practical implications for developing resilience-promoting methods in a university context. These results can be used to help students build resilience by preparing for future problems.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Australian university student coping profiles and psychosocial distress: a latent profile analysis

ABSTRACT Compared to the general population, university students experience unique demands and stressors that impact psychosocial distress. High levels of psychosocial distress can affect students academically, socially, and professionally. Strategies students use to cope with stress on their own, particularly problem- and emotion-focused strategies, can decrease distress levels. While individual coping strategies can lower distress, it remains unclear which strategies are most effective among students and whether distinct profiles of strategies and their effectiveness exist. This study aimed to explore how Australian university students use individual coping strategies to manage stress using Latent Profile Analysis. 376 students completed an online survey of coping strategies, psychosocial distress, and general wellbeing, between November and December 2022 (Mean age = 25.76; 68.62% female). Psychosocial distress levels were characterised by anxiety, depression, perceived stress, social isolation, and emotional support. Four coping profiles were extracted: no effective/no coping, problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, and emotion-focused religion-dominant coping. Students endorsing problem-focused coping had significantly lower levels of psychosocial distress compared to the no effective/no coping and emotion-focused religion-dominant coping profiles, but showed no difference compared to emotion-focused coping. The no effective/no coping profile was associated with the highest levels of psychosocial distress. This underscores the importance of supporting students to endorse primarily problem-focused coping strategies, as well as emotion-focused coping strategies and educating students on how to effectively employ strategies, especially those not endorsing any effective strategies. These results may inform university support services and training for educators working directly with students on how to educate students about coping with stress.

Religious Coping in Students with Disabilities with Disabilities

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; Education is a right that must be obtained by everyone without exception, as well as people with disabilities, they have the right to receive education according to their abilities, whether formal education or non-formal education, general knowledge or religious knowledge, and it is their choice to determine what path of education they take. what they take is like students with disabilities who study at Islamic boarding schools. This is an unusual phenomenon because students with disabilities have to struggle like normal students in general with their limitations. In this research, students with disabilities admitted that they were hampered by several things, namely adjustment, independence and bullying from friends. This research aims to explore religious coping in students with disabilities who are physically impaired. The research method used in this research is a qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach. Data collection used in this research was interviews and observations. The data validity technique uses triangulation techniques. The results of the research in this study were that students with disabilities were able to accept and be sincere about their situation, the subject decided to receive Islamic boarding school religious education on the basis of religion, he wanted to deepen his knowledge of religion, and this was done through the Islamic boarding school route. The religious coping strategy used by the subject is the deferring approach carried out by the subject by surrendering or believing that there will definitely be help from God, and the collaborative approach carried out by the subject by taking lessons from each problem and trying to solve it by asking God for help. Apart from that, the subjects also used a form of positive religious coping, where the researchers found that the subjects reflected with feelings of patience, gratitude and sincerity. Subjects also need support, the biggest support comes from parents, then from friends and the surrounding environment.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Investigating the Impacts of a Modified Mindfulness Practice on Minoritized College Students' Chronic Stress.

Students of color in the United States experience elevated stress across the entire spectrum of education, spanning from early stages of K-12 to the more advanced stages of postgraduate studies. This sustained state of chronic stress decreases learning and curtails opportunities, especially in science, technology, engineering, and math (ST EM) fields, where stress levels are considered exceptionally high. Mindfulness-based practices such as MBSR have a proven effective for stress reduction in college students. However, to date, mindfulness practices have yet to be designed to support the unique needs of minoritized students with intersectional identities (e.g., poor, English as second language learners, and sexual/gender minorities) that are stigmatized in ST EM. This article describes the development of an online, eight-week modified mindfulness practice (MMP) for minoritized students adapted from traditional MBSR. The MMP was purposely designed to be culturally inclusive and anti-racist, with the goal to reduce stress in undergraduate students of color in ST EM. In this pilot study, we assessed the impact of MMP using both biological and perceived stress measures. Specifically, cortisol was measured from donated biospecimen hair samples, the Perceived Stress Scale measured perceived stress, and key informant interviews were conducted to understand student stressors and coping strategies before and after the intervention. While the observed decrease biological and perceived stress before and after the intervention was not statistically significant due to the small sample size of this pilot study, we see a dramatic positive change in student coping strategies. This study highlights the importance of providing minoritized students with options for stress reduction that are relevant and accessible.

Resilience, coping and Personal Factors of medical students at a Public University; Karachi, Pakistan.

To assess resilience levels of medical students, identify factors associated with it, and explore association between coping styles and resilience level among medical students. The analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted at the Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, from February to June 2022, and comprised medical students regardless of gender and the academic year. Data was collected using self-administered socio-demographic form, Brief Resilience Scale and Brief Cope. Data was analysed using SPSS 28. Out the 301 participants, 197(65.4%) were females and 104(34.6%) were males. The overall mean age was 20.7±1.849 years. Of the total, 132(43.9%) students had low resilience, with males having better resilience compared to females (p<0.001). Higher resilience was seen in year 1 students compared to those of clinical years (p=0.029). There was a significant positive correlation between high resilience and problem-focussed coping, while a significant negative correlation was found between resilience and avoidant and emotionally focussed strategies (p<0.05). There was a significant negative correlation between resilience levels and age (p<0.025). There was a significant difference in resilience scores with respect to the last grade point average, sleep hours, and hours spent studying (p<0.05). More than one-third medical students demonstrated low resilience, and the majority reported adopting emotion-focussed coping style.

PREDIKSI SELF-COMPASSION TERHADAP PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS PADA MAHASISWA YANG SEDANG MENYUSUN SKRIPSI

College students are required to complete their final thesis during their last year of study. While working on their thesis, students encounter various challenges such as finding a suitable title, limited reading sources, time constraints, and other obstacles. These challenges contribute to psychological distress among students. If students are unable to overcome distress, problems could arise, such as sleep difficulties, decreased self-esteem, neglect of self-care, and even suicidal tendencies. Hence, self-compassion is essential in overcoming psychological distress. Final year students require self-compassion to face their challenges and maintain emotional balance. This study aims to see the role of self-compassion in predicting psychological distress among final year students who are working on their thesis. The method used in this research is quantitative method. Convenience sampling was utilized to select a total of three hundred and eleven final year students for the study. Participants filled out the Self-Compassion Scale and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale. Data is then analyzed by simple linear regression model. Results show that self-compassion can significantly predict psychological distress in final year students working on their thesis. Further test results revealed that there is a significant negative correlation between the five aspects of self-compassion with psychological distress. The implications of this research suggests self-compassion can serve as a coping and emotional regulation strategy for final year students working on their thesis. As a result, mental health practitioners can develop interventions based on self-compassion tailored for those students.