Stress and impact of spirituality as a mediator of coping methods among social work college students

Bibliographic Data

ID2168940
AuthorsKwi Yun (Nyack College), Suk-Hee Kim (0000-0002-9348-7465, Northern Kentucky University), Carol R Awasu (Nyack College)
Year2019
Volume29
Issue1
Pages125-136
Publication date2019-01-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1091-1359 • E-ISSN: 1540-3556
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/10911359.2018.1491918
OpenAlexW2909012243
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited21

This exploratory pilot study was conducted to understand the stress level and coping strategies of social work students, with the aim to develop strategies to help students increase their ability to manage stress. The study examined the levels of stress perceived by the students in a faith-based program, identified their coping methods, and explored the impact of spirituality on the perceived stress level. A significant association between students' stress levels and their coping methods existed among all the measures. Adaptive coping methods, such as Active Coping, Positive Framing, and Religion, were significantly correlated with lower levels of stress, while maladaptive coping methods, such as Behavioral Disengagement, Self-Distraction, Denial, Substance Abuse, Venting, and Self-Blame were correlated with higher levels of stress. Spirituality had a greater buffering effect on the students' ability to handle stress. The higher the level of student spirituality the less likely the students were to have higher levels of stress and the more likely they were to use adaptive coping methods rather than dysfunctional coping methods. This study discusses the important ramifications of reducing stress in college students especially in a faith-based program, as well as strategies for reframing how stress and coping methods are viewed so as to better help students for current and future social work education and practice landscapes

Cognitive reframing · Coping (psychology · Denial · Disengagement theory · Psychotherapist · Spirituality · Stress management · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Medicine · Mental Health Treatment and Access · Psychology · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology · Clinical Psychology · Social Psychology

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