Academic Stress and Coping Strategies among Postgraduate Students: Comparative Study of Universities in Imo State, Nigeria
J. C. Ezelote *
Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Asuzu Eleanor
Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Akam Ngozi
Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
Mbachu Joy
Department of Public Health, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: The study aimed to identify and compare the prevalence of stress among postgraduate students in Imo State University (IMSU)and Federal University of Technology, Owerri(FUTO)using General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12), to identify and compare their sources of academic stress using Postgraduate Stressor Questionnaire(PSQ); and to identify and compare the measures the students were using to cope with stress using Cope inventory.
Sample: All the postgraduate students admitted in 2015/2016 session in FUTO and IMSU were sampled for this study, with 10% and 8% attrition rates in IMSU and FUTO respectively.
Study Design: This is a comparative cross sectional study between the postgraduate students in IMSU and FUTO.
Place and Duration of Study: Imo State University (IMSU) and Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), between August 2017 to November 2017.
Methodology: All the postgraduate students admitted in 2015/2016 session in FUTO and IMSU were used for this study (121 were from IMSU while 832 were from FUTO). PSQ, GHQ-12 and COPE Inventory were for data collection used to collect data. Chi square was used to test the hypotheses and the significance level was p≤0.05.
Results: It was observed that 79% of FUTO students were under eustress while 36% of those at IMSU were under eustress. Majority (80%) of FUTO respondents were using positive coping strategies compared to 36% of IMSU students using positive coping strategies. There was significant difference in the prevalence of stress and coping strategies among the students in the two universities (<0.001*).
Conclusion: Academic stress leads to many physiological and mental illnesses. It results from the stressful situations that persist over time and produces negative health outcomes. Postgraduate students in Nigeria face a number of pressures that are distinct from the stresses that undergraduates face. If it is not managed with positive coping strategies it will leads to wearing effects on people.
Keywords: Stress, coping, distress, eustress, academic stress