Untitled

Abstract

AimThe aims of this study were to investigate the types and severity of stressors, to find the prevalence of anxiety and depression, to illustrate the types of coping strategies used in stressful situations, and to understand the relationship between stressful life events and mental health disorders including depression and anxiety, and other sociodemographic variables among universities students. MethodIt was a descriptive analytical study; the sample consisted of randomly selected 392 university students enrolled from the main four universities in Gaza Strip (Al-Aqsa, Al-Azhar, Al-Quds Open, and Islamic University) at the second semester of the academic year 2013 -2014. The researcher used five questionnaires; a predesigned Socio-demographic sheet, Stress Life Events Scale (SLES), Beck depression inventory -II (BDI-II), Taylor anxiety inventory (TAI), and Ways of Coping (WOC). ResultsThis study showed that mean life stressors was 63.34, male student significantly reported more economic, family, and personal stressors. While, female student reported more emotional and university environment stressors. The study showed that 28% had severe anxiety to very severe anxiety. There was no significant difference in anxiety according to gender. However, there was significant difference in anxiety toward students enrolled in Al Azhar University than the other three universities students according to the university or college type. The study showed that 14.2% of university students had moderate to severe depression. The study showed no significant gender difference in depression and according to university enrollment. The result showed that there was positive significant relationship between total stress and anxiety and depression.The results showed that mean total coping was 42.02, positive reappraisal was 25.96, self-control was 19.87. The result showed no significant differences in all coping strategies according to gender. According to university enrollment, students from Islamic university scored significantly in self-control coping than the other three universities. Our study showed that depression anxiety and coping positive reappraisal, wishful thinking, and student level significantly predict the manifestation of stress. Clinical ImplicationThe findings of the current study suggest that undergraduate students need extra measures. To create a special counseling unit that helps university students overcome the crises and pressures they may face by offering guidance and training programs that can introduce methods of effective dealing with challenging situations. To include basic concepts of effective dealing with stress, problems and management in the curriculum in order to help students overcome these problems.