Gender Differences in Stress and Coping in First-Year College Students

Abstract

This study investigates the types of stressors experienced by first-year college students and compares the stressors, stress levels, and coping strategies of males and females. Three research questions were addressed: (a) Which types of stressors do first-yearcollege males and females face? (b) Are there differences in the levels of stress experienced by males and females? (c) Do males and females use different types of coping strategies? Results suggest that first-year college students experience a number of stressors, mainly ones related to academics, finances, and personal relationships. A differential relationship was found such that females experienced higher levels of stress than males. Female students also reported experiencing significantly more stressors related to academic demands and relationships, whereas males reported experiencing more stressors related to finances. Although females used many of the same coping strategies as males, they differed in the amounts of certain strategies used, mainly emotion-focused ones. Implications are provided for personnel working with first-year college men and women.

Academic stress, coping, emotion regulation, affect and psychosomatic symptoms in higher education

“…Additionally, while women used many of the same coping strategies as men, they seem to use mainly emotion-focused ones, which is in accordance with previous studies (e.g., Gefen and Fish 2012). Possible explanations may be linked to gender socialization, in which women are encouraged to seek support from others and to express more their emotions in comparison to men (Tamres et al 2002).…”

“…The beginning of higher education can be a particularly stressful transition for most students (e.g., Beiter et al 2015;Othman et al 2019). It is a developmental period in which students have to cope with a variety of stressors such as making new relationships, living apart, developing new habits of study, dealing with academic overload and colleague competition, developing new skills related to time management, and combine studies with work activities to obtain a financial income (Beiter et al 2015;Sánchez-Gelabert et al 2017;Gefen and Fish 2012). As in other developmental transitions failure on dealing with these challenges can cause psychological distress or even mental health problems.…”

Critical thinking disposition of undergraduate students in relation to emotional intelligence: Gender as a moderator

“…There were some common issues among undergraduate students especially first-year students irrespective of gender, like homesickness, emotional attachment to opposite gender, test anxiety and adjustment difficulties in the new academic environment etc. Researchers (e.g., Busari, 2012 ; Gefen and Fish, 2012 ) reported some common stressors like financial stressors, stressors related to interpersonal relationship and academic stressors as experienced by both male and female. Further, no significant gender difference was reported among college students in various spheres like adjustment at home, educational adjustments, social adjustment and emotional adjustment ( Chowhan et al., 2019 ).…”

Can Yoga Boost Access to the Bodily and Emotional Self? Changes in Heart Rate Variability and in Affective Evaluation Before, During and After a Single Session of Yoga Exercise With and Without Instructions of Controlled Breathing and Mindful Body Awareness in Young Healthy Women

“…Nevertheless, recent surveys have uncovered serious trends according to which about a quarter of all university students irrespective of country of residence report serious mental health problems being unable to cope with emotional and cognitive stress and academic demands. These problems seem to have nearly doubled during the current Covid-19 pandemic and have been reported to be more pronounced in female than male students ( Gefen and Fish, 2012 ; Pelch, 2018 ). Health intervention initiatives comprising different exercises or single bouts of yoga exercise as the ones chosen in the present study might therefore constitute an important short-term intervention for buffering negative effects of chronic stress among university students.…”