Coping Styles, Perceived Parental Support, and Academic-Related Stress Among College Students

This paper examined the relationships among coping styles, parental support, parenting style, and academic-related stress among college students. It was hypothesized that problem-focused strategies, parental support, and authoritative parenting styles would correlate with lowered levels of academic-related stress. One-hundred two undergraduate students enrolled in a psychology course at a large southeastern university completed a series of self-report questionnaires which measured the variables under study. Results suggested a negative significant relationship between problem-focused strategies and academic-related stress, no significant relationship between parental support and academic-related stress, and a positive significant relationship between authoritarian parenting in fathers and academic-related stress. The results suggested that many identifiable variables play a role in college students\u27 experience of academic related stress. Identifying and using these factors in practical settings can help students lead a less stressful, and possibly more fulfilling, college career