Coping Mechanisms in Graduate School Discipline Specific Comparison

Psychological research has studied the effects of college academic demands on students\u27 wellbeing through the moderating role of coping mechanisms. This study provides further insight by focusing on coping mechanisms among graduate students from different fields, including humanities, STEM, and social sciences. Participants were recruited at the University of Central Florida (n=97). They answered an online survey assessing the prevalence of academic stressors, the use of different coping mechanisms, and strain outcomes, including somatic symptoms, insomnia, and burnout. STEM students reported higher organizational constraints and higher interpersonal conflict compare to students in other fields. Arts and humanities students reported higher use of maladaptive coping mechanisms. The results provide an essential overview of stress patterns among graduate students, an understudy population on academic well-being