Stress-Related Coping Mechanisms in College Students

College students experience stress and use various coping mechanisms to manage everyday stressors. Previous research has proposed that college students primarily use active coping mechanisms to manage their stress (Li, 2008). Studies also showed that females exhibited higher stress levels compared to males (Brougham, Mendoza, Miller, Zail 2009). (Okoro, 2018) Prior research with a similar design and methodology revealed that the two most common mechanisms amongst college students are active coping and self-distraction (Adomako-Saahene, 2019). The purpose of this study was to analyze the coping mechanisms college students utilize, as well as gender differences when managing stress. In this online study, undergraduate participants from general psychology classes at a moderate-sized liberal arts southern university completed the Brief COPE Scale and Perceived Stress Scale. We hypothesized that women would have higher stress levels than men and that active coping would be the most predominantly utilized coping mechanism