Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has become a challenge, which entailed changes in the social lifestyle and approaches to the implementation of tasks that are significant for the subject in the family, business, educational spheres. Students of higher educational institutions are faced with the risk of viral infection, the need for strict preventive measures of a medical nature, social distancing, monitoring of morbidity, self-isolation, closure of leisure facilities, changing the usual regime of study and rest. There are intense stress factors, which require students to activate a wide range of environmental, social and individual coping resources. Age-sex, socio-psychological, cognitive, emotional and other personality traits, life-meaning orientations and processes of meaning-making are predictors of students' choice of behavioral strategies, causing productive or unproductive stress coping.

In study the hypothesis was tested: the level of stress experienced by students is influenced with the strategies used for coping with difficult life situations caused by COVID-19. The collection of diagnostic data was carried out in 2020-2021 using electronic communication technologies; 146 students from universities in Belarus and Russia, 78 girls and 68 boys took part in the study on an anonymous basis. To diagnose the subjects, the Russian-language adaptation of The Adolescent Coping Scale by E. Frydenberg, R. Lewis and The Stress Level Questionnaire by Yu. Shcherbatykh were used. Empirical data were analyzed with descriptive and nonparametric statistics methods and qualitative interpretation.

The phenomenology of students' reactions to pandemic stress was revealed. Differences in the severity of intellectual, emotional, behavioral and physiological-somatic groups of student’s reactions are significantly different at the statistical level. Emotional and behavioral signs of stress are significantly more pronounced: low or unstable mood background, increased irritability, manifestations of cynicism and "black humor", a feeling of emptiness, a feeling of dissatisfaction with life, self-doubt, the risk of developing dependence on bad habits (smoking, overeating, alcohol abuse etc.).

The repertoire of coping strategies used by students to cope with stressors caused by the pandemic has been established. Students prefer the coping strategies, which traditionally used by agents in relation to chronic stressors that are poorly controlled by the person. There are strategies «Social distraction», «Seek relaxing diversions», «Hope for the best», «Tension reduction», «Physical recreation», «Work hard and achieve». Strategies «Seek social support» and «Seek spiritual support» are more typical for girls compared with boys (p < 0.01).

Correlations between coping strategies and stress indicators in students were revealed. The more often students use coping strategies «Hope for the best». «Worry», «Keep to Self», the higher their emotional, behavioral, physiological problems-symptoms of stress are expressed. Strategies «Seek social support», «Work hard and achieve» correlate with stress symptoms negatively. Using univariate analysis, the effect of stress on coping strategies was revealed. The more pronounced the signs of stress (primarily emotional and behavioral), the more the student is inclined to use strategies of distraction, relaxation, active rest.

According to study results make a number of principles and recommendations for students are formulate.

Keywords:

Pandemic stress, higher school students, students' stress reactions, stress coping, coping strategies, correlations between coping strategies and stress level.