Perceived stress and coping strategies among Tunisian health sciences students

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Introduction Health sciences students are frequently exposed to academic pressure, clinical responsibilities, and emotional challenges, which can contribute to elevated stress levels. Coping strategies play a crucial role in how individuals manage stress and maintain well-being. Objectives This study aimed to assess the relationship between stress levels and coping strategies among health sciences students. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study among health sciences students. Data were collected anonymously through a Google Forms survey from October 2023 to January 2024. Participants completed a questionnaire collecting sociodemographic and academic characteristics, followed by standardized assessments of stress and coping. Stress was measured using the 4-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4). Coping strategies were evaluated with the Brief COPE Inventory, which distinguishes between problem-focused coping (PFC), emotion-focused coping (EFC), and avoidance coping (AC). Results Our study included 472 health sciences students, with a sex ratio of 0.44. Nursing science students represented 71.8% of the sample. The mean of participants perceived stress was 7.19 ± 2.45. The mean total coping score among students was 63.97 ± 10.96, with subscale means of 19.54 ± 3.74 for problem-focused coping, 25.56 ± 4.50 for emotion-focused coping, and 17.83 ± 3.47 for avoidance coping. Bivariate analysis showed that higher stress level was associated with lower scores on emotion-focused coping (EFC) (r=-0.093, p=0.044) and avoidance coping (AC) (r =-0.132, p =0.004). Conclusions Higher levels of perceived stress were inversely associated with the use of emotion-focused and avoidance coping strategies, underscoring the need to promote effective coping mechanisms to enhance students’ mental well-being. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

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