Perceived Academic Stress, Mental Health &amp; Coping Strategies: A Cross-Cultural Study with American, Chinese &amp; Dutch Students

In recent years, more attention has been paid to the importance that coping strategies play in the development of psychopathology. This attention is well needed in the academic sector with high numbers of students going through mental health crises during their studies. The present study focused on the effects of using different cognitive and behavioral coping strategies on mental health and academic stress. We extended the investigation to examine cross-cultural differences within these effects. The relation of cognitive and behavioral coping strategies to anxious and depressive symptoms as well as academic stress was studied among university students from three different countries (N = 521, the United States; N = 279, China; N = 175, the Netherlands). All of the students filled in self-report questionnaires on perceived academic stress (LSPSS), anxious symptoms (GAD-7), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), cognitive coping strategies (CERQ), behavioral coping strategies (BERQ), and self...Show moreIn recent years, more attention has been paid to the importance that coping strategies play in the development of psychopathology. This attention is well needed in the academic sector with high numbers of students going through mental health crises during their studies. The present study focused on the effects of using different cognitive and behavioral coping strategies on mental health and academic stress. We extended the investigation to examine cross-cultural differences within these effects. The relation of cognitive and behavioral coping strategies to anxious and depressive symptoms as well as academic stress was studied among university students from three different countries (N = 521, the United States; N = 279, China; N = 175, the Netherlands). All of the students filled in self-report questionnaires on perceived academic stress (LSPSS), anxious symptoms (GAD-7), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), cognitive coping strategies (CERQ), behavioral coping strategies (BERQ), and self-compassion (SCCM). The results of univariate and multivariate analyses showed significant differences on perceived academic stress, and anxious and depressive symptoms with American students scoring significantly higher on all three scales than Chinese and Dutch students. Remarkable differences between the samples were also found on most of the subscales of behavioral and cognitive coping strategies. Furthermore, regression analyses demonstrated consistencies and discrepancies in the relationships between mental health, academic stress and coping strategies across countries. Most notably, consistencies across samples were found for self-blame and withdrawal predicting anxious and depressive symptoms, and rumination and withdrawal predicting academic stress. Discrepancies were mainly found in how the strategies ignoring, rumination, catastrophizing, seeking social support and low self-compassion predicted anxious and/or depressive symptoms and/or academic stress. This suggests cultural variations in the efficacy of coping strategies to alleviate mental health problems and academic stress and provides useful directions for the development of interventions for students.Show less

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Perceived Academic Stress, Mental Health & Coping Strategies: A Cross-Cultural Study with American, Chinese & Dutch Students