Mood Emot.  2024 Jul;22(2):37-44. 10.35986/me.2024.22.2.37.

Differences Between Positive and Negative Perceptions of Stress Based on Patterns of Coping Strategies: Through Mobile Application in College Students

• Suh H
• Moon E
• Park S
• Lee BD
• Lee YM
• Kim K
• Lee H

• KMID: 2568073
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.35986/me.2024.22.2.37

Abstract

Background
Stress management is an important component of management of mental health. Stress processing can be understood as the appraisal of and coping with stress. This study aimed to compare positive and negative perceptions of stress according to patterns of coping strategies.
Methods
The study recruited 116 college students who completed the Perceived Stress Scale and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations using a tablet PC or smartphone application. K-means cluster analysis was used to categorize the subjects into three clusters.
Results
Positive perceptions were highest in Cluster 2 (i.e., task and avoidance dominant) at 3.18±0.66 followed by 2.30±0.65 in Cluster 1 (passive coping) and lowest in Cluster 3 (emotion dominant) at 1.75±0.63. Negative perceptions were highest in Cluster 3 at 2.45±0.66 followed by Cluster 1 at 1.66±0.65 and Cluster 2 at 1.07±0.68.
Conclusion
Differences in coping patterns can reduce the negative effects of stress. Thus, assessing the perception and management of stress can be useful and help people change their coping styles to more adaptive ones. Toward this end, a mobile application can be an appropriate tool.

Keyword

Stress; Perceived stress; Stress coping strategies