Browsing by Author "Poole, Julia C."

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Coping with Distal and Proximal Stressors: A Transactional Model of Stress Among First-Year Undergraduate Students
    (2019-10-14) Poole, Julia C.; Dobson, Keith S.; Szeto, Andrew C. H.; Hodgins, David C.; Schwartz, Kelly Dean; Harkness, Kate L.
    The transition to post-secondary education has been cited as a period of high stress, and increased rates of mental health concerns among undergraduate samples suggest that many students are poorly equipped to cope with this transition. The current study utilized the transactional model of stress (Folkman & Lazarus, 1984) to address the need for a comprehensive model of stress and coping among undergraduate students. A sample of first-year undergraduate students completed self-report questionnaires within the initial months of their first term (Time 1; n= 788) and again within the final months of their second term (Time 2; n= 621). Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the associations among stress and coping variables at the start of the year, including distal stressors, proximal stressors, appraisal of stressors, coping strategies, and emotion regulation strategies, with mental health outcomes at the end of the year, including depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction. Results indicated that stress and coping variables at the start of the year explained almost half (45.3%) of the variability in mental health outcomes at the end of the year. Taken together, the structural model provides a useful framework for the conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of stress-related mental health concerns among first-year undergraduate students. Clinical implications and directions for future research and theory development are discussed.