Level of Stress and Coping Strategies Adopted by Undergraduate Students Attending e-learning Classes: A Cross-sectional Study from Eastern India

Abstract

Background

COVID-19 has forced universities across India and the world indeed, to suspend physical classrooms and shift to online classes to contain the outbreak, which caused stress among students and usage of adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms. Early identification of faulty coping mechanisms will help to reduce stress and prevent unwanted behavioural modification among students.

Aim

This study aimed to assess the levels of stress and coping strategies adopted by undergraduate students attending e-learning classes.

Materials and Methods

An online cross-sectional survey was conducted among undergraduate students of various disciplines (general degree, professional and others) from the Eastern part of India who were attending e-learning classes during the COVID-19 pandemic using a snowball sampling technique from July 2020 to June 2021. Level of stress associated with higher learning was assessed by Higher Education Stress Inventory scale (HESI) and coping strategies were assessed by the WHO Brief-COPE inventory.

Results

The mean age of the subjects was 21.63 ± 1.629 years. The mean score of the subjects for level of stress using HESI was 93.7 ± 11.35. The majority of the subjects had moderate stress (73%) related to e-learning followed by severe stress (27%). None of the participants had mild stress. Participants mostly used adaptive coping techniques to manage stress in both moderate and severe stress (P < .001). Level of stress and year of study and monthly family income of the subjects were found to have a significant difference in mean scores (P = .003). Year of the study and age had significant associations with adaptive coping techniques. Active coping (adaptive technique) was used by female students more than male students (P = .02).

Conclusion

An increased awareness of e-learning and the specific stressors that students face, will allow educational institutions to offer specific and tailored support to their students.