The Relationship Between Student Stress and Coping Strategies Among Students at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia

Abstract

Student stress remains an important concern in higher education, as it can influence students’ psychological well-being, academic performance, and adjustment to university life. Although stress and coping have received considerable attention in previous research, evidence on how these two factors are related among undergraduate students at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) is still limited. This study therefore examined the level of stress experienced by UTHM undergraduates and explored its relationship with the coping strategies they used. A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design was employed, involving 371 undergraduate students from different faculties and years of study who were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from the Student Stress Inventory (SSI) and the Brief COPE Inventory and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis. The results showed that the students experienced a moderate level of stress (M = 2.71, SD = 0.918). A significant positive relationship was also found between student stress and coping strategies (r = .372, p < .001). This suggests that students tended to make greater use of coping strategies as their level of stress increased. Accordingly, the hypothesis proposing a significant relationship between student stress and coping strategies was supported. These findings add to the existing understanding of stress and coping among university students, particularly within the Malaysian higher education setting. From a practical perspective, the results highlight the need for universities to strengthen stress-management initiatives and psychological support while helping students develop appropriate and adaptive ways of coping with the academic and environmental demands of university life.