Project – The Relationship between Coping Strategies and Perceived Stress among Final-Year Undergraduates at the University of Benin

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Stress is a common psychological experience that occurs when individuals perceive that the demands placed upon them exceed their available resources or ability to manage those demands. Although stress can occur at different stages of life, university students are exposed to a distinctive combination of academic, financial, social and personal pressures that can affect their psychological wellbeing. The university environment requires students to adjust to demanding academic schedules, examinations, assignments, interpersonal relationships and expectations concerning future careers. Lazarus and Folkman’s (1984) transactional theory explains stress as a dynamic relationship between an individual and the environment in which the person’s appraisal of a situation and perceived coping resources influence the stress experience. More recent evidence confirms that perceived stress represents a substantial concern among university students, with a 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis reporting a pooled prevalence of 64.72% among university students across Africa (Fentahun et al., 2025).

Perceived stress differs from the mere presence of stressful events because it concerns how individuals evaluate and interpret the demands confronting them. Two students exposed to similar academic or personal circumstances may experience different levels of stress because they may perceive and respond to those circumstances differently. The Perceived Stress Scale developed by Cohen, Kamarck and Mermelstein (1983) measures the extent to which individuals perceive situations in their lives as unpredictable, uncontrollable and overwhelming. This distinction is important in higher education because students may face common challenges such as examinations, academic workload and financial difficulties but differ considerably in the extent to which they perceive those challenges as stressful. In a recent African systematic review, financial difficulties and sleep problems were identified among factors significantly associated with perceived stress among university students, demonstrating that students’ stress experiences can arise from both academic and non-academic circumstances (Fentahun et al., 2025).

University students may employ different coping strategies when confronted with stressful circumstances. Coping refers to the cognitive and behavioural efforts individuals use to manage demands that they perceive as stressful. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) broadly distinguished between problem-focused efforts, which attempt to address or modify the source of stress, and emotion-focused efforts, which seek to regulate the emotional consequences of stressful experiences. Carver (1997) subsequently developed the Brief COPE framework, which identifies several coping responses, including active coping, planning, seeking emotional or instrumental support, positive reframing, acceptance, religious coping, self-distraction, denial and behavioural disengagement. These strategies may have different relationships with perceived stress depending on the circumstances and the individual using them. Therefore, examining coping strategies provides an important basis for understanding why students exposed to academic demands may experience different levels of perceived stress.

The final year of undergraduate education may represent a particularly demanding period because students are required to complete major academic requirements while simultaneously preparing for transition into employment, postgraduate education or other forms of adult life. Final-year students may experience pressure associated with examinations, research projects, seminars, deadlines, financial obligations, career uncertainty and expectations from families and academic departments. Akunne and Nnadi (2021), in their study of final-year students in Nigerian tertiary institutions, identified academic pressure, social problems, family stress, financial burden, management skills and adjustment difficulties among factors associated with student stress. Their study also found that final-year students employed several coping strategies, including sporting activities, listening to music and social interaction. These findings suggest that final-year students constitute an important group for examining the relationship between coping responses and perceived stress.

Evidence from Nigerian universities further demonstrates that stress and coping are relevant concerns among undergraduate students. Okoro, Biambo and Jamiu (2021), in a longitudinal study of 866 undergraduate pharmacy students in northern Nigeria, found that most participants experienced moderate levels of perceived stress at different points during the academic semester. Academic-related issues constituted a major source of stress, while time management and relaxation were among the commonly reported coping strategies. The study also identified year of study and access to educational funds among factors associated with students’ stress levels. Such findings are relevant to the present study because they demonstrate that Nigerian undergraduates experience multiple stressors and respond through a variety of coping mechanisms, although the nature of these relationships may differ according to discipline, institution and stage of study.

The issue is particularly relevant at the University of Benin because research conducted among students of the institution has identified stress-coping concerns within the university environment. Olikiabo and Aideyan (2023) examined school climate as a correlate of stress coping ability, learning satisfaction, self-efficacy and social unrest among undergraduates at the University of Benin, with the study specifically including penultimate and final-year students. Their study indicates that stress coping ability is an identifiable aspect of students’ experiences within the institution and that environmental factors may be associated with students’ capacity to manage academic and social demands. In addition, a recent University of Benin repository study by Ibekwe (2025) examined stress and mental health among students at the institution and identified academic workload, financial challenges, social pressures and future uncertainties as important stressors, while students reported using strategies such as social interaction, physical exercise and relaxation.

Although students employ coping strategies to manage academic and personal pressures, the use of a coping strategy does not necessarily mean that perceived stress will be reduced. Some strategies may help students address the source of stress, whereas others may provide temporary emotional relief without resolving the underlying problem. For example, active coping, planning and seeking support may help students deal constructively with academic challenges, while avoidance, denial or behavioural disengagement may have different consequences. Evidence from Nigerian students shows that coping patterns include both constructive and potentially less adaptive responses. Odulate-Ogunubi, Adelayo and Coker (2024), for example, found that Nigerian undergraduates reported the use of problem-focused strategies such as active coping, positive reframing and planning, as well as emotion-focused and avoidance-related strategies. Consequently, it is important to empirically examine whether and how coping strategies are related to perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin rather than assuming that all coping responses have the same relationship with stress.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Final-year undergraduate students are expected to complete demanding academic requirements while preparing for life after university. At this stage, students may be confronted with examinations, final-year projects, research activities, deadlines, financial challenges and uncertainty concerning employment or further education. Evidence from Nigerian tertiary institutions indicates that final-year students experience stress arising from academic pressure, financial burden, family concerns, social problems and other challenges (Akunne & Nnadi, 2021). Similarly, research among Nigerian university students has identified academic-related factors as important sources of perceived stress (Okoro et al., 2021). Despite these pressures, there remains a need to understand how final-year students at the University of Benin perceive stress and the coping strategies they employ in dealing with it.

A second problem concerns the varying ways students respond to stressful circumstances. Students may use strategies such as planning, active problem solving, seeking social support, religious coping, relaxation, exercise and time management, while others may respond through avoidance, denial, withdrawal or other less constructive behaviours. The effectiveness or consequences of these strategies may differ depending on the nature of the stressor and the student’s circumstances. Carver’s (1997) Brief COPE framework demonstrates that coping is multidimensional rather than a single behavioural response. Similarly, Nigerian research among university students has identified both problem-focused and avoidance-oriented coping strategies, indicating that students may combine different approaches when managing stress (Odulate-Ogunubi et al., 2024). The problem is therefore to determine whether particular coping patterns are associated with the level of perceived stress experienced by final-year undergraduates.

Another concern is that existing studies do not provide a complete picture of the relationship between coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year students at the University of Benin. Olikiabo and Aideyan (2023) examined school climate in relation to stress coping ability among University of Benin undergraduates, including final-year students, while other studies have examined stress and coping among Nigerian university students in different disciplines and geographical locations. However, findings from studies involving general undergraduate populations or students in other institutions may not necessarily reflect the experiences of final-year students at the University of Benin. Institutional environment, academic discipline, financial circumstances, social relationships and stage of study may influence both stress perception and coping behaviour. Therefore, a study focused specifically on final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin is necessary to generate institution-specific evidence.

The specific problem addressed by this study is the limited empirical understanding of the relationship between coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin. Although research has established that university students experience considerable stress and employ different coping mechanisms, the extent to which coping strategies are related to perceived stress among final-year students in this particular institutional setting remains an important question. The 2025 African systematic review reported a substantial burden of perceived stress among university students and identified factors such as financial difficulties and sleep problems as significant contributors, while Nigerian studies have documented the use of several coping strategies among undergraduates (Fentahun et al., 2025; Okoro et al., 2021). Therefore, this study seeks to examine the relationship between coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin, with the aim of providing evidence that may contribute to appropriate student-support and stress-management interventions.

1.3 Aim of the Study

The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin.

The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the relationship between problem-focused coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin;
2. determine the relationship between emotion-focused coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin;
3. assess the relationship between avoidance-oriented coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin; and
4. examine the relationship between social-support and religious coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. What is the relationship between problem-focused coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin?
2. What is the relationship between emotion-focused coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin?
3. What is the relationship between avoidance-oriented coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin?
4. What is the relationship between social-support and religious coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to final-year undergraduates because it will provide greater understanding of the ways in which different coping strategies are associated with their experiences of perceived stress. The findings may encourage students to become more conscious of the strategies they employ when dealing with academic, financial, social and personal pressures.

The study will be useful to university counsellors and student-support professionals. Evidence concerning coping strategies and perceived stress may assist counsellors in identifying common coping patterns among final-year students and designing appropriate stress-management programmes, counselling interventions and peer-support activities.

The study will also be significant to the University of Benin management and academic authorities. Findings from the study may provide evidence that can support the development or strengthening of student welfare initiatives, academic advising, counselling services and other interventions intended to help students manage the pressures associated with their final year of study.

The study may benefit lecturers, academic advisers and departmental administrators because it may increase awareness of the pressures faced by final-year students. Such awareness may encourage appropriate academic guidance, realistic scheduling of academic requirements and early referral of students who appear to be experiencing substantial stress.

The study will also be useful to parents and guardians. Understanding the relationship between coping and perceived stress may highlight the importance of appropriate emotional, social and financial support during the final stage of university education.

Finally, the study will contribute to academic literature on stress and coping among Nigerian university students. It will provide institution-specific evidence from the University of Benin and may serve as a reference for future researchers examining psychological wellbeing, coping mechanisms, academic stress and student adjustment in Nigerian higher education.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the relationship between coping strategies and perceived stress among final-year undergraduates at the University of Benin.

Geographically, the study will be restricted to final-year undergraduate students of the University of Benin. The study will involve students who are in their final year of undergraduate education and are therefore approaching completion of their academic programmes.

Conceptually, the independent variable is coping strategies, examined through problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, avoidance-oriented coping, and social-support and religious coping. The dependent variable is perceived stress, referring to students’ perception of the extent to which academic, financial, social and personal demands are unpredictable, uncontrollable or overwhelming.

The study will focus on the relationship between the variables and will not attempt to diagnose clinical psychological disorders among students. Perceived stress in this study refers to students’ reported experiences and perceptions of stress rather than a clinical diagnosis.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Coping Strategies: Cognitive and behavioural efforts used by students to manage, reduce, tolerate or adapt to stressful demands.

Problem-Focused Coping: Coping responses directed toward addressing or changing the source of a stressful situation, including planning, active problem solving, time management and taking direct action.

Emotion-Focused Coping: Strategies aimed primarily at managing the emotional response associated with a stressful situation, including acceptance, positive reframing, emotional expression and relaxation.

Avoidance-Oriented Coping: Responses involving attempts to avoid, deny, withdraw from or disengage from stressful situations rather than directly addressing their sources.

Social-Support Coping: Seeking assistance, advice, encouragement, companionship or practical help from friends, family members, lecturers, counsellors or other supportive individuals.

Religious Coping: The use of religious beliefs, prayer, spiritual practices and faith-based activities as means of managing stressful experiences.

Perceived Stress: The degree to which an individual perceives life circumstances or demands as unpredictable, uncontrollable, overwhelming or difficult to manage.

Final-Year Undergraduate: A student enrolled in the final academic year of an undergraduate degree programme at the University of Benin.

Academic Stress: Psychological pressure arising from academic requirements such as examinations, assignments, research projects, deadlines, workload and expectations concerning academic performance.

Stress Management: The use of cognitive, behavioural, social, emotional or environmental approaches to reduce or manage the effects of stressful experiences.

University of Benin: A federal university located in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, and the institutional setting for the present study.

1.9 Organisation of the Study

The study will be organised into five chapters.

Chapter One presents the introduction to the study. It contains the background to the study, statement of the problem, aim and objectives, research questions, research hypothesis, significance of the study, scope of the study, operational definitions and organisation of the study.

Chapter Two will review relevant literature on coping strategies and perceived stress among university students. The chapter will cover the conceptual review, theoretical review and empirical review and will identify the gap that the present study seeks to address.

Chapter Three will present the research methodology. It will discuss the research design, population of the study, sample size and sampling technique, research instrument, validity and reliability of the instrument, procedure for data collection and method of data analysis.

Chapter Four will present the analysis and interpretation of the data collected from respondents. The research questions will be answered and the stated hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance.

Chapter Five will present the summary of findings, conclusion and recommendations. The chapter will also discuss the implications of the findings, limitations of the study and suggestions for further research.

Project – The Relationship between Coping Strategies and Perceived Stress among Final-Year Undergraduates at the University of Benin