Assessment of school stress levels and strategies of coping with stress in high school students

Abstract Aim. To assess the level of school stress, factors influencing it and coping strategies among high school students. Material and methods. The research was conducted online in 2021. The method used was a diagnostic survey at work. Research tool was the original questionnaire and the Mini-COPE scale. The group of respondents was 200 high school students – 130 boys, 70 girls. Results. Less than half (46.8%) of secondary school students indicated their level of perceived stress as “6” on a 10-point scale, where “0” meant no stress, “10” – the maximum stress. Data analysis showed the most common relaxation methods turned out to be listening to music (92 people) and outdoor walks (65 people). As many as 89 respondents did not use any relaxation methods. The most common stress coping strategies are acceptance, self-focus, and active coping. The least frequently selected option was the use of psychoactive substances.. Conclusions. 1. School stress experienced by secondary school students is moderate. 2. Age and gender do not affect the level of stress experienced by high school students. 3. The most common relaxation method among adolescents is listening to music. 4. Acceptance, preoccupation with something else and active coping are the most commonly used strategies for coping with school stress.