TINGKAT STRES DAN MEKANISME KOPING SEBELUM DAN SELAMA TERJADI COVID-19 PADA MAHASISWA

The Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact globally, affecting the stress levels experienced by everyone, including university students. Objective : This research aims to describe the stress levels experienced and coping mechanisms used by university students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods : This research employed a quantitative descriptive research design. The sample consisted of 114 regular undergraduate students from the 2019 batch, whom were taken using the total sampling technique. It used The Perceived Stress Scale-10 and The Brief COPE questionnaire. Data were analyzed univariate analysis with central tendency (numeric data) and percentage frequency (categorical data) presentation. Results : Findings revealed that students experienced moderate stress before COVID-19 (78.1%) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (82.45%). Problem-focused coping mechanisms were utilized by 75.4% of students before COVID-19 and 67.5% during the COVID-19 pandemic, while adaptive coping mechanisms were employed by 92.1% of students before COVID-19 and 90.4% during the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion : The increase in stress levels before and during the COVID-19 pandemic is important to consider due to the potential impact of stress on students. Therefore, students must be trained in effective coping mechanisms to reduce stress levels. Conclusion : Despite experiencing moderate stress levels, students can still cope well with their