The role of coping strategies and psychological resilience in shaping academic stress levels

Zuzanna Gurzyńska, Karolina Kucka, Marcin Trzciński, Katarzyna Topolska, Katarzyna Nowicka-Sauer and Krzysztof Sobczak

PLOS ONE, 2026, vol. 21, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: The period of university studies is associated with numerous stressors that can negatively affect the psychological functioning of young adults. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived stress levels, preferred coping strategies, and psychological resilience. The analysis focused on resilience as a potential moderator of the relationship between coping strategies and stress intensity. The study included 607 Polish students. A significant part of the group was medical students (61.72%). The study employed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Coping Inventory (Mini-COPE), the Resilience Scale (SPP-25), and used an author-developed questionnaire to collect sociodemographic information. The respondents exhibited moderate stress intensity (M = 22.54; SD = 7.04) and a moderately high level of general resilience (M = 59.39; SD = 15.37). Among coping strategies, acceptance (M = 1.94) and active coping (M = 1.85) were chosen most frequently, while turning to religion and helplessness were chosen least frequently. Analysis of personal resources showed the highest scores in openness to experience and sense of humor. Interaction effects rarely reached statistical significance. The study group showed a profile of students who were stressed but had functional coping resources. The moderation analysis results indicate the complex nature of the relationships among the variables studied—although psychological resilience is a key resource, its role as a moderator of the relationship between coping strategies and stress is not universal and emerges only in specific areas of functioning. The data obtained suggest that psychological interventions should focus on strengthening existing resources (such as active coping) and developing resilience, which may serve as a buffer against the negative effects of academic stress.

Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0360002

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0360002

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