Stress and coping mechanism of tourism students of CAPSU Sigma amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The study focused on the stress and coping mechanism of tourism students of CAPSU Sigma amidst the COVID19 pandemic. The researcher explored the socio demographic profile of the respondents together with its respective level of stress and level of coping mechanism. The respondents of the study are the 223 BSTM students from first year to fourth year level. The statistical tools used in this study were frequency count and percentage, standard deviation, mean, t-test for Independent Samples test, One- way Analysis of Variance (One- Way ANOVA) and Pearson’s r. Respondents are in aging population between 19-24 years old equivalents to 81.2%. In terms of sex, majority of the 74.4 percent of respondents are female 60.1 percent of the respondents are coming from the first year level. Majority of the level of stress and level of coping mechanism of the students are in the moderate level. Therefore, students while breathing in a day-to-day life practice, students' perceptions and reactions to such unpredictable and frightening life matter situations causes uncertainty and leads to stress elements. There is a significant relationship between the stress level and coping mechanism of BSTM Student. Office of student’s affairs, guidance and counselling office and tourism faculty and staff should have a quarterly meeting focusing on monitoring student stress and coping activities. The researchers recommended to have wider scope of research focusing on some related coping mechanism like problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, social support, religious coping, and meaning building in a wider respondent. The researchers also would like to recommend that office of student’s affairs, guidance and counselling office, tourism faculty and staff should have a quarterly meeting focusing on monitoring student stress and coping activities. Keywords: Stress, Coping Mechanism, Pandemic, perception, COVID19, activities.