Moderating role of coping style on the relationship between stress and psychological well-being in Hong Kong nursing students
Author(s)
Author(s)
Young, P. M. C.
Luk, K. K. H.
Date Issued
2022
Publisher
MDPI
Journal
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume
19
Issue
18
Abstract
Aims and objectives
To examine whether coping styles moderate the influence of stressors and psychological well-being in Hong Kong nursing students.
Background
Stress could contribute to psychological distress in nursing students. Coping strategies are essential to mitigate psychological distress. So far, the moderating effects of coping between stressors and psychological well-being has not been thoroughly investigated.
Design
This is a cross-sectional study conducted at four higher education institutions in Hong Kong.
Methods
We recruited a convenience sample of 293 nursing students in February 2018. The Stressors in Nursing Students Scale-Chinese version (SINS-CN), Brief Cope Inventory-Chinese version (Brief COPE-C), and the Chinese version of the General Health Questionnaire-12 (C-GHQ-12) were used to measure the stressors, coping styles, and psychological well-being, respectively. Three multiple hierarchical linear regression models were used to identify the associations between the variables.
Results
The stressors related to clinical learning, confidence, and personal problems were significant in explaining the psychological well-being. The coping strategies also predicted the psychological well-being and explained 44.5% of the variance. The coping strategy—accommodation—moderated the relationship between personal problems and psychological well-being. Conclusion: Problem-solving and accommodation types of coping were adaptive to stress and effective in promoting psychological well-being. However, using accommodation to cope with stressors related to personal problems will exacerbate the negative effects of the personal problems on the psychological well-being.
Relevance to clinical practice
This study reveals the relationships between stressors, coping, and psychological well-being. Nurse educators must be aware of nursing student coping styles so they may devise strategies to promote effective coping to reduce the psychological distress among nursing students.
SFU Affiliated Publication
No
Availability at SFU Library
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