Sources of stress, coping strategies and counselling needs, among university students In Kingdom ...

284 Pages·2013·10.44 MB·English

Sources
of stress, coping strategies and counselling
needs, among university students In Kingdom of
Bahrain
An Identification Study
A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
By
Amani A. Al Sheerawi
Psychology Department, Brunel University
July 2005
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Abstract
The aim of this study was: (1) to identify the main sources of stress that affect students'
level of stress, students' coping strategies and their counselling needs. (2) To identify the
relationship between sources of stress and coping strategies. (3) The effect of gender and
Locality level
on sources of stress, of stress, coping strategies and counselling needs.
This study utilised both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Two hundred university students, represented by 80 female and 120 males, completed a
constructed and standardised sources of stress questionnaire. A constructed and
standardised questionnaire was used to measure students' needs for counselling. In addition,
a translated and standardised Coping Strategies questionnaire by Lazarus and Folkman
(1988) was used to measure the types of coping strategies used by the students. A translated
standardised Perceived Stress questionnaire by Cohen et at (1983) was used to measure the
level of stress. Reliability analysis revealed that the overall instrument demonstrated high
reliability and validity.
Findings revealed the different levels of importance that each source of stress and coping
strategy was perceived to have had on students, this result indicated that students
identified time management as the most frequent sources of stress, followed by religious
and ethical, then the academic domains. The family domain was considered to be the
source of least stress experienced by university students. In addition, the coping strategies
reported to be used most by these students is accepting responsibility followed by
positive reappraisal, then problem solving. Escape avoidance and distancing strategies
were reported as less used strategies.
It was found that financial issues had a significant effect on social support and problem
solving coping strategies. Religion had a significant effect on the strategy of accepting
responsibilities. Personal issues had a significant effect on the escape avoidance strategy.
While, academic stress, in particular, has a significant effect on several coping strategies.
Gender had a significant effect on level of stress from two sources of stress: Religious
/Ethical and Personal stress, and one coping strategy: Escape avoidance. Females reported
higher levels of stress, higher levels of sources of stress, and higher reported coping
strategy use than males. Locality had a significant effect on counselling needs; Non- Home-
students experience more need for counselling than Home- students. Locality had a
significant effect on. The mean use of coping strategies was greater for non- home
students than Home- students.
The results from this study suggest that university students do experience a significant
level of stressful life events. Therefore, it is important that counsellors and teachers
address the impact of stressful life events on a university student's well being.
Conducting ongoing assessments of the level of stress experienced by university
students might help counsellors or teachers intervene earlier and hence target better
services to the population of students. Also, considering the unique sources for
minority students, counsellors or teachers more appropriately should target unique
interventions to meet their needs.
The study also provides information that could help to reduce stress among university
setting as it might be used as a reference point for counsellors, teachers, researcher
when investigating university students stress and coping experience in Kingdom of
Bahrain or any other Arabic country. The current constructed stress sources and
counselling needs questionnaire could be also used by the researcher interested in this
area.
Acknowledgement
My thanks and praise to God for providing me with strength and patience to complete
this thesis.
I would like to express my great gratitude and appreciation to my supervisor Dr-Stanley
Gaienes for his patience, understanding, professional guidance and his usual smile that
eased any difficulty. I would also like to thank my second supervisor Dr. Chris Longman
for his great support and encouragement. Also, many thanks to our psychology department
and to the sweet helpful coordinator Liz Ackroyd.
I am deeply indebted to university of Bahrain for granting me this scholarship opportunity
to finish my Phd.
Also, many thanks to the head of Al -Ahlia Unversity and the head of Arab Open
University and all staff members at both universities who helped me through the data
collection process. I would like to thank my participants, both males and females, for their
generosity and great patient, on completing the questionnaire. Without your contribution
this study would not exist. Also, warm gratitude to my sincere student Tahani who shared
every moment on my journey with her lovely messages and thoughts.
My very special appreciation goes to my bests friend support and prays Dr. Basma Al-
Bahrana and Elham Al- Ainsari ; my dear best friend Sara for your excellent guidance and
support through the good and difficult times.
My appreciation for Professor. Kairallah, your encouragement shall not be forgotten. In
addition, many thanks to Dr. Tawfeeg A. al-Manam and for all my colleagues in
psychology department in Universty of Bahrain for all their encouragement and support.
Furthermore, my thanks to my flatmate; Karima, Fahima, Ebtisam and all Arab student in
Brunel University who shared with me this journey.
Certainly, this project would be inconceivable without the support of the "homes front" my
fathers', mothers' and brothers' (Tariq and Ahmed) patience, encouragement, and sacrifices
this work would not have been started, let alone completed.
I DEDICATE THIS WORK
TO
My Mother Father
and
Who love
give me and support...
Table Continents
of
Chapter One The Research Labyrinth Contextual Russian Doll 1
-A ......................
1.1 Background of study 1
..........................................................................................
1.2 Statement of the Problem 3
..................................................................................
1.3 Study Aims 6
..........................................................................................................
1.4 Research variables 6
.............................................................................................
1.5 Rationale for study 7
.............................................................................................
1.6 Background about the kingdom of Bahrain 9
....................................................
2.8 Research Questions 10
..........................................................................................
2.10 Research Hypotheses 11
.....................................................................................
1.7 Organization of Study 13
......................................................................................
Chapter Two: The Emergence and Essence of the Stress and coping
strategies 14
.................... »......................................................................................
2.1 Introduction 14
......................................................................................................
2.2 Definition and disputation 14
...............................................................................
2.3 Theories of stress 16
..............................................................................................
2.4 Responses to Stress 21
..........................................................................................
2.4.1 Physiological responses 22
......................................................................................
2.4.2 Psychological Response 23
.....................................................................................
2.5 Demographic variables and stress 25
..................................................................
2.5.1 Gender and Stress 25
..............................................................................................
2.5.2. Culture and Stress 26
.............................................................................................
I
2.5.3 Stress and Academic level 27
.................................................................................
2.6 Sources of stress (stressors) and levels of stress among University students28
2.7 Theories Coping Strategies 30
of
.........................................................................
2.7.1. University students and coping strategies 31
.......................................................
2.8 Summary 32
...........................................................................................................
Chapter three: The Emergence and Essence of counselling needs .......... 33
3.1 Introduction 33
......................................................................................................
3.2 Students' Counselling Needs 33
...........................................................................
3.3 Definition of Counselling 34
................................................................................
3.4 The Role of Counselling Services in Higher Education 35
................................
3.5University Students and counselling needs 36
.....................................................
3.6 Counselling in Islamic context 37
........................................................................
3.6.1 Man in the Islamic viewpoint 37
............................................................................
3.6.2 Bahraini community attitudes towards psychology and counselling............ 39
3.6.3 Person-Centred approach 40
.................................................................................
3.6.4 Rogerian Ideas and basic beliefs in Islam 41
........................................................
3.7 Summary 44
...........................................................................................................
Chapter Four Methodology 45
............................................................................
4.1 Introduction 45
......................................................................................................
4.2 Research Methodology 45
....................................................................................
4.3 Quantitative inquiry (Study 1) 50
........................................................................
4.3.1 Rationale for Questionnaire 51
using a
.................................................................
4.3.2 Constructing the questionnaire 52
........................................................................
II
4.3.3 Questionnaire procedures 53
.................................................................................
4.4 Exploratory Study 54
............................................................................................
4.5Constructing questionnaire 58
..............................................................................
4.5.1 Questionnaire Scale 59
...........................................................................................
4.5.2Translation of instruments into Arabic 60
............................................................
4.5.3 Reliability 61
.......................................................................................................
4.5.4 Validity of questionnaire 61
..............................................................................
4.6 Questionnaire Testing 62
......................................................................................
4.6.1 Pilot Study 62
...........................................................................................................
4.6.2 Pilot result 63
...........................................................................................................
4.7Main Study Sample 69
...........................................................................................
4.7.1 Sampling method 69
...............................................................................................
4.7.2 Sampling size 69
......................................................................................................
4.7.3 Questionnaire Distributions and Procedure 70
....................................................
4.7.4 Main Reliability (Coefficients Internal Consistency) 71
sample of ....................
4.7.5 Validity (Construct Validity) 72
............................................................................
4.8Qualitative inquiry (study 2) 73
............................................................................
4.8.1 The semi-structured interview 75
..........................................................................
4.8.2 Interview Sample 77
...............................................................................................
4.8.3 Validity and reliability 77
.......................................................................................
4.9 Documents 81
........................................................................................................
4.10 Statistical analysis 82
..........................................................................................
4.11 Ethical issues 82
...................................................................................................
4.12 Summary 83
.........................................................................................................
III