Perceived severity of stress and coping strategies with stress

The recognition of determinants in individual's coping strategies with stressful situations to empower their abilities in management and control of stress, has been a substantial issue in behavioral studies. The aim of this study was to determine the role of perceived severity of stress in individual's coping strategies with stressful situations. Using data were collected from 373 students of Yazd University, from seven educational groups, between 22 June and 22 July 2006. These Students were selected randomly. Students then responded to the following standardized scales: Coping Strategies Scale (CSS-R, Masoudnia, 2005), and Perceived Severity of Stress (PSS, Newcomb, Huba & Bentler, 1981). The results showed significant differences among students with different levels of perceived severity of stress concerning coping strategies, in general, and in regard to merely two components of coping strategies namely avoidance coping and active coping. No significant difference among groups concerning others components of coping strategies were found. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that the perceived Severity of Stress was failed to explain the variance in coping strategies. according to Health Belief Model and Lazarus and Folkman's Coping Behavior Model, it was expected that individuals with high levels of perceived severity of stress would show higher levels of emotional coping strategies as compared to individuals with lower levels who would be expected to use more avoidance and active coping. However, results of the present study showed no significant differences.