Skip to the main content

Original scientific paper

Effects of Perceived Stress and Coping Strategies on Physical Symptoms

Jasna HUDEK-KNEŽEVIĆ
Igor KARDUM
Romana LESIĆ


Full text: croatian pdf 324 Kb

page 543-561

downloads: 2.173

cite


Abstract

This study examines direct and indirect effects of the level of
perceived daily stress and coping strategies on the physical
symptoms. The respondents were 153 healthy students from
the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Rijeka. Three models
concerning three groups of physical symptoms were tested by
causal structural modeling procedure (LISREL). In each of the
models, three coping styles (problem oriented, emotion
oriented and avoidance) and perception of the stress
intensity have been included, while as the outcome variable
the first model included symptoms of respiratory infections,
the second symptoms of autonomous dysfunction, and the
third other physical symptoms (problems with locomotion,
digestion and skin). The results show that coping styles do
not exert significant direct effects on any group of the
physical symptoms examined. When the effects of the coping
styles on perceived stress are concerned, the results show
that problem oriented coping significantly lowers, while
avoidance significantly increases perceived stress. However,
the level of perceived stress has significant positive effects
only on the symptoms of the autonomous dysfunction and
not on other two groups of symptoms, which is not in accord
with the other research results. The need for the
improvement of the measurement of the respiratory
infections symptoms, as well as psychological interventions
that would enable students to be aware of their own physical
sensations that are attributable to the side effects of
perceived stress is discussed.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

20324

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/20324

Publication date:

31.8.1999.

Article data in other languages: croatian german

Visits: 4.240 *