Stress and coping with online classes in university students during the COVID-19 health contingency

Abstract

Online education, isolation and social distancing have revealed shortcomings and opportunities for improvement in teachers and students. This study aimed to describe the relationship between strategies for coping with stress during online classes due to theCOVID-19 health contingency in university students. The research was quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive and exploratory. The sample was 1,118 students, 66% of which were women and 34% men, and their mean age was 20.9 and SD was 3.24. 95% were single, 2.8% were married, 2% were cohabitating and .3% were divorced. We found that 67.9% of the students reported medium to high levels of stress. Females presented higher levels of stress; likewise, females reported more stress response strategies than males. The strategies used by women were personal resource planning and management and support seeking, while men relied on positive reappraisal and personal resource planning and management. Our conclusion was that institutions should implement stress-coping and life skills programs on an ongoing basis. Flexibility, empathy and student-centered education can be strategies for coping with stress in students.