A Comparison of Coping Responses to Stress Among Counselor Education Students at the Beginning Stage, Practicum Stage, and Graduating Stage from their Program of Studies

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a difference in coping responses to stress among students in a Master's level counselor education program. The study was an investigation of the difference between three nonequivalent groups: Group A- Beginning counseling students, Group B- Practicum counseling students, and Group C- Graduating counseling students. Data was obtained through a demographic sheet developed by the examiner and a self report measure. The COPE inventory was administered to 65 graduate counselor education students to assess 15 different coping styles. The study had 15 hypotheses based on the 15 scales of the COPE Inventory. The data analyzed showed significant differences in two of the hypotheses. Hypothesis 12 about substance use coping was rejected due to a significant difference among the three groups. The results indicated that practicum students used substances significantly more often to deal with stressors than beginning students. Hypothesis 14 concerning the coping skill about suppression of competing activities was also rejected due to a significant difference among the three groups. The results further indicated that graduating students were able to suppress competing activities more often than beginning and practicum students. No significant differences were found among the following 13 coping strategies: positive reinterpretation and growth, mental disengagement, active coping, planning, restraint coping, seeking instrumental social support, seeking emotional support, religious coping, denial, and behavioral disengagement.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Immediate Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Counselor Education and Supervision (ExCES)

Year dc:date.available

2008

Author dc:creator

• Maloney, Jill

Contributors dc:contributor

• Joe Maola
• Emma Mosley
• James Henderson

• Coping responses
• stress
• graduate students

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/862

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-1878