Psychological Research and Intervention, 2(2), 2019, 73-81

Available online at: http://journal.uny.ac.id/index.php/pri

Coping Strategy and Psychological Well-Being of Final Year University

Student

Yuni Syaudah1
1
Department of Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta,
Jl. Colombo No. 1 Karang Malang Sleman, Yogyakarta
1
yuni.syaudah2015@student.uny.ac.id

Abstract
This study aims to determine the coping strategies and level of psychological well-being of final
year university student, as well as predicting psychological well-being of final year university student
based on their coping strategies. This study employs quantitative approach with ex post facto
research type. This study involves 135 university students from Faculty of Education Universitas
Negeri Yogyakarta by means of accidental sampling technique. Data was collected through the
coping scale (problem focused coping scale and emotional focused coping scale) and psychological
well-being scale. The result of this study shows that coping strategy was able to predict
psychological well-being (p = 0,000; p < α 0,05). Problem focused coping and emotional focused
coping can predict psychological well-being by 12%. The regression equation line obtained is Y =
132,05+0,819x1-0,501x2

Keywords: problem focused coping; emotional focused coping; psychological well-being; final year university student
______________________________________________________________________

Introduction
The higher the level of education stressful work. Some students start to
pursued, the higher the level of stress encounter difficulties or problems as they
experienced (Calnicer and Calderon, 2013). worked on their thesis. Some of the
From these statements it can be seen that a problems presented includes difficulties in
person pursuing higher education may various stages of the thesis: difficulties in
experience the highest stress level. fighting laziness, gathering enthusiasm,
University students will be challenged with determining the right topic, working on
more demands compared to the previous their introduction chapter, finding
educational level, the workload will also be references, finding respondents, data
heavier as they proceed through the years. collection, and data analysis. Other
Indonesian bachelor (S1) students who challenges includes difficulties in arranging
have reached their final year, will eventually a meeting with their supervisors, lack of
have to work on their final project or a encouragement and guidance from
thesis. supervisors, fear of meeting with supervisor
Doing thesis for final year students is if they have no progress in their thesis, idea
not an easy thing. In fact, there are students differences between the supervisor and the
who feel burdened and experience various students, revision by the supervisors, and
difficulties in working on their thesis. the difficulty of finding the middle ground
Difficulties in the preparation of the final between the student and the supervisor.
thesis are also felt by students of the Faculty These difficulties will lead students to
of Education (FoE), Universitas Negeri experience stress (Astuti & Hartati, 2014).
Yogyakarta. Based on the results of Studies by Ryff (1995) shows a
interviews with several FoE students, it is significant relationship between stress and
revealed that final thesis is considered as a psychological well-being. Ryff (1995)
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 Coping Strategy and Psychological Well-being
Yuni Syaudah

argued that to achieve a good level of watching football, watching movies,

psychological well-being, individuals should sleeping, and reading other books not
be able to cope with stress and avoid mental related to the thesis), praying and doing
health problems. Psychological well-being religious activities such as Dhuha prayer
refers to the extent to which individuals feel and tahajud routinely, add knowledge on
that they have meaningful control over their how to write scientific papers, add new
lives and activities. experiences and find new insights in how to
Problem in psychological well-being write, find references to the latest books by
is becoming increasingly common among title, try to discipline time in all matters, join
students today (Yang, 2010). High levels of friends and share information, look for
stress have been reported among students convenient time and place to finish the
from various departments in higher thesis, and think positively (Ismiati (2015).
education institutions (Mackenzie and Kim, Related to this, it can be seen that in facing
2011). Some of the causal factors associated the thesis, there are some students who
with problems among students are choose to face it and some are avoiding.
uncertainty about their career and future Students who avoid sometimes because
success, as well as academic stress, one of they have not able to determine the right
which is thesis (Ibrahim et al., 2013). coping to deal with stress experienced.
However, we should understand that Previous research states that coping
stress is not only have negative effects, but strategies are related to psychological well-
stress can also have positive effects. This being. Some types of coping are more
experience will depend on how an effective than others in maintaining
individual deal with their problems (Preece, psychological well-being. Facing the
2011). This indicates that coping can affect problem will better maintain the level of
psychological well-being. psychological well-being compared to
Coping can be defined as thoughts avoidance coping or avoidance of the
and behaviors that are used to manage problem (Calnicer and Calderon, 2013).
demands on internal situations and external Individuals who can provide an appropriate
situations that are considered as stressors response to the problems faced, even
(Taylor, 2011). Coping strategy is an effort, though he is in a state of stress will affect
both behavioral and psychological, the level of psychological well-being of the
employed by an individual to master, individual (Calnicer and Calderon, 2013).
tolerate, reduce, or minimize the impact of From the explanation above, it is
stressful events (Kenneth & Pakenham, known that how students handle stress or
2012). coping will affect psychological well-being.
Each student working on their thesis Researchers do not measure stress levels on
will have different coping strategies. students, but researchers will conduct
Lazarus and Folkman (1984) explained that research on how students deal with stress
an individual's maturity is related to their experienced. Therefore, important research
coping abilities. Deciding on which coping is conducted to determine the effect of
strategies used may be based on the coping on psychological well-being in the
stressful situation that they’re currently final year students who are working on
faced. Those who can adjust their coping thesis. Researchers want to study in a study
strategies to match their situations, will have entitled "Coping and Psychological Well-
a better chance to deal with stress compared being Strategies for Final Year Students".
to those who cannot (Taylor, 2011). Researchers assume that coping conducted
Forms of coping include diverting by final year students can affect the
attention to other activities that are not psychological well-being of students.
related to the thesis (such as playing games,

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The purpose of this research is to find The instrument used in this study was to use
out the coping done by the final year a coping strategy and psychological well-
students who are working on their thesis, being scale in the form of a Likert scale.
know the level of psychological well-being Data collection instruments will be
in the final level students who are working delivered in person and online. Coping scale
on their thesis, and predict the consists of 38 items with a problem focused
psychological well-being in the final year coping scale of 15 items and emotional
students who are working on their thesis in focused coping of 23 items. The
terms of the coping strategy which is psychological well-being scale consists of 42
conducted. items. So that there are a total of 80 items.
This research is expected to be an The scale of this research instrument is in
additional reference related to coping the form of four alternative answers, which
conducted by final year students. In are very inappropriate (value one), not
addition to adding references about appropriate (value two), appropriate (value
psychological well-being in final year three), and very appropriate (value four).
students who are working on thesis. This This research instrument includes
thesis is also expected to be able to increase items that are favorable and unfavorable.
knowledge for other final year students in Items that are favorable have a value that
maintaining psychological well-being with moves from the value of one to four. While
coping strategies which can be used as items that are unfavorable have a value that
material for consideration to provide action moves from a value of four to one.
or treatment for stressed final-level students
in working on their thesis. Data Analysis
Descriptive analysis is an analysis
Methods used to provide a clear description related
to the characteristics of the data that has
Research Design been obtained, as well as certain
This research uses a quantitative centralization measures that provide an
approach with the type of research used is overview of the research conducted. Data
ex post facto. Ex post facto research aims that has been obtained from the scale of
to find things that cause changes in the psychological well-being and coping is still
overall independent variables have in the form of ordinal data consisting of
occurred. categories that are very inappropriate,
inappropriate, appropriate, and very
Participants appropriate. These categories will be
The research subjects in this study changed into interval data.
were the final year students of the 2015
Faculty of Education, Yogyakarta State Analysis of Prerequisite Tests
University. Data collection techniques using The prerequisite test used to test the
nonprobability sampling, namely accidental analysis is the normality test carried out to
sampling. Accidental sampling was chosen find out whether the research data is
because the final year students had not gone normally distributed or not. The normality
through lectures in the classroom. The test in this study uses the Kolmogorov
number of samples in this study were 135 Smirnov test with the help of SPSS for
students. Windows. Data are stated normally
distributed when having α ≥ 0.05 (Ghozali,
Research Procedure and Intruments 2018: 167).
Data collection techniques used in
this study is to use a psychological scale.

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Hypothesis testing regression analysis is used because the

Hypothesis testing is done after the research aims to predict or predict two
research data has been analyzed and meets predictor variables against one criterion
the analysis prerequisite test. Hypothesis variable (Y).
testing in this study is to use multiple linear
regression analysis test. Multiple linear

Findings and Discussion

Category Freq Percentage

Very High X > 48,75 23 17,04%
High 41,25 < X ≤ 48,75 72 53,33%
Average 33,75 < X ≤ 41,25 32 23,70%
Low 25,25 < X ≤ 33,75 8 5,93%
Very Low X ≤ 25,25 0 0%
Total 135 100%

a. Problem Focused Coping b. Emotional Focused Coping

Data that has been obtained is Data that has been obtained is
presented in predetermined presented in predetermined
categorizations. Here is the categorization categorizations. The following are
of problem focused coping. emotional focused coping categorizations.
Based on the table above, it can be Based on the table above, it can be
seen that the frequency is mostly in the seen that the frequency is mostly in the
high category (41.25 <X ≤ 48.75) with 72 medium category (51,725 <X ≤ 61,875)
students (53.33%). The frequency is at with a total of 75 students (55.56%). The
least in the very low category (X> 25.25) frequency is at least in the very low
with a percentage of 0%. category (X ≤ 41.575) with a percentage of
0%.

Category Freq Percentage

Very High X > 72,025 9 6,67%
High 61,875 < X ≤ 72,025 48 35,56%
Moderate 51,725 < X ≤ 61,875 75 55,56%
Low 41,575 < X ≤ 51,725 3 2,22%
Very Low X ≤ 41,575 0 0%
Total 135 100%

Discussion the vignette. The results of the study

revealed different results from most of the
The results show that there is no previous studies which suggests that
difference in the ability to recognize women have better recognition abilities
depression and schizophrenia based on compared to men (Reavley, McCann, &
the gender of respondents and character in Jorm, 2012; Cotton, et al., 2006; Gibbons,

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Thorsteinsson, & Loi, 2015). However, of the respondents showing that there is
this study is in line with the results of the no difference in the identification of
study of Marcus and Westra (2012) which causes of depression and schizophrenia
states that there are no striking differences based on the gender of the respondents.
in terms of recognition and general mental However, there are differences in the
health knowledge between men and identification of causes of depression
women. based on the gender of vignette figures.
The results are also not in line with Environmental factors and trauma
the opinion of Hadjimina and Furnham are more clearly identified as causes of
(2017) which states that there are depression in female characters while
differences in recognition of mental biological factors and personal weaknesses
disorders among male and female are more pronounced in male figures.
sufferers because some mental disorders Respondents think that personal weakness
have different prevalence in the two is a cause of depression for men and this
genders. For example, depression will be can be due to the existence of male gender
recognized more in female figures because roles which require them to be aggressive,
the prevalence of depression is higher in physically and emotionally strong (Wong,
women. Based on Hadjimina and 2016). Men who deviate from these
Furnham (2017) assertion, we conclude expectations will experience interpersonal
that the lack of recognition for differences and intrapersonal conflicts. Therefore,
between male and female figures can showing emotion and mental helplessness
occur because both versions of the is considered a form of personal weakness
vignette have the same description except in men.
the use of the name Budi and Bunga and There is no difference in
the lack of depictions of situations that are identifying the causes of schizophrenia. As
more prototypically "masculine" or with depression, stress or daily stress is
"feminine". For example, by including a also the most valued factor as a cause of
description of the loss of interest in the schizophrenia, so are male and female
hobby of sewing in women. respondents. This is in line with research
The absence of gender differences by Jorm, et al. (1997b) that daily stress is
in recognition ability can also be the most valued factor as a cause of
influenced by the level of education of schizophrenia. Other results, namely
respondents (Bener & Ghuloum, 2010), biological factors, are more often assessed
experience of contact with people with as causes of schizophrenia than
mental disorders (Lauber, et al., 2003), depression, in line with the results of Jorm,
campus environment that stimulates more et al. (1997b).
talk about mental disorders, mental health Further results show that there are
campaigns, also the media depiction that differences in attitudes towards expert
revealed mental disorders as a condition assistance in depression based on the
that can be experienced by anyone. The gender of the respondent and the vignette
wider internet coverage and more figure. The differences in attitudes
openness of men to their health problems towards expert assistance in depression
on the internet (Ellis, et al., 2013) can also based on the gender of respondents and
be a realization that it is no less important figures are in line with the research of
for men to have awareness about mental Wang, et al (2007). Wang, et al. (2007: 447)
health. argued that the existence of this gender
The second result is about difference might be related to the lower
differences in the identification of causes prevalence of depression in men and due
of mental disorders based on the gender to the lack of exposure to the disorder.

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Lack of exposure results in a lack of Conclusion

awareness and knowledge which can
contribute to low levels of assistance From this study we can conclude
seeking. The low level of seeking help can that there is no difference in the ability to
also be related to personal weaknesses that recognize depression and schizophrenia
tend to be considered men as a cause of based on the respondent's gender and the
depression (Wang, et al., 2015). The search gender of the vignette figure. However,
for emotional assistance for mental health there are differences in knowledge about
problems for men is also a sign of the cause of depression based on gender
weakness and is contradicted by where the environmental factors and
masculinity as well as fears of stigma that trauma are identified as a prominent cause
can be a reason why men choose not to of depression in female figures while
seek psychological help (Wong, 2016 and biological factors and personal weaknesses
Holzinger, et al., 2012). are more pronounced in male figures.
The pattern of seeking expert There are also differences in positive
assistance for mental health problems in attitudes towards expert assistance for
the campus environment is still hampered depression based on the gender of
due to the influence of negative stigma respondents and figures, where more male
(Vidourek, et al., 2014; Holland & respondents do not recommend expert
Wheeler, 2016) and lack of mental health help and it is not necessary for male
literacy, let alone help for depression character to seek expert help for
which is still widely associated with depression.
personal weakness. This is proven by the Based on these conclusions, we
fact that there are still many respondents, can give several suggestions: 1) For mental
especially men who consider expert health experts, the results of the analysis
assistance to be less important for showed that men are more likely not to
depression. recommend seeking expert help related to
Further results show that there is depression and this can be influenced by
no difference in attitude towards expert negative stigma embedded within the
assistance in schizophrenia based on the society, as it is considered a sign of
gender of respondents and vignette weakness that indicates less masculinity.
figures. Almost all respondents agreed if For this reason, men are needs to be
schizophrenics get expert assistance specifically targeted in efforts to improve
related to mental disorders suffered, both mental health literacy, to help them reach
male and female figures. These results are appropriate assistance, and to reduce the
consistent with Jorm, et al. (1997b) and negative stigma surrounding men and
Gibbons, Thorsteinsson, & Loi (2015) mental disorder. 2) For the university, the
studies which state that expert assistance campus environment is a place where
is more positive for schizophrenics than students spend a lot of time. For this
depression. One logical reason is that reason, the campus can be an ideal place
depression is more common and is more for students to improve mental health
often associated with non-medical literacy by conducting campaigns,
conditions such as fatigue and stress interventions that involve reducing the
whose handling does not require expert negative stigma of mental disorders,
help, unlike schizophrenia which designing a curriculum that can increase
describes more severe and less common mental health awareness, as well as
mental conditions (Jorm, et al, 1997b). providing mental health facilities that can
be reached by the students.

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