Investigation of the relationship between occupational balance of university students and stress, responses to stress, coping attitudes

This study aimed at analyzing the relationships between university student‟s occupational balance and stress, their reaction to stress, resources of this stress, and their coping attitudes towards stress. 170 university students included in this study. . Their data was analyzed through sociodemographic information questionnaire, Occupational Balance Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Student-life Stress Inventory-Revisited (SSI) and Coping Attitudes Evaluation Scale-Revised(COPE-R). A negative relationship was found between occupational balance and perceived stress (r=-0.55, p=0.001). The relationship between student‟s occupational balance and SSI-R total scales, and subscales, when analyzed, showed a significantly negative relationship between occupational balance and SSI-R total scores, frustrations, pressure, alterations, conflicts, behavioural reactions, physiological reactions, and evaluative reactions subgroups (p<0.05). No significant relationship was found between occupational balance and self-attribution subgroup (r=-0.11, p=0.123). A significantly positive relationship was found between total COPE score and self-help, approach, and accommodation subscales, and occupational balance (p<0.05). Meanwhile the avoidance and self-punishment subgroups of COPE demonstrated a significantly negative relationship to occupational balance (p<0.05). In conclusion, our study established that reducing the level and resources of, and reactions to stress promotes the attainment of occupational balance. Concurrently, an increase in the occupational balance of university students was identified as they adopted the right coping attitudes such as self-help, approach, and accommodation. It is also conceived that in order to ensure occupational balance in university students, implementing interventional programs aiming at stress and at the right ways of coping with it might be beneficial to the their lives.