Efficacy of Coping Skills and Self-Care Behaviors of Graduate Psychology Students in Their First Semester

摘要

The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between coping styles, self-care strategies and perceived stress level during the first semester of enrollment in a graduate program in psychology. Participants were 67 graduate students enrolled either in a Counseling Psychology master’s program or a Clinical Psychology doctoral program at a Pacific Northwest university. Self report questionnaires were used to assess levels of perceived stress, coping styles, self-care practices, and demographics. Although there were no overall significant differences related to perceived stress, there were significant correlations within demographic sub-groups related to coping styles and self-care practices. Future research is necessary to determine if these self-care patterns might vary for practitioner focused versus research focused programs and to determine the stability of the self-care patterns throughout graduate training and career establishment.