Stress: Origins, perceptions, and management techniques used among intercollegiate student-athletes at Bluefield College

This study replicated previous research in assessing perceived stress levels, primary sources of stress and coping mechanisms used among college students in general, however, the primary focus of this study was specific to intercollegiate student-athletes. Additional purposes are to determine how effective these preferred coping activities are in relieving stress and to determine if any differences exist among four selected variables i.e., age, gender, year in school, and race.;The target population for this study was defined as all intercollegiate student-athletes participating in varsity athletics at Bluefield College during the fall semester in December of 2003. The total population was 179 (pn=179) and the sample was 40 (sn=40) representing 22% of the total population.;Three scales were used to determine these relationships: the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Inventory of College Students' Recent Life Experiences (ICSRLE), and the Relaxation Frequency Inventory (RFI).;The Inventory of College Students' Recent Life Experiences (ICSRLE) had a total of 49 hassles or experiences found stressful among college undergraduates. Those that were most stressful according to subjects of this study were "important decisions about your future career," "too many things to do at once," "financial burdens," "not enough leisure time," "having a lot of responsibilities," "struggling to meet your own academic standards," "separation from people you care about," and "not enough time for sleep.".;The Perceived Stress Scale had 10 items with a possible score range of 0-40. The low PSS score was 16 and the high score was 28. The mean score calculated on the Perceived Stress Scale was 22.825 with a standard deviation of 3.040.;Correlational analysis between PSS and ICSRLE showed that a moderate to strong positive correlation existed at the .05 (95%) level between the two scales.;The Relaxation Frequency Inventory suggested that college students in this study use "Exercise," "Watching Television," "Hobbies and Leisure Activities," and "Social Activities" as the activities that they participate in most frequently to manage their stress. "Recreational Drugs," "Mental Activities," and "Meditation" were shown to be the methods used least frequently to manage their stress. Of the functional means for managing stress "Exercise," "Hobbies and Leisure Activities," "Social Activities," "Talking with family, friends, or other supportive people," and "Spiritual and Religious Development" were used most frequently. Dysfunctional methods most often employed for reducing stress among the students were "Watching Television," "Sex," and "Shopping/Spending Money". Analysis of drug use for managing stress showed very low levels of drug use for "Over-the counter or prescription drugs," and "Recreational drugs" for students in this survey.;Correlational analysis showed no significant correlation between PSS and the Functional activities of stress management. A statistically significant positive relationship existed between PSS and the Dysfunctional stress managing activities. The correlational analysis between PSS and Drug Use activities also found no statistically significant relationship.;Females in this study reported higher stress levels than males based on the PSS. No other differences in stress levels were reported among the demographic variables. ICSRLE scores suggested that males and females experience similar levels of intensity and frequency of hassles. The age group 24-25 was found to have higher scores on ICSRLE than other age groups. Asians had higher hassles scores than Whites. For education level, no differences were found for frequency and intensity of hassles among the demographic variables.;No differences were reported between any of the demographic variables for all relaxation techniques considered as one group. For functional methods of managing stress, scores showed that females had significantly higher scores than males. No differences existed across age groups. Blacks had higher scores than whites while no other race differed significantly. No significant differences existed between education levels.;Scores for Dysfunctional methods for managing stress showed no differences between males and females. The 26 and above age group showed significantly lower scores than all other groups. No differences appeared for race and no differences existed between education levels. Drug use methods for managing stress found females had higher scores than males. For age groups, no differences appeared. A significant difference was found for race but when the post hoc test was run, the significance was lost. No differences were found between education levels.;As previously stated, women reported higher levels of perceived stress than did men, also; a greater number of hassles in their everyday lives and were unsure of their future after college when compared to men. Black athletes had less perceived stress, were more socially active, and spent more time using functional methods to relieve stress than did all other subgroups. The most utilized functional methods for managing stress were exercise, social activities, napping, eating, sex, and watching television. Unfortunately, most of these methods have not been proven ways to directly and effectively manage or reduce stress.