Abstract

The present study explored the multidimensional relations between stress and coping. Especially, the present study examined the mediational effect of the multidimensional coping styles against the negative effects of various life stress on anxiety or headaches. The participants were 1024 college students (male, 53%; female, 47%) located in five areas in Korea. The scales used in this study were multidimensional scales of stress and coping. More specifically, life stress scale was (lover, friend, family, faculty), and task-related life stress (future, value, economy, grade). Coping scale consisted of three dimensions of personal, social, and religious coping resources covering 15 subscales. Criterion measures were anxiety for psychopathology, and headaches for physical pathology. The present study revealed the following results among others: (1) friend-related life stress and value-related life stress were the best predictors on anxiety and headaches. (2) In regard to the effect of friend-related life stress and value-related life stress on anxiety, passive withdrawal, active forgetting, fatalism, self-criticism were found to be significant mediators. Especially, positive interpretation appeared to be a very effective coping style. In addition, a significant mediating effect of social support seeking was only found for friend-related stress which is a kind of relationship-related life stress. (3) Within the context of the relation between friend-related stress and anxiety, passive withdrawal, acceptance, self-criticism, and emotional support seeking were found to significant mediators for both male and female participants. For females, however, problem-solving support seeking and active forgetting were also found to be significant mediators. (4) With respect to the role of religion in the relation between value-related stress and anxiety, passive withdrawal, active forgetting, and religious seeking were found to he significant mediators for Christians, In a similar manner, passive withdrawal and self-criticism were significant mediators for Catholics, while positive interpretation was a significant mediator for Buddhists. Finally, limitations of the present study were discussed, and implications for future study were suggested.