Gender Differences in Coping with Stress in Relation to Academic Demands Among University Students in Sweden

University students often experience both internal and external demands related to their studies. Though these demands may not be crucial for students’ success, how students cope with them can have major effects on student life, academic success, relationships, as well as overall well-being. Previous literature indicates gender differences in both frequencies and the use of different types of stress coping mechanisms among students. For example, Graves et al. (2021) study reported in a sample of undergraduate college students, that women’s coping styles were more emotion-focused than men towards the end of the semester. Similar results were reported by Eisenbarth in her 2019 study of college students. Women coped with stress using more emotional and instrumental support, while men engaged more in the use of humor (Eisenbarth, 2019). Furthermore, Anbumalar et al. (2017) stated that men have been found to use more maladaptive behaviors to cope with stress (i.e. alcohol, unhealthy eating, etc.), compared to women. Women were reported to use help-seeking behavior and social support to a higher degree than men (Anbumalar et al., 2017). Maladaptive and avoidance coping mechanisms for stress have been associated with depression. Social support, exercising, and identifying causes of stress, on the other hand, have been found to enhance well-being, which proves effective coping mechanisms for stress (Anbumalar et al., 2017). Psychological measurements of how students cope with academic demands and stress can improve the university’s understanding of students’ needs and difficulties, in turn, reinforce beneficial coping styles for students. Previous supports for gender differences show that the importance of managing students’ academic demands and stress is a diverse topic of conversation. Our study aims to look into gender differences in stress coping mechanisms related to academic demands among university students in Sweden. Suldo et al. (2015) developed the Coping with Academic Demands Scale (CADS) to measure coping for high school students pursuing advanced curricula. We will in our study apply the CADS scale, 58 items with 16 factors, in a university setting. We have adjusted items on the scale to fit university students.