The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of juveniles' school stress on their mental health, focusing on the effects of the stress-coping methods. For this purpose, the researcher used the quota sampling to select 220 boys and girls from m...
The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of juveniles' school stress on their mental health, focusing on the effects of the stress-coping methods. For this purpose, the researcher used the quota sampling to select 220 boys and girls from middle and high schools at Seocho-gu and Jungrang-gu, Seoul and middle schools in Gyeonggi-do for a questionnaire survey, which would be conducted from May 1 through May 8, 2008.
The data collected through the survey were processed using the SPSS Win 12.0 for multi-faceted analyses: frequency analysis for demographic variables and general characteristics, T-test and one-way ANOVA for differences of stress effects depending on gender, grades and academic performances, factor analysis for validity of the questionnaire, and regression analysis for the effects of school stressors and stress-coping methods on the mental health as well as for the controlling effects of the stress-coping methods.
As a result, it was found that such factors of juveniles' school stress as learning and teachers affected their depression. As a result of the regression analysis assuming that the stress-coping would less affect juveniles' mental health, it was found that in the coping methods of social support, the positive coping would decrease depression. On the other hand, as a consequence of analyzing the controlling effects for each stressor, it was found that the stress-coping methods had a positive effect on learning stress, while emotional relief and hopeful thinking methods affected friend-related stress positively. It was also found that problem-oriented, emotional relief and hopeful thinking methods affected teacher-related stress positively. In addition, middle school students, male students, low-income family students and those with no religion were more depressed than high school students, female students, high-income family students and religious students. And middle school students used more coping methods than high school students to be relieved of stress.
As discussed above, our juveniles are subject to diverse stresses at their schools, and therefore, are depressed much. In addition, this study confirmed that proper coping methods matching each type of stress would help to relieve them of stress. Accordingly, it is deemed necessary to help our juveniles relieved of their school stress and depression thereof by using proper coping methods.