Boarding High School Students' Life Stress and Coping Skills

Purpose:This studywasdone toexplore life stressand coping skills of boarding high school students. Methods: Triangulation (quantitativeandqualitative) researchmethodwas used throughthreestages. First,47 highschool students were interviewed to identify life stressors. Second, 208 students were surveyed via internet question- nairestoassessstress level foreachstressor.Lastly, in ordertosurveystresscopingskills,61studentsanswered 10 subjective questions orally or in writing. Results:Thirty-seven life stressors in five categories were identified through thematic content analysis of the interviews: dormitory life, appearance and self management, human relations, study, andother areas.Stresses fromschoolworkwerehighest and participantsalsoexperiencedstress from their dormitory life. The overall stress level was higher in girls than in boys, and students in their 2nd year perceived their stress as higher than those in other grades. Various stress coping skills were being used, and positivecopingskillswerecommonlyused. Conclusion:Toimprovequalityoflifeof boarding highschoolstudents, variousstrategiesareneeded to reducetheir lifestress. Especially, girlsareinneed of special concern andcare because of their vulnerability to stress.