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STRESS AND COPING MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN THE SIMULTANEOUS RELATION BETWEEN WORK, ACADEMIC EDUCATION AND FAMILY
Abstract
While existing studies deal with stress involved in the work-family relation [1], [2], this research includes the academic education (as a cognitive-didactic activity) as a third element of this relation, manifesting itself simultaneously with the other two (given that the continuous education is more and more present). The general objective was to analyze the above-mentioned relation considering variables such as level of stress, coping strategies, gender, profile of the university and educational results. The research method was the questionnaire-based survey, using the Personal Evaluation Inventory for Stress [3], the COPE questionnaire [4] and the Work-Family Conflict Scale [5]; the educational results were evaluated using the students marks. The subjects were 88 university students, 44 being unemployed, having neither a family/long-time relationship nor children, while 44 had a stable workplace and a family/long-time relationship and children. The results showed that those employed and with a family/long-time relationship and children had a higher level of stress (M=122, SD=31) than those involved only in universitary activity (M=81, SD=25) - statistically significant results (t=38.45, df=86, p<0.01). Male subjects had higher levels of the work-family conflict (N=42; M=14,11; SD=3,58) than female ones (N=46; M=12,06; SD=2,64) - statistically significant differences (t=0,65; df=86; p<0,05). Students of the Polytechnic University had the highest mean of the work-family conflict results (M=15,22; SD=5,31; N=29), followed by those of the Sociology and Social Assistance (M=11,29; SD=3,84; N=29) and finally by those of Psychology (M=10,33; SD=2,88; N=30); the differences were statistically significant (F=18,46; p<0,05). The work-family conflict significantly and positively correlated to college marks (r=0.72, p<0.01) and significantly and negatively to the following coping styles: planning (r=-0.71), eliminating concurrent activities (r=-0.66) and searching for instrumental support (r=-0.52). There were positive correlations with denial (r=0.51) and using alcohol/drugs (r=63) also. The results should be considered with caution as other mediator variables (personality traits, emotional intelligence, familial/relationship support etc.) were not analyzed - a future research being intended in order to include those variables as well.
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