PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE AND ADAPTIVE COPING SKILLS AS PREDICTORS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC STRESS RELIEF AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN EDO STATE: IMPLICATION FOR COUNSELLING

Abstract

This study examined the predictive effects of psychological resilience and adaptive coping skills on socioeconomic stress relief among undergraduate students in Edo State, Nigeria. A quantitative correlational research design was adopted. The population comprised 115,000 undergraduate students from the University of Benin, Ambrose Alli University, and Edo State University, Iyamho. Using the Taro Yamane formula, a sample size of 499 was determined, while 463 respondents provided usable data. Participants were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using the 15-item Psychological Resilience, Adaptive Coping Skills and Socioeconomic Stress Relief Questionnaire (PRACSSRQ), with five items measuring each construct on a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and simple linear regression at 0.05 confidence level of significance. Findings showed that respondents reported moderately high psychological resilience (grand mean = 3.55), adaptive coping skills (grand mean = 3.50), and socioeconomic stress relief (grand mean = 3.47). Psychological resilience significantly and positively predicted socioeconomic stress relief (β = 0.981, t = 108.594, p < 0.001), explaining 96.2% of the variance. Similarly, adaptive coping skills significantly and positively predicted socioeconomic stress relief (β = 0.986, t = 126.724, p < 0.001), explaining 97.2% of the variance. Adaptive coping emerged as the stronger predictor. The study therefore recommended that resilience and adaptive coping are important psychological resources for managing socio-economic stress among undergraduates. Universities should therefore strengthen counselling, resilience-building, and adaptive coping interventions to promote students’ well-being and academic adjustment. University management should strengthen resilience-building programmes through counselling, mentoring, and psychological wellness workshops to enhance students’ capacity to manage socio-economic challenges. Higher education institutions should integrate adaptive coping skills training into student support programmes through seminars and stress-management interventions that promote problem-solving, planning, and effective help-seeking behaviours.