Post Covid stress and coping strategies in gen z in India: An empirical investigation

Abstract

Stress in early age can result in lifelong physical and mental health consequences, limiting the opportunities to lead fulfilling lives up to one’s greatest potential. Reports show that approximately a vast majority of 2,98,29,075 students are enrolled in UG programs in different universities every year, and post-covid nearly 14% of Indian youth are mentally stressed, requiring urgent attention towards understanding different stressors and coping strategies for managing stress effectively. This study was undertaken primarily to explore the various sources of stress and to investigate the stress-coping strategies used post-covid by Indian youth represented by undergraduate students. Results reveal that these students are stressed the most on uncertainties relating to their careers, work, and future, academic matters, inability to manage time between different activities, insufficiency of their capabilities and confidence, and inability to handle challenges and difficulties of life. Enjoying hobbies such as music, dancing, reading, and painting emerged as the key stress busters along with having fun time online or with family or friends, or simply talking to them about the issue causing stress whereas seeking professional counseling, exercise, yoga, breathing exercises or meditation have been less favored for managing their stress. The findings might be helpful for the various policymakers, HEIs, parents, psychologists, researchers, and the students themselves to design effective stress-coping strategies to ensure their successful implementation to the process of financial intermediation which is a veritable instrument for the growth of any economy.