Research summary
The post-secondary years are a period of both opportunity and vulnerability for emerging adults. Although some adjust well, many experience heightened stress and anxiety. Risky coping behaviours (strategies for managing distress that can lead to harm, such as substance use or self-injury) often increase during this period. But little is known about the factors that promote or hinder the development of coping behaviours (both risky and healthy) among post-secondary students.
As Canada Research Chair in Stress and Coping in Post-Secondary Contexts, Dr. Chloe Hamza hopes to increase our understanding of how post-secondary students cope with distress. She and her research team aim to shed light on how the post-secondary context interacts with person-level factors in predicting coping strategies over time. They are also clarifying the role of day-to-day processes in distress and coping. In addition, they are engaging with a range of stakeholders to develop evidence-informed resources to support student well-being on post-secondary campuses in Canada and abroad.