Coping Strategies of Art Students as a Factor of Their Stress Resistance

The article explores coping strategies as a factor of stress resistance among art students in the context of increasing psycho-emotional pressure due to social instability and war. The relevance of the topic is substantiated by the vulnerability of creative youth to stress factors and the need to develop psychological resources. Within the framework of an empirical study conducted among students of the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (n=41), the level of stress, stress resistance, and dominant coping strategies were assessed using the following methods: the Stress Questionnaire by Shcherbatykh, the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) by N. Endler and J. Parker, and the Stress Resistance Scale. To process the results, statistical methods such as the Mann–Whitney U test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were applied. It was found that most students are experiencing strong or very strong stress, and 71% of respondents demonstrated a medium level of stress resistance. The most common coping strategy was problem-focused coping (77%), indicating an active approach to overcoming difficulties. However, the correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between the level of stress resistance and certain coping strategies. Specifically, emotion-focused coping and avoidance were statistically associated with low stress resistance, indicating the ineffectiveness of these strategies in managing stress. It was concluded that the choice of coping strategy directly influences an individual’s ability to withstand stress, and a high level of stress resistance is a critical protective factor. The findings have practical significance for the development of psycho-preventive programs aimed at supporting students in creative fields.