INITIAL TOPIC PROPOSAL

TITLE: A Systematic Review on the Academic Stress and Coping Mechanisms of Students
During Covid-19 Pandemic
Author: Jimwel A. Bautista, Joven Ashley B. Cabay & Ralph Jherand C. Licodini
Adviser: Richmon C. Alaman

Rationale

The COVID-19 pandemic brought global problems in business, environment, government,

health, technology, and education. Focusing on education, the government here in the Philippines
and abroad have closed all the educational institutions to control the spread of disease that directly
impacted the students, educators, and academic institutions that brought sudden shifts from the
physical classroom to virtual learning that disrupted many teachers and learners (Chandra, 2020).

As the world succumbs to the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,
people may find the new normal stressful and unbearable. The high infectivity of the virus calls
for maintaining self-isolation, personal distance, hygiene, and imposing lockdowns to curb the
spread. Though proven to be effective, these measures can be overwhelming for individuals and
may adversely affect their mental health, such as depression, anxiety, and stress (Balkhi F., Nasir
A., Zehra A. & Riaz R., 2020).

Some researchers have reported that young people are at a higher risk of mental health
disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic (Elbay, Kurtulumus, Arpacıoğlu & Karadere, 2020).
For adolescents, having social interaction at this stage is an important event; they are energetic and
enthusiastic for new day-to-day experiences, making it hard for them to isolate themselves at home
during the lockdown (Imran, Zeshan & Pervaiz, 2020). Many researchers have found intense
psychological effects in individuals due to the outbreak of pandemics. People may experience
feelings as worry about being infected, fear of stigma or isolation, resource instability, self-
criticism, and hopelessness are risk factors leading to depression, anxiety, and stress during the
lockdown period.

Moreover, for those who had mental health problems during pandemics, coping strategies
play an important role because this may lead to positive or negative mental health outcomes.
Coping could be considered as conscious, unconscious, intentional, or programmed response to

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stress by an individual (Be C., Ss J & Ah B, 2017). Eisenberg, broadly classify coping strategies
into two: avoidant coping and approach coping, where approach coping is more likely to lead to a
favorable outcome than avoidant coping. Other classifications of coping strategies include
problem-focused, emotion-focused, cognitive, and behavioral, and neutral coping mechanism.

Coping may seem to be a simple word with a deeper meaning. The word coping applies to
every individual from birth to the geriatric stage of life. As everyone fights their own battle most
especially in this time of the pandemic, coping is the best word to fight all the negative thoughts,
emotions, and physical struggle.

This study adds to the current research on the COVID-19, particularly in the Philippines.
It covered the general academic stress of students as being widely investigated in prior studies.
Additionally, it sheds light on the essence of researching on coping mechanism of students during
the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is a systematic review on the academic stress and coping
mechanisms or strategies of students during the COVID-19 pandemic which are presented in
different studies.

Statement of the Problem

This study is a systematic review on the academic stress and coping mechanisms or
strategies of students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, it seeks to answer the following:

1. Determine the common academic stresses of students during the pandemic in terms of;
a. gender, and
b. age.
2. Identify the coping mechanisms needed by the students during the pandemic in terms of;
a. gender, and
b. age.

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Significance of the Study

This study could relatively serve the following:

School Administrators. The administrators are responsible in making sure that the
teachers and students are in conducive environment and have positive mental health in this time
of situation – COVID-19 pandemic.

Teachers. The teachers are responsible in checking the emotional, mental and health status
of the students. This study may help the teachers to know the academic stressors and coping
mechanisms of students in order to accommodate their needs.

Parents. The parents are responsible in supporting their child in any way. This study may
help them realize the needs of their children to avoid stresses.

Students. The study may help the students to identify the common stressors and how to
cope up with the situation using the common coping mechanisms.

Scope and Delimitation

This study is a systematic review on the academic stress and coping mechanisms of
students during the COVID-19 pandemic presented in 5-7 different studies about academic stress
and coping strategies.

This study is also limited in ASIAN countries studies.

Definition of Terms

Academic Stress. Academic stress is defined as the body’s response to academic-related

demands that exceed adaptive capabilities of students. In this study, academic stress will be
presented as variable to determine the common stressors of students.

Coping Mechanisms. Coping mechanisms are the strategies people often use in the face
of stress and/or trauma to help manage painful or difficult emotions. In this study, coping
mechanism will also be presented as variable to determine the common coping strategies of
students to fight the common stressors.

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 COVID-19. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the
SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Pandemic. A pandemic is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a

large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of
individuals. In this study, the pandemic is COVID-19.

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

This study will be using qualitative type of research because it focuses on the academic
stress and coping mechanisms of students. Also, it will be using a systematic review approach to
review and combine all the information of different studies about academic stress and coping
strategies in Asian countries.

Research Environment

In this study, the researchers will be gathering information and/or data about studies on
academic stress and coping mechanisms in Asian countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Subject of the Study

The subjects of the study will be the gathered data of students in different studies on
academic stress and coping mechanisms in Asian countries affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Research Procedure

Gathering of data on academic

stress and coping mechanisms of
students in different studies

Review and combine all the

information of different studies
about academic stress and coping
mechanisms of students

Determine the common academic

stress and coping mechanism of
students

Figure 1. Research Paradigm

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