Stress and Coping Strategies among University Freshmen in Hong Kong: Validation of the Coping Strategy Indicator

Abstract

This study has examined the validation of the Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI) with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) as a criterion for a sample of Chinese university students in Hong Kong, which consists of one hundred and ninety-four freshmen from the local universities. The relationship between freshmen’s coping efforts and adjustment to university life in the Hong Kong context has been investigated, using the CSI as the measure of coping and the GHQ-12 as the screening instrument for mental health. The results indicate high internal consistency of the three CSI coping scales, implying that the CSI can be a valid instrument to assess the coping efforts of university students of Hong Kong. Moreover, the samples of freshmen are found to prefer positive coping strategies, and female students are more willing to seek social support than males in coping with stress.