Coping strategies and their relationship to mental health among college women in India

Women experience higher rates of mental health problems compared to men, particularly anxiety, depression, and mood disorders. This study examined the coping strategies of college-going women in relation to mental health outcomes, and identified predictors of stress, anxiety, and depression. A sample of 140 women aged 18–24 years was recruited from three colleges in Kanpur, India, using stratified random sampling. Participants completed the Brief COPE and DASS-21 to assess coping styles and mental health status. Results indicated that emotion-focused coping strategies (EFCS), particularly self-blame, were most frequently used and were significantly associated with higher anxiety and depression. Avoidance-focused coping strategies (AFCS), especially self-distraction, and problem-focused coping strategies (PFCS), specifically planning, significantly predicted stress levels. These findings underscore the importance of interventions that encourage adaptive coping strategies and reduce reliance on maladaptive responses such as self-blame, with implications for gender-sensitive mental health programs in higher education.