초록
The purpose of this study is to study how college students cope with their stress and how the level of their self-differentiation affects degrees of stress and stress-coping strategies. The questionnaires were handed to 497 college students at Y university in Gyeongbuk Province and the data were analyzed in terms of Cronbach's ${\alpha}$-coefficient, frequency and percentage, t-test, and regression analysis by using the SPSS statistical package. The results of this study were as follows: 1. For stress level, degree of self-differentiation and stress coping strategies of the college students, the average scores were 3.56, 2.53 and 3.49, respectively in 5-point Likert Scale, indicating that the students possess the above-average score for the degree of self-differentiation and stress-coping strategies and the below-average score for stress levels. 2. From examination of difference verification of stress levels based on the degree of self-differentiation and effect of degree of self-differentiation on stress levels, it was found that the higher is the degree of self-differentiation the lower is the stress level. 3. From examination of difference verification of stress-coping strategies according to the degree of self-differentiation and effect of degree of self-differentiation levels on stress coping strategies, we found that the students of higher degree of self-differentiation exercise the more active stress coping strategies. These results show that the degree of students' self-differentiation is a significant variable that influences their stress levels and stress control methods. It is thought that students' self-differentiation functions to minimize their stress and to actively cope with their stressful situation and that a high degree of self-differentiation is a significant mediator variable that is beneficial to students' mental health. It follows from the above observations that while college students in this study seem to possess good degrees of self-differentiation and stress coping capabilities and low stress levels they need to seek for the ways to improve their degree of self-differentiation by seeing into themselves and relationships with others around them. Parents, schools and consultation agencies are required to take an active hand to educate and encourage them to cope with their stress positively.