IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i6p3250-d768156.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Perceived Social Support, Coping Strategies and Psychological Distress among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploration Study for Social Sustainability in Sabah, Malaysia

Author

Listed:
  • Balan Rathakrishnan

    (Faculty of Psychology and Education, University Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia)

  • Soon Singh Bikar Singh

    (Faculty of Psychology and Education, University Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia)

  • Azizi Yahaya

    (Faculty of Psychology and Education, University Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu 88400, Malaysia)

Abstract

Social Sustainability among university students, especially how students deal with psychological distress, is important during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines the relationship between perceived social support and coping strategies and the psychological distress of depression, anxiety, and stress among the students of the Public University in Sabah during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the level of depression, anxiety, and stress among the students. The inclusion criteria were: (1) currently an active status university student; (2) absent of visual disability; (3) absent of network coverage issues; and (4) absent of clinical symptoms of psychological distress. The total respondents were 385 students from this university who ranged from 20 to 23 years of age and were collected from all the faculties available at the main campus of Public University in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The research method applied was a survey method, collecting the data through an online questionnaire platform. Three instruments were used: (1) Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); (2) Brief COPE Scale (Brief COPE); and (3) Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The result of the descriptive analysis indicated that the levels of both depression and anxiety in students of the Public University in Sabah were mild. In contrast, the stress level was moderate during the pandemic. The results of the inferential analysis indicated the relationship between perceived social support and psychological distress, which focused on depression, anxiety and stress among the university students, to overall having a significantly negative correlation between its subscales (r = between −0.148 and −0.359; p < 0.05). Based on the findings, it is clear how vulnerable university students are to psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it can be overcome with social support and suitable types of coping strategy. Besides, a negative link between depression and problem-focused coping was reported (r = −0.274, p < 0.05). These findings also contribute to social sustainability and the wellbeing of students at the Public University in Sabah, Malaysia.

Suggested Citation

  • Balan Rathakrishnan & Soon Singh Bikar Singh & Azizi Yahaya, 2022. "Perceived Social Support, Coping Strategies and Psychological Distress among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Exploration Study for Social Sustainability in Sabah, Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3250-:d:768156
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3250/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/6/3250/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joseph Crawford & Javier Cifuentes-Faura, 2022. "Sustainability in Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-11, February.
    2. Aleksander Aristovnik & Damijana Keržič & Dejan Ravšelj & Nina Tomaževič & Lan Umek, 2020. "Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Life of Higher Education Students: A Global Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-34, October.
    3. Balan Rathakrishnan & Soon Singh Bikar Singh & Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin & Mohd Fahmi Ghazali & Azizi Yahaya & Noor Hassline Mohamed & Anath Rau Krishnan, 2021. "Homesickness and Socio-Cultural Adaptation towards Perceived Stress among International Students of a Public University in Sabah: An Exploration Study for Social Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-13, April.
    4. Jan Van den Broeck & Solveig Argeseanu Cunningham & Roger Eeckels & Kobus Herbst, 2005. "Data Cleaning: Detecting, Diagnosing, and Editing Data Abnormalities," PLOS Medicine, Public Library of Science, vol. 2(10), pages 1-1, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Afiqah Amran Shah & Balan Rathakrishnan & Soon Singh Bikar Singh & Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin & Azizi Yahaya & Zaizul Ab Rahman, 2023. "Emotional Intelligence as a Mediator between Parenting Style and Antisocial Behavior among Youth in Malaysia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-15, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Aleksandra Fedajev & Dejan Jovanović & Marina Janković-Perić & Magdalena Radulescu, 2025. "Exploring the Nexus of Distance Learning Satisfaction: Perspectives from Accounting Students in Serbian Public Universities During the Pandemic," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 16(1), pages 4465-4495, March.
    2. Na Yu & Xiaolei Liu, 2024. "Online Dance Learning Satisfaction After the Pandemic: Lessons From the Crisis," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(1), pages 21582440241, January.
    3. Larisa Gorina & Marina Gordova & Irina Khristoforova & Lyudmila Sundeeva & Wadim Strielkowski, 2023. "Sustainable Education and Digitalization through the Prism of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-18, April.
    4. Winnie L. N. Sheehama & Tanusha Singh, 2025. "Food Safety in Informal Markets: How Knowledge and Attitudes Influence Vendor Practices in Namibia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(4), pages 1-16, April.
    5. Silvia Mariela Méndez-Prado & Ariel Flores Ulloa, 2022. "The Impact Analysis of Psychological Issues and Pandemic-Related Variables on Ecuadorian University Students during COVID-19," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-23, October.
    6. Nadia Nandlall & Lisa D. Hawke & Em Hayes & Karleigh Darnay & Mardi Daley & Jacqueline Relihan & Joanna Henderson, 2022. "Learning Through a Pandemic: Youth Experiences With Remote Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, September.
    7. Laia Subirats & Aina Palacios Corral & Sof´ıa Pérez-Ruiz & Santi Fort & Go´mez-Mon˜ivas Sacha, 2023. "Temporal analysis of academic performance in higher education before, during and after COVID-19 confinement using artificial intelligence," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(2), pages 1-22, February.
    8. Christopher Jimenez & Lori A. Hoepner, 2025. "Exploring Methods to Evaluate HPAI Transmission Risk in Iowa During Peak HPAI Incidence, February 2022–December 2023," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(3), pages 1-19, March.
    9. Balan Rathakrishnan & Soon Singh Bikar Singh & Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin & Azizi Yahaya & Mohd Azrin Mohd Nasir & Fauziah Ibrahim & Zaizul Ab Rahman, 2021. "Smartphone Addiction and Sleep Quality on Academic Performance of University Students: An Exploratory Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-12, August.
    10. Micaela Di Consiglio & Sheila Merola & Tiziana Pascucci & Cristiano Violani & Alessandro Couyoumdjian, 2021. "The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Italian University Students’ Mental Health: Changes across the Waves," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-13, September.
    11. Jian Li & Eryong Xue & Biyun Liu & Qing Han, 2024. "Impact of COVID-19 on the psychological and behavioral health of college students worldwide: a knowledge mapping approach," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    12. Piotr Przymuszała & Šucja Zielińska-Tomczak & Michał Kłos & Angelika Kowalska & Paulina Birula & Martyna Piszczek & Magdalena Cerbin-Koczorowska & Ryszard Marciniak, 2022. "Distance Learning and Assessment During the COVID-19 Pandemic—Perspectives of Polish Medical and Healthcare Students," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440221, March.
    13. Mahdi Mohammed Alamri, 2023. "A Model of E-Learning through Achievement Motivation and Academic Achievement among University Students in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-25, January.
    14. Simon Larose & Julien S. Bureau & Caroline Cellard & Michel Janosz & Catherine Beaulieu & Geneviève Boisclair Châteauvert & Alexandre Girard-Lamontagne, 2024. "How did College Students with and Without Disabilities Experience the First wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Stress and Coping Perspective," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 65(2), pages 209-229, March.
    15. Laura Ihm & Han Zhang & Alexandra van Vijfeijken & Mark G. Waugh, 2021. "Impacts of the Covid‐19 pandemic on the health of university students," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3), pages 618-627, May.
    16. Pengfei Guo & Hang Chen & Xinyun Hu, 2024. "Coupling coordination mechanism of higher education and industrial economy: evidence from higher education institutions in Chongqing, China," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    17. Bacci, Silvia & Fabbricatore, Rosa & Iannario, Maria, 2023. "Multilevel IRT models for the analysis of satisfaction for distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    18. Wandelt, Sebastian & Sun, Xiaoqian & Zhang, Anming, 2023. "AI-driven assistants for education and research? A case study on ChatGPT for air transport management," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    19. Ziwen Sun & Ka Yan Lai & Simon Bell & Iain Scott & Xiaomeng Zhang, 2019. "Exploring the Associations of Walking Behavior with Neighborhood Environments by Different Life Stages: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Smaller Chinese City," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-16, December.
    20. Ana Cristina García & Manuel Gil-Mediavilla & Ildefonso Álvarez & María de los Ángeles Casares, 2020. "The Influence of Social Networks within Educational and Social Fields: A Comparative Study between Two Generations of Online Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-11, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:6:p:3250-:d:768156. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.