Predicting students' subjective well-being at school based on their coping strategies: A case study on Vietnamese adolescents

Abstract

Numerous studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between an individual's coping abilities and their overall mental health and sense of well-being. This study seeks to examine the impact of coping strategies on the well-being of middle and high school students in Vietnam. A total of 1,268 students from various regions in Vietnam were selected as a convenience sample. The average age of the participants was 12.17 years (SD = 1.26). Data was collected through questionnaires utilizing the Proactive Coping Inventory (PCI) and the School Well-being Scale (SWB). The primary findings indicate that Vietnamese students exhibit a relatively high level of well-being in school and tend to employ various intertwined coping strategies, with avoidance coping being the least utilized. Furthermore, the results suggest that positive coping mechanisms are positively associated with school well-being; proactive coping, reflective coping, and emotional support-seeking strategies were identified as predictors of changes in students' well-being at school. Understanding the potential impact of coping strategies on feelings of well-being can offer valuable insights to support the development of prevention programs, training, and guidance to foster appropriate and effective coping strategies among students.