Stress coping ability in nursing students: studies on the influence factor of Sense of Coherence (SOC)

The researchers conducted an investigation on factors influencing stress coping ability, referred to as a Sense of Coherence (SOC). 278 students in the 2nd to 4th year of "A" University nursing program were subjected to this survey, and the response rate was 75.5%. The average SOC value was 39.5 +/- 6.6 for males, and 37.4 +/- 7.0 for females. The value for age group 20 to 24 years old was 37.1 +/- 6.8. The average SOC value obtained through this survey was higher than the survey results of the Kanto region and lower than the national results. When a comparison was made between "the group with higher average SOC" and "the group with lower average SOC" among the entire survey average SOC, especially significant differences were discovered in the following items. "Prospects for the future is bright", "Difficult experiences have meaning", "I have good relationship with friends", "I feel stressed", and "I was seriously ill" (P < 0.001). "I am always interested in other people", and "I have a friend to rely on in difficult circumstances" (P<0.01). "I can do most anything if I put my mind to it", "We can encourage each other", "I am satisfied with my current situation", "I was satisfied with my role in my club", and "I was able to enter my desired university" (P<0.05). The researchers categorized these items into 1) Positive meaning from a difficult experience, 2) Cognition to prevent stressor from becoming negative stress, 3) Experience of success, 4) Satisfaction and self-confidence, 5) Sociability, and 6) Presence of a reliable other. It was discovered that offering environment where people can work hard together by learning from others is an important issue to improve SOC.