A study to ascertain the effect of structured student tutorial support on student stress, self-esteem and coping.

The overall aim of this intervention study was to investigate, and measure quantitatively, the psychological effects of structured student tutorial support, on undergraduate students' level of stress, self-esteem and cognitive coping. A quantitative research approach was adopted using a quasi-experimental design (post-test only, non-equivalent control group design) in order to ascertain whether there were any significant differences between the experimental conditions (n=25) and a control group (n=25). The independent variable was structured student tutorial support and the dependent variables were student stress, self-esteem and cognitive coping. A total of 50 subjects were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group. Quantitative data were collected using: the Student Nurse Stress Index (Jones, M.C., Johnston, D.W., 1997a. The derivation of a 22 item Student Nurse Stress Index, using exploratory, confirmatory and multi-sample confirmatory factor analytic techniques. In: Paper Presented at the Annual Nursing Research Conference, 18-20th April, University of Wales, Swansea; Jones, M. C. Johnston, D.W., 1999. Derivation of a brief Student Nurse Stress Index. Work and Stress 13(2), 162-181), the Self Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, M., 1965. Society and the Adolesent Self Image. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ) and a Linear Analogue Coping Scale (Gammon, J., 1998. Analysis of the stressful effects of hospitalisation and source isolation on coping and psychological constructs. International Journal of Nursing Practice 4(2), 84-97). The methods of data analysis were the application of the t-test and descriptive statistics. The results indicated a significantly lower level of stress in the experimental group (t=-3.85, p=0.001) and a significantly higher self esteem (t=4.11, p=0.001). Results also suggested that students who were provided with structured tutorial support perceived they coped more effectively with their studies (t=4.65, p=0.001). The study concluded that structured tutorial support was an influential variable in reducing student stress, promoting self-esteem and facilitating more effective coping, suggests further interventional research is needed to evaluate this further.