Exploring College-Aged Student Anxiety: Aggravating Factors and Coping Strategies

<i>Undergraduate college-aged students are increasingly experiencing anxiety. Yet, many struggle to cope effectively, resulting in poor school performance and compromised health and well-being. Our goal was to identify common anxiety-inducing and aggravating stressors, as well as preferred adaptive coping strategies, in this exploratory study to inform anxiety intervention development. A total of 19 undergraduate students (17 female and 2 male) were recruited. Students previously diagnosed or treated for anxiety by a clinician participated in a two-week, daily diary entry study. A total of 219 diary entries were transcribed and thematically analyzed for student reports of awareness variables and associated coping responses. Data were compared and triangulated. Framed by cognitive-behavioral approaches to anxiety and the transactional theory of stress and coping, we identified five primary categories of anxiety-inducing or aggravating stressors: academic time management and performance, communication anxiety, competing life stressors, others’ presence and problems, and </i><i>generalized uncertainty. In addition, we found that students primarily utilized adaptive coping strategies, employing a mix of intrapersonal (e.g., alone time, breaks, hobbies/music, and staying productive) and interpersonal techniques (e.g., hanging out with and talking with friends and family). Findings highlight common anxiety stressors and demonstrate preferred and efficacious coping strategies employed by students, providing valuable insight into best practices for student well-being interventions beyond a clinical setting to manage anxiety and improve student well-being.</i>