Stress and Coping Longitudinal Study
Overview
This ongoing longitudinal project tracks 300 college students across their undergraduate years to understand how stress and coping strategies evolve over time and influence mental health outcomes. We collect data through:
- Semester surveys: Comprehensive assessments of stress, coping, personality, and well-being
- Daily diaries: Brief daily reports of stressors and mood (2-week bursts each semester)
- Physiological data: Optional cortisol samples during exam periods
- Academic records: GPA and course completion data (with consent)
Key Research Questions
- How do coping strategies change as students progress through college?
- Which personality traits predict adaptive vs. maladaptive coping?
- Do certain coping patterns protect against mental health decline during high-stress periods?
- How do social support networks moderate stress-health relationships?
Methods and Tools
- Survey platform: Qualtrics
- Data analysis: R (lavaan, lme4, ggplot2)
- Daily diary: Custom smartphone app
- Open data and code repository on OSF
Current Status
We are currently in Year 2 of data collection. Preliminary findings have been presented at APS 2023 (see Publications).
Collaboration
This project is a collaboration between our lab and the Student Health Center. We are grateful for funding from [Funding Source].
