Investigation of the Relationship between University Students' Perception of Coping with Trauma and Self-Compassion and Life Stress by Mixed Method

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between university students' perception of coping with trauma and their self-compassion and life stress levels. In the quantitative part of the study, data obtained from 754 students studying at different universities and departments in Turkey at undergraduate, graduate and Phd levels were used. The Perception of Coping with Trauma Scale, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Updated Student Life Stress Inventory were used as data collection tools. Descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson correlation analysis, stepwise regression analysis were used in data analysis. In the qualitative part of the study, the phenomenology method was used. The qualitative study group consists of 11 university students. A semi-structured interview form prepared by the researcher was used. Qualitative research data were analyzed by content analysis. In this study, a positive significant relationship was found between the perception of coping with trauma and self-compassion scale scores, a negative significant relationship between the perception of coping with trauma and life stress scores, and a negative significant relationship between self-compassion and life stress scores. In this study, Perceived Ability to Cope with Trauma (PACT) and Self-Compassion do not differ according to gender. Life Stress is significantly higher in female students than male students. Consciousness sub-dimension of self compassion significantly predicted perception of coping with trauma. In this research, 2 themes were determined, namely passive coping and active coping, among the views on post-traumatic self-judgment. Passive coping consists of 2 categories. These are: "Getting Out of Focus" and "Leaving it to Time". Active coping theme also consists of 2 categories. These are: "New Decisions" and "Rational Thinking".

Keywords:

Trauma, Coping with Trauma, Self-Compassion Life Stress, PACT,

PDF

___

Allison, P. D. (1999). Multiple regression: A primer. Pine Forge Press.
Arı, E. ve Cesur Soysal, G. (2019). Travma ile başa çıkabilme algısı ölçeğinin (TBÇA) Türkçeye uyarlanması, geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışması. Klinik Psikoloji Dergisi, 3(1), 17-25. https://doi.org/10.5455/kpd.2602443806062019m000007
Bahar, H. H. (2019). Sınıf öğretmen adaylarında akademik öz-yeterlik algısının akademik başarıyı yordama gücü. Ilkogretim Online, 18(1), 149-157. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/230035647.pdf adresinden erişildi.
Bartholomew, T. T., Badura-Brack, A. S., Leak, G. K., Hearley, A. R. ve McDermott, T. J. (2017). Perceived ability to cope with trauma among US Combat veterans. Military Psychology, 29(3), 165-176. https://doi.org/10.1037/mil0000150
Bonanno, G. A., Pat-Horenczyk, R. ve Noll, J. (2011). Coping flexibility and trauma: The Perceived Ability to Cope With Trauma (PACT) scale. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice and Policy, 3(2), 117. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0020921
Büyüköztürk, Ş., Çakmak, E., Akgün, Ö. E., Karadeniz, Ş. ve Demirel, F. (2019). Eğitimde bilimsel araştırma yöntemleri. Ankara: Pegem Yayıncılık.
Calhoun, L. G. ve Tedeschi, R. G. (1998). Posttraumatic growth: Future directions. Posttraumatic growth: Positive Changes in the Aftermath of Crisis, 215-238. https://doi.org/10.5923/j.ijpbs.20160603.03
Canan, S. (2015). Kimsenin bilemeyeceği şeyler. İstanbul: Tuti Kitap.
Cleophas, T. J., Zwinderman, A. H. (2015). SPSS for Starters and 2nd Levelers.
Doğan, F. Z. (2021). Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Okupasyonel Dengesi ile Stres, Stres Karşısındaki Tepkileri ve Başa Çıkma Tutumları Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi (Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi, Ankara.
Germer, C. K. ve Neff, K. D. (2015). Cultivating self-compassion in trauma survivors. Mindfulness-oriented interventions for trauma: Integrating Contemplative Practices, 43-58. https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Germer.Neff_.Trauma.pdf adresinden erişildi.
Hiraoka, R., Meyer, E. C., Kimbrel, N. A., DeBeer, B. B., Gulliver, S. B., & Morissette, S. B. (2015). Self‐compassion as a prospective predictor of PTSD symptom severity among trauma‐exposed US Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. Journal of traumatic stress, 28(2), 127-133. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.21995
Johnson, B. & Christensen, L. (2007). Educational research: Quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches, 3rd Ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. http://www.sagepub.com/bjohnsonstudy/index.htm adresinden erişilmiştir.
Karaoğlu, M., Erzi S. (2019). Yeme tutumları ve travmatik yaşantılar: Öz şefkat ve duygu düzenlemenin aracı rolü. Kıbrıs Türk Psikiyatri ve Psikoloji Dergisi, 1(3), 145-151. https://doi.org/10.35365/ctjpp.19.1.18
Kardaş, F. (2013). Van depremini yaşayan üniversite öğrencilerinin travma sonrası stres travma sonrası büyüme ve umutsuzluk düzeylerinin çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmesi (Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Van.
Knowles, L. M., O'Connor, M. F. (2015). Coping flexibility, forward focus and trauma focus in older widows and widowers. Bereavement Care, 34(1), 17-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/02682621.2015.1028200
Krohne, H. W. (2002). Stress and coping theories. International Encyclopedia of the Social Behavioral Sceinces, 22, 15163-15170. https://commonweb.unifr.ch/artsdean/pub/gestens/f/as/files/4660/18222_105619.pdf adresinden erişildi.
Lazarus, R. S. (1993). From psychological stress to the emotions: A history of changing outlooks. Annual Review of Psychology, 44(1), 1-22. Lee, D. A., Scragg, P. ve Turner, S. (2001). The role of shame and guilt in traumatic events: A clinical model of shame‐based and guilt‐based PTSD. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 74(4), 451-466. https://doi.org/10.1348/000711201161109
Neff, K. D., Hsieh, Y. P. ve Dejitterat, K. (2005). Self-compassion, achievement goals, and coping with academic failure. Self and Identity, 4(3), 263-287. https://doi.org/10.1080/13576500444000317
Okay, D. (2017). The psychological impacts of indirect exposure to ongoing terrorist attacks on a group of Turkish university students: A qualitative analysis (Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Ortadoğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Ankara.
Özyeşil, Z. (2011).Üniversite öğrencilerinin öz-anlayış düzeylerinin bilinçli farkındalık kişilik özellikleri ve bazı değişkenler açısından incelenmesi (Yayımlanmış Doktora Tezi). Selçuk Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Konya.
Parkes, C. M. (2014). Responses to terrorism that feed cycles of violence: A model. In Responses to terrorism. New York, NY: Routledge.
Saita, E., Acquati, C., Fenaroli, V., Zuliani, C. ve Bonanno, G. A. (2017). A confirmatory factor analysis of the Perceived Ability to Cope with Trauma (PACT) scale. TPM: Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 24(2), 255-268. http://www.tpmap.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/24.2.5.pdf adresinden erişildi.
Scoglio, A. A., Rudat, D. A., Garvert, D., Jarmolowski, M., Jackson, C. ve Herman, J. L. (2015). Self-compassion and responses to trauma: The role of emotion regulation. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 33(13), 2016-2036. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515622296
Seven Gürçen, M. (2022), Süreğen ve kitlesel bir travma olarak covıd-19: üniversite öğrencilerinde covıd-19 korkusunun algılanan stres ve travma ile başa çıkabilme algısını yordamasında yaşantısal kaçınmanın aracı rolü (Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Muğla Sıtkı Koçman Üniversitesi, Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Muğla.
Tabachnick, B. G., ve Fidell, L. S. (2013). Using Multivariate Statistics (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Thompson, B. L., & Waltz, J. (2008). Self‐compassion and PTSD symptom severity. Journal of Traumatic Stress: Official Publication of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, 21(6), 556-558. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20374
Uzel, T. (2020). Depresyon hastalarında çocukluk çağı travmaları, başa çıkma tutumları, intihar düşüncesinin düzeyi ve aralarındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi (Yayımlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi). Nevşehir Hacı Bektaş Veli Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Nevşehir.
Uzunsakal, E. ve Yıldız, D. (2018). Alan araştırmalarında güvenilirlik testlerinin karşılaştırılması ve tarımsal veriler üzerine bir uygulama. Uygulamalı Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 2(1), 14-28.
Valdez, C. E., Lilly ve M. M. (2016). Self-compassion and trauma processing outcomes among victims of violence. Mindfulness, 7(2), 329-339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-015-0442-3Winders, S. J., Murphy, O., Looney, K. ve O'Reilly, G. (2020). Self‐compassion, trauma, and posttraumatic stress disorder: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 27(3), 300-329. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2429