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Effect of Coping Skills Training on Coping Practices among Undergraduate Students in Nigeria

Abstract

University students in Nigeria may experience various academic, financial, social, family, and personal challenges that can affect their psychological well-being and ability to cope effectively with everyday demands. Inadequate coping practices may contribute to emotional distress, poor academic functioning, unhealthy behaviours, social difficulties, and reduced quality of life. Coping skills training provides an opportunity to equip undergraduate students with practical strategies for managing stressful situations, regulating emotions, solving problems, managing time, seeking appropriate social support, and adopting healthy responses to challenging circumstances. However, students may rely on ineffective coping practices because of limited coping knowledge, inadequate support systems, academic pressures, financial constraints, and limited access to structured psychosocial education. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of coping skills training on coping practices among undergraduate students in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, Social Cognitive Theory, and Self-Efficacy Theory. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping explains how individuals appraise stressful situations and select coping responses based on their perceived resources and circumstances. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes the roles of learning, behavioural skills, observational learning, social support, and environmental influences in developing coping practices. Self-Efficacy Theory emphasizes the importance of individuals' confidence in their ability to successfully apply coping strategies when faced with challenging situations. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how coping skills training may influence coping practices among undergraduate students in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise undergraduate students enrolled in selected public and private universities across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, universities, faculties, departments, and eligible students. Coping skills training will be measured using indicators such as exposure to structured coping-skills sessions, training frequency and duration, stress recognition, emotional regulation, problem-solving, time management, relaxation techniques, positive thinking, communication skills, conflict management, social-support utilization, adaptive coping strategies, and avoidance of harmful coping behaviours. Coping practices will be assessed using indicators such as problem-focused coping, emotion regulation, positive reframing, time management, relaxation practices, physical activity, social-support seeking, constructive communication, problem-solving, adaptive help-seeking, and avoidance of maladaptive coping practices such as substance misuse, social withdrawal, denial, and other harmful responses. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires and appropriately validated coping-skills assessment instruments administered before and after the training intervention where a quasi-experimental design is used. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize students' demographic and academic characteristics, exposure to coping skills training, and coping practices. Inferential statistical techniques, including paired or independent sample tests, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of coping skills training on coping practices. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that coping skills training has a significant positive effect on coping practices among undergraduate students in Nigeria. Students exposed to structured coping skills training are expected to demonstrate greater use of adaptive coping strategies compared with their baseline practices or students without similar training. Training may improve students' ability to identify stressful situations, regulate emotions, solve problems, manage time, communicate effectively, seek social support, practice relaxation techniques, and access appropriate professional assistance when necessary. Practical exercises, role-playing, problem-solving activities, and scenario-based learning may improve students' ability to apply coping strategies in real-life situations. Conversely, academic workload, financial difficulties, social pressures, limited access to counselling services, inadequate follow-up, cultural perceptions of help-seeking, and established maladaptive coping habits may limit the sustained application of acquired coping skills. The study therefore expects structured, practical, accessible, and sustained coping skills training to contribute significantly to improved coping practices among undergraduate students in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on coping skills training, coping practices, undergraduate students' mental health, stress management, psychological well-being, health education, psychosocial support, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Universities Commission, university administrators, student affairs departments, counselling centres, psychologists, public health practitioners, student organizations, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for strengthening students' coping capacity. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating coping skills training into university orientation and student-support programmes, strengthening counselling and psychosocial services, promoting adaptive coping strategies, expanding peer-support initiatives, providing practical mental health education, and establishing sustainable coping-skills and student-well-being programmes across universities in Nigeria.

Keywords: Coping skills training, coping practices, undergraduate students, adaptive coping, stress management, psychological well-being, student mental health, psychosocial support, health education, counselling, Nigeria, public health.