Level of Coping Skills among Psychology and Non-Psychology Students in Colleges of Kathmandu Metropolitan City

BACKGROUND: Coping skills play a vital role in managing stress and adversity, influencing psychological well-being, particularly among university students. Students of psychology are expected to possess better coping mechanisms due to their academic training. This study aimed to assess the level of coping skills among psychology and non-psychology students and to examine the association of coping skills with selected demographic variables. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 271 undergraduate and graduate students (126 psychology and 145 non-psychology) from selected colleges in Kathmandu. Stratified random sampling was employed to ensure representation from both groups. Data were collected using the Coping Scale developed by Hamby, Grych, and Banyard. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software, applying descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests to compare coping skills between groups. RESULTS: Among participants, 51.3% had medium-level coping skills, followed by high (25.8%) and low (22.9%). Psychology students scored significantly higher in coping skills than non-psychology students (mean = 37.33 vs. 34.74, p < .001). Males reported higher coping levels than females (p = .018). Residence, mobility preference, and employment status were not significantly associated with coping skills. CONCLUSIONS: Psychology students exhibited significantly better coping skills compared to their non-psychology counterparts. Gender differences were also observed, with males demonstrating stronger coping mechanisms. The findings underscore the need for targeted coping interventions, especially for non-psychology students.