Effective Coping Strategies Employed by University Students in Three Sensitivity Groups: A Quantitative Text Analysis

Abstract

People differ in their sensitivity to internal and external stimuli, falling into one of three sensitivity groups (low, medium, and high). Studies have pointed out that individual differences in sensitivity should be considered in psychological intervention settings. This study aimed to explore effective coping strategies in the three sensitivity groups. In total, 692 Japanese university students (389 females; Mage = 20.6 ± 1.4 years) responded to an open-ended question about the coping strategies they employ, and to two self-report measures assessing their level of sensitivity and mental health. A series of co-occurrence network analyses with two grouping variables (i.e., better or poorer mental health) suggested that effective coping strategies differed among the three sensitivity groups.