Estresse acadêmico e coping em estudantes de ciências biológicas de uma instituição de ensino superior no Centro-Oeste de Minas Gerais

Stress is an alarm reaction of the organism and its persistence over time can cause serious harm to the individual. The academic stress can be defined as a physiological, emotional, cognitive and behavioral activation response triggered by academic stimuli and events. Coping refers to the set of behavioral and cognitive abilities used by individuals to manage and adapt to stressors. In light of the current relevance of these topics, this research sought to ascertain the presence of academic stress in Biological Science degree course students at an institution of higher learning in the central-western part of Minas Gerais. This study employs a qualitative, descriptive case study approach. The collected data resulted from the application of virtual forms containing Stress Symptoms Inventory (LIPP, 2000) and Brief COPE Inventory (BRASILEIRO, 2012). A total of 49 students from the Biological Science degree course at the institution volunteered to participate in the study. The data were tabulated using Microsoft Excel software and subsequently organized and analyzed. The existence of stress was identified. Factors such as gender, work, content overload, short deadlines, extracurricular activities, exams, demands and lack of teacher support were related to stress. The most used coping strategy was self-distraction, while the least used was substance use. The prevalence of resistance and exhaustion phases among students is a warning, revealing the need for studies and institutional interventions to the reduction of this scenario.