PREDICTING PERCEIVED STRESS AMONG ARAB ADOLESCENTS IN A MINORITY CONTEXT: THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS ORIENTATION AND COPING STRATEGIES

Hamza Egbaria

Abstract


This study examined the relationships among coping strategies, religiosity, and perceived stress, as well as gender differences in perceived stress, among Arab adolescents in Israel. Guided by Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping, a sample of 667 high school students (M age = 16.8, SD = 1.69) completed the Brief-COPE, Arab Scale for Religiosity, and Perceived Stress Scale-10. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, correlations, and multiple regression analyses were conducted. Results showed that female adolescents reported significantly higher perceived stress than males. Avoidant and emotion-focused coping were positively associated with perceived stress, while problem-focused coping showed no significant predictive effect. Religiosity was also a significant positive predictor of stress. The regression model explained 23.8% of the variance in perceived stress, with avoidant coping emerging as the strongest predictor. Findings highlight the central role of maladaptive coping in adolescent stress and suggest a complex relationship between religiosity and perceived stress. The study emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive interventions that promote adaptive coping among Arab adolescents in Israel.

Keywords


perceived stress, coping strategies, religiosity, adolescents, gender differences

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i7.6814

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