Self-Efficacy and its Role in Coping with Stress: A Review of Recent Literature
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Abstract
Self-efficacy is the belief in one's capacity to achieve desired outcomes, significantly influencing stress perception and coping strategies. This review explores the relationship between self-efficacy and stress management, synthesizing findings from studies conducted between 2014 and 2024. Stress, a pervasive global health concern, negatively impacts psychological and physiological well-being, contributing to mental health issues and chronic diseases. High self-efficacy individuals tend to perceive stressors as challenges rather than threats, enabling adaptive coping mechanisms such as emotional regulation, problem-solving, and resilience. The review highlights the effectiveness of interventions like cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based techniques, and emerging digital tools in enhancing self-efficacy and stress management outcomes. Additionally, it addresses how cultural, gender, and age variations influence self-efficacy and its application in stress coping, with collectivistic cultures favoring group-oriented coping and individualistic cultures emphasizing independence. Interventions tailored to these demographic differences have shown promise in reducing stress across various settings, including academic, workplace, and healthcare contexts. Future research should focus on underrepresented populations, cross-cultural perspectives, and longitudinal designs to establish causality and explore the dynamic interplay between self-efficacy and stress. Integrating self-efficacy into comprehensive stress management frameworks offers a robust approach to mitigating stress and fostering well-being.
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References
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