COPING STRATEGIES AND RESILIENCE AMONG WORKING PROFESSIONALS: A STUDY OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS

Abstract

Occupational stress has emerged as a critical psychological concern in modern work environments due to increasing job demands, role ambiguity, work–life imbalance, technological pressures, and organizational change. Prolonged exposure to such stressors can adversely affect employees’ mental health, job satisfaction, productivity, and overall quality of life. In this context, coping strategies and resilience play a crucial role in determining how working professionals perceive, manage, and adapt to occupational stress. The present study aims to examine the levels of occupational stress among working professionals and to analyze the role of coping strategies and resilience in mitigating its negative psychological effects. 

Adopting a quantitative research design, the study focuses on working professionals from diverse occupational sectors. Standardized psychological instruments are used to assess occupational stress, coping strategies, and resilience. Coping strategies are examined across problem-focused, emotion focused, and avoidance-oriented dimensions, while resilience is conceptualized as an individual’s capacity to adapt positively in the face of work-related adversity. The study seeks to explore the interrelationships among these variables and to identify whether resilience functions as a protective factor against occupational stress.

By integrating perspectives from stress and coping theory and positive psychology, the study contributes to the growing body of organizational and occupational psychology literature. The findings are expected to offer valuable insights into how adaptive coping mechanisms and resilience can buffer the impact of occupational stress. The study also has practical implications for organizational policy, employee well-being programs, and mental health interventions aimed at fostering resilient and psychologically healthy workplaces.