A Study on Nature of Stress among Hostel Girls

Stress is a person's psychology and physiological response to the perception of a demand or challenge. The present study arms at exploring the causes of stress and its management among the girls residing in hostels. The study being exploratory in nature, focus group discussion (FGD) was chosen for data collection. Focus group discussion was held with girls in the age group l8 to 24 years. A semi structured interview schedule was prepared for the focus group discussion. Each focus group was audio taped and then transcribed for further analysts. Response themes indicated that after leaving their home now they have new roles and responsibilities, which causes stress in their daily routine as they have to manage everything on their own. Some girls expressed concern about the health and worries of the at-home parent, for most of them the mother is the central figure who helps in dealing with stressful situations. Further, social media, their friends and other hostel mates play very important role in their life now.