Coping With Stress Among Chinese Male Army Recruits During Basic Military Training

Army recruits frequently experience high stress during basic military training. It is necessary to pay close attention to what factors can deal effectively with stress in new recruits. This study examined the impact of coping strategies, self-esteem, and social support on stress among Chinese male army recruits in their initial training. The results suggested that the levels of stress did not differ based on sociodemographic profiles; there were significant correlations between stress, coping strategies, self-esteem, and social support; and passive coping strategies and self-esteem significantly influenced stress, but social support and active coping strategies did not. Combining with the situation of basic military training, possible reasons are discussed. Chinese army recruits coping with stress showed some differences from individuals experiencing stress in other situations, so stress reduction of army recruits in their new military environment should be considered a unique area of study.