@article {RN64,
	title = {COVID-19 related difficulties and perceived coping among university and college students: the moderating role of media-related exposure and stress},
	journal = {European Journal of Psychotraumatology},
	volume = {12},
	number = {1},
	year = {2021},
	pages = {1929029},
	type = {Journal Article},
	abstract = {ABSTRACTBackground: University and college students are not usually identified as a population at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, there is growing evidence of their specific distress associated with facing multiple abrupt changes and the need for rapid adaptation to a variety of academic, social, and financial challenges. The extent of their exposure to COVID-19 media and the associated media-related stress may further impair students? perceived coping.Objective: This study assessed COVID-19-related functional difficulties and perceived coping among higher education students in Israel and explored the moderating role played by media coverage of the pandemic in inducing stress and exacerbating COVID-19-related difficulties in perceived coping among students.Method: Data was collected from 7,446 students from seven academic centres in Israel through online questionnaires about four to six weeks after the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel.Results: The findings showed positive associations between COVID-19-related difficulties, media exposure, media-related stress, and decreased levels of perceived coping with the pandemic. Moreover, media-related stress (but not the level of media exposure) moderated the relationship between COVID-19-related difficulties and perceived coping: the associations were significantly stronger for students reporting high media-related stress in comparison to individuals reporting low media-related stress.Conclusions: These results highlight the specific role of media-related stress and the need to distinguish this risk factor from the global impact of exposure to media coverage. The need for self-monitoring of the subjective level of stress associated with media exposure should be part of the psychoeducation efforts provided by public health authorities for promoting self-care during the COVID-19 pandemic.},
	issn = {null},
	doi = {10.1080/20008198.2021.1929029},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929029},
	author = {Pat-Horenczyk, Ruth and Bergman, Yoav S. and Schiff, Miriam and Goldberg, Alon and Cohen, Ayala and Leshem, Becky and Jubran, Hisham and Worku- Mengisto, Wovit and Berkowitz, Ruth and Benbenishty, Rami}
}
