A Multiperspectival Examination of Stress, Anxiety, and Related Coping Strategies Among College Students With Intellectual Disabilities

Individuals with intellectual disability (ID) experience stress at similar or higher rates than individuals without ID, but their specific experience of stress in college has yet to be studied. The aim of this interpretative phenomenological study was to examine how college students with ID experience and cope with stress and anxiety. One-on-one interviews were used to gather experiences from eight individuals, three college students with ID and five key informants, or staff members who support students with ID. This multiperspectival method of interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed three themes: (a) independent living, (b) relationships and socialization, and (c) coping strategies. Several stressors identified were consistent with those among college students without ID. This study also revealed the unique stressors faced by students with ID and the ways that stressors are exacerbated due to their disability. These findings will help to design larger future studies and inform the development of much needed interventions for stress reduction among college students with ID.