Journal Screenshot

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

The COVID-19 pandemic affecting Malaysia and the world presents various challenges, pressures and negative impacts on various groups, including among fathers. Some fathers have lost their source of income, face pressures of working from home, managing their children and losing loved ones. This has affected their mental health and led to the erosion of the family institution in Malaysia. In addition, issues such as divorce, domestic violence and child abuse are at worrying levels. Therefore, this study sought to identify the level of stress among fathers during the COVID-19 pandemic, their main coping strategies, and the relationship between stress and coping strategies. This quantitative study employs a survey design involving 120 fathers in a district in Negeri Sembilan. Descriptive and inferential data analysis was carried out using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. This study found that the stress level among the participant was at a moderate level. Meanwhile, the emotional coping strategy (mean 29.3) represents an option used by them in adapting to problems faced during the pandemic. A significant negative relationship was found between stress coping strategies in the father group [(p=0.001 <0.05).]. It is hoped that this study will aid fathers in choosing a coping strategy to face the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as provide guidance for relevant authorities in formulating plans aimed at promoting the wellbeing of families in Malaysia.

Abdul Aziz, A. R. (2020). Pengangguran dalam kalangan Tenaga Kerja Semasa Wabak
COVID-19. Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH), 5(11), 1-9. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47405/mjssh.v5i11.539
Abdullah, S., Sipon, S., Sawai, R. P., & Baharudin, D. F. (2012). Strategi Daya Tindak Versi
Bahasa Melayu. Al-’Abqari Journal, 2, 105-119.
https://oarep.usim.edu.my/jspui/handle/123456789/5856
Andersson, G., & Willebrand, M. (2003). What is coping? A critical review of the construct and its application in audiology, International Journal of Audiology. 42(97), 97-103.
Aryee, S., Luk, V., Leung, A., & Lo, S. (1999). Role stressors, interrole conflict, and well-being:
The moderating influence of spousal support and coping behaviors among employed parents in Hong Kong. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54, 259–278.
Bawalsah, J. A. (2016). Stress and coping strategies in parents of children with physical, mental, and hearing disabilities in Jordan. International Journal of Education, 8(1), 1-22.
Bhui, K., Dinos, S., Galant-Miecznikowska, M., de Jongh, B., & Stansfeld, S. (2016). Perceptions
of work stress causes and effective interventions in employees working in public, private and non-governmental organisations: a qualitative study. BJPsych bulletin, 40(6), 318–325. https://doi.org/10.1192/pb.bp.115.050823
Bianchi, S. M., Sayer, L. C., Milkie, M. A., & Robinson, J. P. (2012). Housework: Who did, does
or will do it, and how much does it matter?. Social Forces, 91, 55–63. https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/sos120
Brown, S. M., Doom, J., Watamura, S., Lechuga-Pena, S., & Koppels, T. (2020). Stress and
Parenting during the Global COVID-19 Pandemic [preprint]. Child abuse & neglect, 110, 104699.
Calo, W. A., Murray, A., Francis, E., Bermudez, M., & Kraschnewski, J. (2020). Reaching the
Hispanic community about COVID?19 through existing chronic disease prevention programs. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17, https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd17.200165
Campbell, A. M. (2020). An increasing risk of family violence during the Covid-19 pandemic:
Strengthening community collaborations to save lives. Forensic Science International: Reports, 2, 100089. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fsir.2020.100089.
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. (2020). Coronavirus 2019: Cases in the U.S. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019?ncov/cases?updates/cases?in?us.html
Coyne, L. W., Gould, E. R., Grimaldi, M., Wilson, K. G., Baffuto, G. & Biglan, A. (2020). First
Things First: Parent Psychological Flexibility and Self-Compassion During COVID-19 [preprint]. Open Science framework. https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/pyge2.
DeGraff, A. H., & Schaffer, J. (2008). Emotion-focused coping: A primary defence against stress
for people living with spinal cord injury. Journal of Rehabilitation, 74, 19–24.
Folkman, S., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2004). Coping: Pitfalls and promise. Annual Reviews, 55, 745–
774.
Gerhold, L. (2020). COVID-19: Risk perception and coping strategies. Results from a survey in
Germany. PsyArXiv 2020
Groarke, J. M., McGlinchey, E., McKenna-Plumley, P. E., Berry, E., & Lisa, G. W., & Armour, C.
(2021). Examining temporal interactions between loneliness and depressive symptoms and the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties among UK residents during the COVID-19 lockdown: Longitudinal results from the COVID-19 psychological wellbeing study. J. Affect. Disord. 285, 1–9.
Grandey, A. A., and Cropanzano, R. (1999), The conservation of resources model applied to
work-family conflict and strain, Journal of Vocational Behavior, 54, 350-370.
Hannibal, K. E., Bishop, M. D. (2014) Chronic stress, cortisol dysfunction, and pain: A
psychoneuroendocrine rationale for stress management in pain rehabilitation. Phys Ther. 94(12):1816-25. doi:10.2522/ptj.20130597
Hoobler, J. M., Hu, J., and Wilson, M. (2010). Do workers who experience conflict between the work and family domains hit a ‘glass ceiling?’: a meta-analytic examination. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 77, 481-94.
Ismail, S. (2021). Semakin ramai bapa murung, cepat marah. Berita Harian. https://www.bharian.com.my/wanita/keluarga/2021/07/834203/semakin-ramai-bapa murung-cepat-marah
Kockhhar, R., & Barroso, A. (2020). Young workers likely to be hard hit as COVID?19 strikes a
blow to restaurants and other service sector jobs. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact?tank/2020/03/27/young?workers?likely?to?be?hard?hit?as?covid?19?strikes?a?blow?to?restaurants?and?other?service?sector?jobs/
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer.
Liang, Z., Mazzeschi, C., & Delvecchio, E. (2021). The Impact of Parental Stress on Italian
Adolescents’ Internalizing Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 18, 8074.
Lipowska, M., Lada-Masko, A. B., & Lipowski, M. (2021). Fathers’ Coping Strategies and
Children’s Temperament as Predictors of Parental Attitudes among Polish Fathers. Men and Masculinities, 24(1), 23–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X20988897
Livingston, G., & Parker, K. (2019). 8 facts about American dads. Pew Research Center.
Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/06/12/fathers-day-facts/
Marika, R., Saija, M., & Johanna, R. (2011). Do Individual Coping Strategies Help or Harm in the
Work–Family Conflict Situation? Examining Coping as a Moderator between Work–Family Conflict and Well-Being. International Journal of Stress Management. 18 (1), 24–48.
Saad, M. A. R. (1993). Undang-undang Keluarga Islam – Aturan Perkahwinan, Shah Alam;
HIZBI.
Maulida, E. A. (2021). Pengaruh keterlibatan ayah dalam pengasuhan anak terhadap Strategy
problem focused coping pada ibu yang bekerja di masa pandemi Covid-19 [Doctoral dissertation, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang].
Yusof, M. W., Redzuan, M., Madon, Z., Sham, M. R., Abd. Hamid, A., & Omar, N. (Eds.). (2016). Stres dalam kalangan belia bekerja di Malaysia. SPY. http://iyres.gov.my/jdownloads/spy/SPY-BAB%202%20(8).pdf
Morelli, M., Cattelino, E., Baiocco, R., Trumello, C., Babore, A., Candelori, C., and Chirumbolo, A. (2020). Parents and Children During the COVID-19 Lockdown: The Influence of Parenting Distress and Parenting Self-Efficacy on Children’s Emotional Well-Being. Front. Psychol. 11, 584645. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.584645
Saadah, N. M. A., Hajar, S. A. B., & Rezaul, M. I. (2014) Coping Strategies Among Mothers of
Chronically Ill Children: A Case Study in Malaysia, Journal of Social Service Research, 40(2), 160-177, DOI: 10.1080/01488376.2013.866613
Penley, J. A., Tomaka, J., & Wiebe, J. S. (2002). The association of coping to physical and
psychological health outcomes: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 25, 551–603.
Petts, R. J., Carlson, D. L., & Pepin, J. R. (2021). A gendered pandemic: Childcare,
homeschooling, and parents' employment during COVID?19. Gender, Work & Organization, 28(S2), 515–534. https://doi.org/10.1111/gwao.12614
Recto, P., & Lesser, J. (2020). Young Hispanic fathers during COVID-19: Balancing parenthood,
finding strength, and maintaining hope. Public Health Nursing, 00, 1-7. DOI: 10.1111/phn.12857
Saharudin, A. E., & Alavi, K. (2019). Exploring Stress Impact and Social Support towards
Parenting Responsibilit among Single Fathers. Universiti Malaysia Terengganu Journal of Undergraduate Research, 1(4), 105-114.
Sarah, C., Emily, B., Schmiesing, C. K., & Stephanie, D. (2015). Parents and stress: Understanding experiences, context, and responses. St. Paul, MN: University of Minnesota Extension, Children, Youth and Family Consortium. Retrieved from the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/172384.
Tak, Y. R., & McCubbin, M. (2002). Family stress, perceived social support and coping following
the diagnosis of a child's congenital heart disease. JAN, 39(2), 133-791. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02259.x
Trumello, C., Bramanti, S. M., Lombardi, L., Ricciardi, P., Morelli, M., Candelori, C., Crudele,
M., Cattelino, E., Baiocco, R., Chirumbolo, A., & Babore, A. (2021). COVID-19 and home confinement: A study on fathers, father–child relationships and child adjustment. Child: Care, Health and Development, 1– 7. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12912
Yaacob, M. (2012). Strategi daya tindak sebagai moderator dalam hubungan antara kecerdasan emosi dengan kepuasan kerja, komitmen organisasi dan kesejahteraan psikologi [Unpublished master’s thesis]. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

In-Text Citation: (Aziz, 2023)
To Cite this Article: Aziz, A. R. A. (2023). Coping Mechanism for Fathers’ Well-being. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(3), 903 – 916.