Coping Mechanisms and Anxiety During Menarche in Elementary School Students

Abstract

Menarche (first menstruation) is a stressor that will be responded to in the form of stress. Many girls at menarche experience psychological pressure. The impacts of psychological pressure include anxiety and fear. Each individual responds differently to stress due to menarche. This response can be adaptive or maladaptive. A maladaptive stress response is a necessary coping mechanism. This study aimed to identify coping mechanisms used by elementary school children to reduce anxiety during menarche. The novelty of this research lies in identifying the types of coping and coping mechanisms in elementary school children when they first menstruate. This type of research was observational with a cross-sectional design. The research population was Aisyah I Nganjuk elementary school children. The inclusion criteria were female students, already menstruating and willing to be respondents. The sample size was 58 students taken by random sampling. The instrument to measure the type of coping uses way of coping, while the level of anxiety is measured using the HARS instrument. The results of the study describe the age characteristics of children in the range of 10-11 years, the most common age at menarche was 10 years, and the coping mechanisms that were often used were regression, projection, isolation, compensation, and apathy. The results of the Chi-square statistical test showed a relationship between coping mechanisms and anxiety during menarche.

Keywords: coping mechanism; anxiety; menarche