Coping with Repression

Stress and Resilience among Adults during The August 2025 Demonstrations

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationship between stress coping and resilience among early adults following repressive actions by authorities during the August 2025 demonstration wave. The study employs a quantitative approach with a correlational design. Participants comprise 120 early adults aged 18–25 years who directly experienced repressive actions by authorities during the August 2025 demonstrations. Data were collected using a Resilience Scale based on Reivich and Shatté's aspects and a Stress Coping Scale based on Lazarus and Folkman's theory. Simple linear regression analyses conducted separately indicate that the Problem-Focused Coping (PFC) dimension is positively and significantly related to resilience (β = 0.763; p < 0.001), with an effective contribution of 58.2% (R² = 0.582). The Emotion-Focused Coping (EFC) dimension is also positively and significantly related to resilience (β = 0.412; p < 0.001), with an effective contribution of 17.0% (R² = 0.170). Frequency distribution indicates that the majority of respondents exhibit high (60.8%) and moderate (32.5%) levels of resilience. Regarding coping strategy use, 55.0% of respondents predominantly employ EFC, while 45.0% predominantly employ PFC. These findings suggest that although emotion regulation (emotion-focused) constitutes the most dominant initial response following trauma, solution-oriented active strategies (problem-focused) serve as the primary determinant in building resilience among early adults. This study reinforces the role of stress coping as a protective factor supporting the psychological recovery process in victims of socio-political trauma.