Exploring Perceived Stress and its Antecedents Among the Young Population with Special Reference to Sri Lanka's Economic Collapse

This research article focuses on the issue of perceived stress among the youth population in Sri Lanka, specifically in relation to the country's recent economic collapse. The study aims to investigate the factors that contribute to perceived stress and identify the stress management strategies employed by young people. Its primary objective is to comprehend the impact of the economic crisis on the youth and provide insights for interventions and support systems. Data collection involved crowdsourcing and simple random sampling techniques, resulting in a sample of 601 participants. The Perceived Stress Scale was used to collect data, which was analyzed using objective descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that a significant number of participants in the western province reported high levels of perceived stress. Thematic analysis was applied to identify the main causes of perceived stress among the participants. The analysis highlighted a negative response towards the economic crisis and inflation as major contributors to stress levels. Additionally, a word cloud analysis was conducted to identify stress management strategies and coping mechanisms, with the word "support" emerging as a predominant theme. The key results indicate levels of perceived stress among the youth population in Sri Lanka, directly linked to the recent economic collapse. This emphasizes the urgent need for interventions and support systems to address the psychological well-being of young individuals in post-crisis scenarios. The findings on stress management strategies and coping mechanisms offer valuable insights for the design and implementation of targeted programs aimed at alleviating perceived stress among the young population. In conclusion, this research highlights the significant impact of the economic collapse on the perceived stress levels of the youth population in Sri Lanka.