The dual-burden of professional and academic stress: a cross-sectional mapping of mental health status and coping efficacy among postgraduate students in Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Postgraduate students face a dual burden of intense academic rigour and professional responsibilities, a dynamic particularly pronounced in growing economic hubs such as Nairobi, Kenya. While global literature highlights rising psychological distress in higher education, there is limited evidence on how specific coping mechanisms mediate mental health outcomes among postgraduates at private African universities. Understanding these dynamics is critical for institutional psychosocial support systems. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the mental health status (depression, anxiety, and stress) of postgraduate students at Strathmore University. Grounded in Lazarus and Folkman's Transactional Model of Stress and Coping Mechanisms. Methods: Adopting a quantitative cross-sectional descriptive design, data were collected from 242 actively enrolled postgraduate students using a random stratified sampling technique. Mental health status was measured using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and coping mechanisms were evaluated via the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) inventory. Data analysis utilised descriptive statistics, Spearman's rank correlation, and multiple linear regression models. Findings: Results indicated significant psychological strain, with participants reporting difficulty winding down and high levels of anticipatory anxiety (DASS means ranged from 2.23/to 2.73 on a scale of 0-3. Regression analysis showed that coping strategies accounted for 40.2% of the variation in mental health. Notably, emotion-focused coping (β = 0.307, p <.001) and avoidant coping (β = 0.344, p <.001) had significant positive effects on mental well-being in this context. Conversely, problem-focused coping (β = -0.189, p = .002) had a significant negative effect, suggesting that direct action-oriented strategies may exacerbate distress for students facing stressors beyond their immediate control. Conclusion: The study finds that postgraduate mental health is profoundly influenced by the "plasticity" of coping strategies. While active problem-solving is traditionally encouraged, for the Kenyan postgraduate master's student, adaptive emotion-focused and strategic avoidant strategies currently offer greater psychological relief. Universities must move from generic support to "fit-for-purpose" interventions that destigmatise mental health services and promote adaptive emotional regulation to ensure academic and professional success.