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The term COVID-19 get public attention in late 2019. The world Health organization (W.H.O.)declared COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international level in January 2020. However noticing its rapid global spread, WHO later on declared it was a pandemic in March 2020. This was basically a highly in infectious and contagious disease. Both its unfamiliar nature and very fast spreading tendency created panic to everyone. Lack of information about mental health, lack of control over disease and uncertainty about future trend of any disease became a big source of stress in common population.During the period of COVID-19 pandemic everyone experienced a sense of imprisonment, fear of getting infection, uncertainty and hopelessness due to situation out of control. Some people has lost their family member or friend or loved one due to with this COVID-19 pandemic. It had presented threat to lives everyone does not matter they belong to any caste, community, culture, nation, Gender or socio- economic status etc.the year 2020 get registered in history as the year when all of sudden everything got changed. Some metro cities became hotspots in terms of positivity rate like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhopal, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore and Kolkata etc. these hotspot shared total 40% cases of COVID-19 in India. So due to COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of people lost their jobs, many other had to face severe pay cut and yet others fell into total business loss. Those who belongs in daily ways workers badly hit by COVID-19 pandemic. So the huge financial loss and uncertainty about future created a fertile ground many psychological problems such as elevated amount of anxiety,frustration , aggression, depression and suicidal-ideation etc. further in such like situation people have greater chances getting pouched towardsunhealthy coping strategies like alcohol, gambling and drug- dependence etc. thus it has harmed us both physically and mentally. In such historical situation when survival and getting proper treatment was first priority to everyone. The impact COVID-19 was broader than perceived. It has also affected to those people who was not infected with it. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as a severe stressor even in non- infected people (Gunnel et.al. 2020). Also the impact of COVID-19 depend on many factors such as Gender, socio- economic status of the person, special needs educational status and pre- existing mental condition etc.

Symptoms

The COVID-19 pandemic was basically a contagious and infectious disease. Itssymptoms were similar like flu or common cold. “The symptoms generally appeared between five to six days after Infection” (W.H.O.) Impactof COVID-19 was historical and shocking to everyone.  Prior to it people’s life was full of pace with in their daily routine life. People were going to their jobs, Jim, malls, Big-Bazar, school, college and market etc. (Droit-valet et.al. 2020)

Coping Strategies

Coping is a response to the stressors that the environment throws at us. This is a basic process and integral part of survival and adjustment. It depicts how organisms detect, appraise,learn and deal with various stressful (Skinner and Zimmer 2016).

Folkman and Moskowitz (2004) define “coping as the thoughts and behaviors mobilized to manage internal and external stressful situation.” So coping has been described as a central role in human adaptation. It is primarily a psychological concept. The coping process in broadest sense refers to any attempt to deal with stressful situation when a person feels he must do something about it. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) have defined coping at psychological levels of analysis as “the process of managing (mastering , tolerating  or  reducing) external or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person.” A variety of coping strategies have been suggested by stress researchers. It can range from most causal manoeuvers to complicated form of problem solving,from most highly productive behavior to the most pathological reactive attempts and from most rational to the most irrational.

Methodology:
The purposive technique of sampling was used to collect data. 
Measures: There were two scales used in the present study to collect desired data. First scale was coping strategies which is developed by Prof. A.K.Srivastava. This scale comprises 50 items, to be rated on five-point, describing varieties coping behavior underlying five major categories of coping strategies which is given below—
A. Active coping strategies(Problem-focused coping).
1. Behavioral-Approach coping strategies.
2. Cognitive-Approach coping strategies.
3. Cognitive-Behavioral coping strategies.
B. Avoidance coping strategies (Emotion –focused coping strategies):-
1. Behavioral-Avoidance coping strategies.
2. Cognitive-Avoidance coping Strategies.
Second, people are classified into higher and lower socio-economic status (S.E.S.) with the help of a S.E.S. scale.

Coping strategies scale, stress scale and socio- economic status scale.

The sample of 300 respondents was classified as per Table no.-1 is given below--  

Table-1

Classification of sample

Variable	Male	Female	Total
Low (S.E.S.)	75	75	150
High (S.E.S.)	75	75	150
Total	150	150	300

In order to draw meaningful conclusion for the present study, the Mean, Standard deviation (S.D.) and t-values of each group were calculated:-

Result:

The purpose of present study was to examine the effect of Gender and Socio-Economic Status (S.E.S.) on coping Strategies in COVID-19 pandemic situation. To fulfill this purpose, data from 300 participants were collected and analyzed with appropriate Statistical methods. The detail of responses to each group is given below, in context of different types of coping strategies:

Table-2

t- test for gender level

Variable	Male		Female			t-value
	Mean	S.D.	Mean	S.D.
Behavioral C.S.	32.85	7.49	32.04	6.12	1.02
Cognitive C.S.	13.95	3.46	13.49	3.50	1.16
Cognitive –Behavioral C.S.	21.00	3.91	19.02	3.67	4.50***
Behavioral-Avoidance C.S.	21.59	5.90	23.19	5.31	2.46**
Cognitive-Avoidance C.S.	12.11	3.43	13.52	3.05	3.75***

Note: 1.) C.S. = Coping Strategies.

2.) *p<0.05(Significant at 0.05 level)

**p < 0.01(Significant at 0.01 level)

***p< 0.001(Significant at 0.001 level)

Bar Chart 1: Effect gender differences on five types of coping strategies.

Table-1 suggests that the mean scores of male and female did not differ significantly on behavioral and cognitive coping strategies point of view.However, they differed significantly on cognitive-Behavioral coping strategies, Behavioral-avoidance and cognitive Avoidance coping strategies. This table also reveals that the mean score of male group on Behavioral coping strategies was 32.85 (SD =7.49)while the mean score of female group on the same variable was 32.04(SD=6.12). The obtained t-value in this case was 1.02 only and this was not significant. Similarly, the mean score of male group on cognitive coping strategies was 13.95 (SD=3.46) and score of female group on this variable 13.49(SD=3.50).the obtained t-value was very low and not significant.

But on cognitive–Behavioral coping strategies themale and female group differed significantly but only on 0.001level(t-4.50). The mean score of male group on this particular variable was 21.00 (SD=3.91) which is higher in comparison to that of female group’s score 19.02(SD=5.67).

Similar results were found for Behavior-Avoidance coping strategies. For this variable also the mean score of male group was lower in comparison to female group. The mean of male group was 21.59 (SD=5.90)while the mean of female group was 23.19(SD=5.31). The obtained t-value(2.46) was Significant at 0.01 level. Next on Cognitive-Avoidance coping strategies similar results were found. To this variable, the mean score of male group was 12.11(SD=3.43) which was lower in comparison to the mean score of female group. In this context the obtained t-value (3.75) was significant at 0.001 level.

Table-3

t- Test for Socio-Economic Status level.

Variable	Lower S.E.S.		Higher S.E.S.		t-value
	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
Behavioral C.S.	34.27	6.92	30.61	6.26	4.80***
Cognitive C.S.	14.00	3.66	13.44	3.29	1.39
Cognitive-Behavioral C.S.	20.51	4.06	19.51	3.71	2.23*
Behavioral- Avoidance C.S.	23.18	5.10	21.59	6.07	2.46**
Cognitive-Avoidance C.S.	13.52	3.17	12.11	3.32	3.75***

 

Bar chart-2 effect Socio-Economic status (L.&H.) on five types of coping Strategies.

Table-3 Shows the significance of difference between lower and higher S.E.S. in relation to various types coping strategies used in the present study. This table further indicates that the score of lower and higher S.E.S. did not differ significantly on Cognitive coping strategies .in this regard the mean score of the lower S.E.S. group on this variable was 14.00(SD=3.66) while the score Of higher S.E.S. group on same variable was 13.44(SD=3.29). The obtained t-value in this case was 1.39 only that was not Significant.

On the other hand this table indicates that both groups differed significantly on Behavioral coping strategies point of view. The mean score of Lower S.E.S. group was 34.27 (SD=6.92) while the mean score of Higher S.E.S. group on the same variable was 31.61 (SD=6.26). The t-value in this case was significant but only at 0.001 level. Next in Cognitive-Behavioral coping strategies point of view both group (Lower and Higher S.E.S.) differed significantly but at 0.05 level( t=2.23, p < 0.05). The Mean score of lower S.E.S group on this variable was 20.51, (S.D. = 4.06). This value was greater than higher S.E.S group (19.51, S.D.=3.71).Next on Behavioral-Avoidance coping strategies, the mean score of lower S.E.S. group was 23.18 (S.D. = 5.10) While the score of Higher S.E.S group on same variable was 21.59(SD=6.07). the obtained t- value was 2.46 and it was significant at 0.01 level. Finally the mean score of Lower S.E.S. group was 13.52(SD=3.17)in context of Cognitive-Avoidance coping strategies while score of higher S.E.S. group on same variable was 12.11(SD=3.32).the obtained t-value(3.75) in thiscase was significant at 0.001 level.

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