Managing Anxiety During Transition to Boarding Secondary Schools: Coping Strategies among Adolescents in Rural Kenya

Gladys Chepkemoi Langat, Amos Magut & Catherine Nguku
School of Arts and Social Sciences, Department of Psychology
Kisii University
Email: gladys.langat@gmail.com

Abstract: The transition from primary to boarding secondary school is a critical developmental period for adolescents and is often accompanied by heightened anxiety due to academic, social, and environmental adjustments. In boarding schools, this transition is further complicated by separation from support systems, limited guidance and counselling services, and increased academic and social demands. Understanding how adolescents cope with transition-induced anxiety is essential for informing school-based psychosocial interventions. Guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, the study used a convergent mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected using structured questionnaires administered to boarding secondary school students in Ainamoi Sub-County, Kericho County, Kenya, while qualitative data were obtained through structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using statistics, including means and standard deviations, whereas qualitative data were analysed thematically. Findings showed that although guidance and counselling departments existed in all sampled schools, they were understaffed and lacked professional capacity, and most schools had no structured transition programmes. Students reported moderate use of coping strategies (M = 3.78, SD = 1.26). Adaptive strategies, such as problem-focused planning, emotion-focused coping, social support, and spirituality, were predominant. However, maladaptive strategies, including denial, behavioural disengagement, self-blame, and substance use, were also evident, especially among students with limited psychosocial support. The study concludes that although adolescents show resilience through adaptive coping, inadequate institutional support heightens vulnerability to anxiety and maladaptive coping. Strengthening guidance and counselling services, implementing structured transition programmes, and promoting adaptive coping skills are essential for improving students’ emotional well-being and adjustment during the transition.