Abstract
The novel coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) that struck the globe did so without true precedence and shifted the way life is conducted. COVID-19 was first identified in the December of 2019 and, in the span of less than a month, was declared “a global state of emergency” by the World Health Organization (WHO) and upgraded to a pandemic by March 2020 (Velaven & Meyer, 2020; Walsh, 2020). Countless studies were launched related to the viral outbreak from the socioeconomic impact, financial and emotional strain, and the epidemiology of the disease itself. Studies of college students and their experiences were included but rarely focused on the positive coping mechanisms, such as the purpose of this study (Keel et al., 2020; Zurlo et al., 2020). California State University, Sacramento (CSUS) students' positive coping mechanisms were studied using quantitative research analysis to ascertain common themes. Given the exploratory nature of the study, the findings from the research focused on investigating themes rather than statistical analysis. Fifteen CSUS students composed of 12 women and 3 men were virtually interviewed and asked a series of nine questions. The questions focused on personal experiences and positive behavior and habit changes related to the stressors related to the COVID-19 social isolation and social distancing. The major finding was the ability of every student to provide at least one positive coping mechanism but repeated difficulty expressing interest in discovering more or continuing to engage in positive behaviors. The social work practice implication is a positive approach to focus on the beneficial habit changes and coping mechanisms to cope when a client is faced with circumstances outside of their control.