Brady SS, Jeffries EF, Winston W. Contextual and Behavioral Correlates of Coping Strategies Among an Ethnically Diverse Sample of Urban Adolescents in the Midwestern United States.
Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023:10.1007/s10578-023-01493-1. [PMID:
36635583 PMCID:
PMC10338642 DOI:
10.1007/s10578-023-01493-1]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Coping is recognized as an important life skill. In the present cross-sectional analysis, early adolescents' relationships with their caregivers (support, conflict) and exposure to stressors (uncontrollable life events, violence) were examined as contextual correlates of both positive and negative coping strategies. Coping strategies were examined as mediators of associations between adolescents' family and community contexts and adjustment outcomes (externalizing symptoms, internalizing symptoms, academic investment). Participants were recruited from an urban Pre-K-8 school and Boys and Girls Club. Adolescents who reported greater support from caregivers reported greater engagement in all forms of positive coping (behavioral/problem-focused coping, cognitive/emotion-focused coping, and coping through seeking support); they also reported less engagement in coping through anger and helplessness. Adolescents who reported greater conflict with caregivers or violence exposure reported greater engagement in coping through avoidance, anger, and helplessness. Problem-focused coping, coping through anger, and coping through helplessness mediated associations between different contextual factors and outcomes.
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