Clinical and developmental perspectives on adolescent coping

Although the development of appropriate coping strategies has been understo od as an essential element of healthy adjustment, few studies have demonstr ated the link between coping and psychological development. Similarly, rese arch on adolescents with behavioral problems has neglected coping as an imp ortant variable in understanding and treating these conditions. This study examines the relationships between psychological development, coping strate gies and symptoms in a sample of 302 psychiatrically hospitalized adolescen ts, ages 12-16. Subjects completed the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Pr oblem Strategies Questionnaire, (A-COPE),(1) the Youth Self Report symptom checklist (YSR),(2) and Loevinger's measure of ego development.(3) Results showed that Avoidance and Ventilation were associated with increased behavi or problems and lower levels of ego development. Problem solving and interp ersonal strategies were associated with fewer symptoms and higher levels of development. Significant gender differences were found with girls using mo re interpersonal coping and boys using more physically active strategies. G ender differences were also found in the relationship of coping strategies to both symptomatic behavior and development. The results are discussed in the context of a developmental approach to adolescent psychopathology.