ON AGE-DEPENDENCY OF COPING STRATEGIES IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS WITH IDDM

In this cross-sectional study the age-dependency of coping behaviours of 43 children and adolescents with IDDM aged 8 to 18 years has been a ssessed by means of the German version of the Kidcope (Rathner u. Zang erle 1996). Everyday stressors as well as disease-related stressors we re used. Significant age-dependent differences in the frequency of cop ing behaviours could be found in all strategies except self-criticism. Especially distraction and wishful thinking were significantly more o ften used by children than by adolescents, whereas adolescent used sig nificantly more often resignation. The more frequent use of resignatio n by adolescents is not due to a longer duration of illness, but to th eir developmental stage. Thus, in chronically ill children and adolesc ents developmental aspects showed a stronger influence on coping than duration of illness, Self-criticism, blaming of others and social with drawal are as rarely used by children as by adolescents. Self-rated ef ficacy of coping strategies showed almost no age differences; social s upport was rated as the most efficient coping strategy by both age gro ups. Resignation, in the sense of a cognitive acceptance of the illnes s, seems to be more efficient for adolescents than for children. It is concluded that the developmental process of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses such as IDDM may lead to a better cognitive acc eptance of the disease.