DEFENSE REACTIONS AND COPING STRATEGIES IN NORMAL ADOLESCENTS

In exploring the relationship between defense reactions and coping str ategies in a non-clinic sample of adolescents (N = 81), we assessed: d efense structure by the Bond Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ); coping behaviors by the Coping Responses Inventory-Youth Form (CRI-Youth); a nd general adjustment by Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) rating s. Defense reactions and coping strategies were modestly associated an d made independent contributions in predicting the GAF. Mature and imm ature defenses and avoidance coping comprised the optimal combination in predicting the GAF, accounting for 20% of GAF variance. It is there fore important to assess both unconscious and conscious processes when assessing general functioning in normal adolescents.