Coping Styles and Sex Differences in Depressive Symptoms and Delinquent Behavior

Abstract

Building on research that links gender to differences in well-being and differences in stress exposure and vulnerability, the current study examines how coping styles are gendered in ways that may contribute to sex differences in depressive symptoms and delinquent behavior. The study disaggregates stress measures to reflect gender differences in the experience of stress, examining whether avoidant, approach, and action coping condition the relationship between stress and well-being. Regression analyses were conducted using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. Results revealed sex differences and similarities. The interaction of avoidant coping and stress helped explain why girls had more depressive symptoms than boys, action coping increased delinquent behavior for girls, while approach coping decreased delinquent behavior for boys and girls. Assisting adolescents in developing coping styles that discourage avoiding problems or taking quick action, but that encourage problem-solving, can improve well-being, regardless of sex.

Problem coping skills, psychosocial adversities and mental health problems in children and adolescents as predictors of criminal outcomes in young adulthood

“…If the problems persist, in the long run avoidant coping will lead to increased rather than reduced stress levels. The inability or failure to manage stress and negative affects in a socially accepted way may lead to illegitimate modes of adaptation including delinquent behaviour [2,25]. Furthermore, high chronic stress levels eliciting symptoms of irritable mood has been identified as a risk factor for both affective disorders [52] and impulsive aggression [6].…”

The gendered interplay between success and well-being during transitions

“…For example, Nolen-Hoeksema (2001) points out that life events might affect females more as they tend towards (emotional) rumination. Young men act more according to expected norms of masculinity (Kort-Butler 2008). This includes controlling emotions as well as emphasizing positive aspects in the face of failure.…”

Vulnerability as a heuristic concept for interdisciplinary research: assessing the thematic and methodological structure of empirical life course studies

“…Our data covers journal article abstracts from longitudinal and life course research in the social sciences from several categories: first, studies with samples composed of vulnerable populations only (for migration see, e.g., Korinek, Entwisle, & Jampaklay, 2005; for depression see, e.g., Brockman, 2010;Kort-Butler, 2009; for elderly populations see, e.g., Brockmann, 2010;Ha, Carr, Utz, & Nesse, 2006; for precarious populations see, e.g., Gangl, 2002;Brady, 2006); second, studies that compare vulnerable populations with the 'average' population (e.g., Klimstra, Luyckx, Hale, Goossens, & Meeus, 2010;Agree, Meoni, & Klag, 2010); and, third, studies that identify resources, factors, and processes that cause or result from vulnerability (e.g., Hofferth & Goldcheider, 2010;Hank, 2005;Dunbar et al, 2006). In addition, some contributions include only specific sets of actors in their samples (e.g., adolescents, families, women, and workers), but focus on issues related to vulnerability (e.g., social exclusion, unemployment, and divorce) and, thus, have been included in our data (e.g., Brady, 2006;Friedman, Steinwachs, Temkin-Greener, & Mukamel, 2006;Drenteea, Clay, Roth, & Mittelman, 2006 Articles from academic and specialised journals have been considered and retrieved from two main bibliographic databases: (1) the PsychINFO database, which is an abstracting and indexing database with more than 3 million records devoted to peer-reviewed literature in the behavioural sciences and mental health; and (2) the FRANCIS database, a 2.6 million-record, bibliographic database covering humanities and social-science topics from an international perspective.…”