Cross‐situational coping with peer and family stressors in adolescent offspring of depressed parents

Abstract

Offspring of depressed parents are faced with significant interpersonal stress both within their families and in peer relationships. The present study examined parent and self‐reports of adolescents’ coping in response to family and peer stressors in 73 adolescent children of parents with a history of depression. Correlational analyses indicated that adolescents were moderately consistent in the coping strategies used with peer stress and family stress. Mean levels of coping were similar across situations, as adolescents reported greater use of secondary control coping (i.e., acceptance, distraction) than primary control coping (i.e., problem solving, emotional expression) or disengagement coping (i.e., avoidance) with both types of stress. Regression analyses indicated that fewer symptoms of self‐reported anxiety/depression and aggression were related to using secondary control coping strategies in response to family stress and primary control coping in response to peer stress. Implications for understanding the characteristics of effective coping with stress related to living with a depressed parent are highlighted.

Longitudinal Relations between Stress and Depressive Symptoms in Youth: Coping as a Mediator

“…Finally, similar to results reported by Compas and colleagues (e.g., Compas et al, 2001; Wadsworth & Compas, 2002; although see Jaser et al, 2007), we found positive concurrent and prospective associations between disengagement coping and depressive symptoms. Thus, the bivariate correlations among the variables in the hypothesized mediation model were significant.…”

“…Second, prior studies of offspring of depressed parents have assessed children’s coping with the specific stressor of having a depressed parent and found that secondary control coping mediated the relation between that particular stressor and children’s depressive symptoms (e.g., Fear et al, 2009; Jaser et al, 2005, 2007). The present sample also included offspring of depressed parents as well as children of nondepressed parents.…”

Coping, regulation, and development during childhood and adolescence

“…And early experiences with controllable versus uncontrollable stress have an effect on subsequent brain function and responses to stress in later development (Amat et al, 2007;Gillespie & Nemeroff, 2007;Maier & Watkins, 2005). Research has also shown that individuals may organize their coping responses to match or fit with perceptions of the controllability of stress, with problem-focused and primary control responses representing a good fit with controllable stress and emotion-focused or secondary control coping a better fit with uncontrollable stress ( Jaser et al, 2007;Osowiecki & Compas, 1999). The controllability of stress appears to be information that may be processed at an automatic and a conscious level and serves to shape and organize the ways that individuals mobilize their responses.…”

Does a Baby Help Young Women Transition Out of Homelessness? Motivation, Coping, and Parenting

“…Youth are also affected by their parent's well-being. Youth with depressed parents are more at risk of chronic stressors and coping challenges, as are those whose parents abuse substances (Jaser et al, 2007).…”