The Costs and Benefits of Active Coping for Adolescents Residing in Urban Poverty

Abstract

The present study addresses the lack of specificity and diversity highlighted in recent stress literature reviews by examining active coping in relationships between exposure to violence and internalizing and externalizing symptoms in a sample of urban youth from predominantly low-income, African American and Latino backgrounds. Two hundred and forty-one youth (mean age at Time 1 = 13 years; 66 % female; 41 % African American, 28 % Latino, 14 % European American, 6 % Asian American, 7 % mixed/biracial, 1 % American Indian/native American, .5 % Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 2 % other) and their parents participated in this three-wave study. Hierarchical regression analyses tested for moderation, and a cross lag panel path analysis tested for mediation. The results provide greater support for active coping as a variable that changes the relationship between exposure to community violence and externalizing symptoms, or moderation, rather than one that explains or mediates it. Further, specificity did not emerge for type of psychological outcome but did emerge for gender, such that active coping exacerbated the association between exposure to community violence and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms for girls, but not boys. These findings highlight the importance of contextual and demographic factors in influencing stress and coping processes during adolescence.

The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies in the Relationship between Cognitive Flexibility and Well-being

“…Improving cognitive flexibility in adolescents helps to develop a higher sense of wellbeing as it encourages use of more active coping strategies. In addition, the results confirmed that active coping is the most effective and favorable coping style in order to produce positive outcomes (Carothers et al, 2016).…”

“…There was a very small proportion of missing data in the analyses (e.g., less than %3); therefore, we did not impute missing responses. The fit indices were evaluated according to the following criteria: χ2/df≤3.00 (Kline, 2011), Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) ≤.05 (Browne & Cudeck, 1993), Comparative Fit Index (CFI) ≥.95 (Marsh, Hau, Artelt, Baumert, & Peschar, 2006), Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) ≥.95 (Marsh et al, 2006) and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) ≤.05 (Browne & Cudeck, 1993).…”

“…Coping strategies affect well-being in multiple ways. For example, active coping is considered as the most effective and favorable coping style because it is associated with positive outcomes (Carothers et al, 2016) such as optimism (Puskar et al, 1999), positive affect (Coyle & Vera, 2013), reduced risk for internalizing and externalizing problems (Liu, Tein, & Zhao, 2004), high well-being (Freydenberg & Lewis, 2009), resilience (Bedel & Güler, 2019), and life satisfaction (Antaramian, Kamble, & Huebner, 2016). On the contrary, avoidant and negative coping were found to be associated with undesirable outcomes such as lower levels of wellbeing (Cicognani, 2011;Freydenberg & Lewis, 2009;Miller Smedema, Catalano, & Ebener, 2010).…”

“…These strategies can be divided into three groups as active, avoidant and negative coping (Spirito, Stark, & Tyc, 1994). The Active Coping refers to the voluntary and conscious effort of the individual in order to remove the stressor and its effects (Carothers, Arizaga, Carter, Taylor, & Grant, 2016;Carver, Scheier, & Weintraub 1989;Spirito, et al, 1994). In active coping, the person uses her/his energy to change stressful event; seeks social support, spiritual pillars or professional help; and makes a great effort to resolve the problems, and to promote good relationships (Gao et al, 2019).…”

Foundations of Behavioral Health

“…Evidence-based interventions in SMH that allow for cultural adaptation through partnerships with local communities during the dissemination, planning, and implementation stages have shown positive outcomes and greater buy-in (Ngo et al, 2008). For example, exposure to violence is a significant national concern and particularly prevalent among minority and ethnically diverse youth (Carothers, Arizaga, Carter, Taylor, & Grant, 2016;Weist & Cooley-Quille, 2001). In recognition of this concern, violence prevention and trauma response have been prioritized by national initiatives and federal funding associated with President Obama's Now is the Time Initiative (The White House, 2013, January 16).…”