Adolescents coping with stress: development and diversity.

3 I " Approximately 25% of adolescents will experience at least one significant stressor, including the death of a loved one or witnessing a traumatic event. " Interventions for adolescents are often aimed at helping them deal constructively with the stressors in their daily lives. Achieving positive outcomes depends on understanding the actual stressors faced by adolescents, the ways they make sense of stressful events, and how adolescents react to and cope with problems. In this article, we summarize some of what is known about stress, stress reactions, and coping among adolescents. Throughout, we focus on typical developmental patterns by highlighting the emerging experiences of adolescents and how they differ from children and adults. We also briefly draw attention to differences between individuals, boys and girls, and racial/ethnic or other diverse groups. Finally, because social partners are sources of stress as well as coping resources, we weave information about the social context and social development throughout this article. COMMON STRESSORS Stressful life experiences, including major events and common hassles, threaten the well-being of adolescents. Approximately 25% of adolescents will experience at least one significant stressor, including the death of a loved one or witnessing a traumatic event. An even greater number of adolescents experience chronic stressors and daily hassles. The most common of these are related to school (e.g., bullying by peers, problems with teachers, and academic difficulties) and interpersonal relationships (e.g., conflicts or problems with parents, siblings, and peers) (Donaldson et al., 2000; Williamson et al., 2003). Of the many stressors, problems with other people are the most commonly reported and can be significant sources of distress for many adolescents. Compared to children, adolescents encounter many new, potentially threatening or challenging social experiences. These escalate all the way through later adolescence (about ages 20 to 22) when there may be significant social transitions, such as leaving home, finding satisfying educational or career paths, and forming intimate partner relationships. It is probably not surprising that significant life events and many of the common stressors of adolescence have been linked to mental health and behavioral problems. These problems include depression and anxiety, as well as externalizing behaviors, such as aggression and antisocial acts (Compas et al., 2001). For example, the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of close relationships have been associated with negative affect, sleeplessness, and many other symptoms of depression via experiences of negative interpersonal the dissolution of a romantic relationship …