Coping

In this article, we present an overview of the literature focusing on how adolescents cope with stressful experiences, including contemporary experiences of concern to adolescents. First, we present the current approaches to conceptualizing coping (i.e., a definition of coping, models to understand adolescent coping, methodological issues). Next, we review studies that examine the degree to which specific coping strategies are related to adolescents' psychosocial adjustment. Then, we examine the results of studies investigating how coping strategies act as moderators and mediators of the relation between stressful experiences and psychosocial adjustment. We highlight results of intervention studies designed to aid adolescents in responding to stressors. Finally, we point to directions for future research.