Running head: ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR COPING MECHANISMS 1

Adolescents and Their Coping Mechanisms

Student’s Name

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ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR COPING MECHANISMS 2

Abstract

Stress and coping in children and teens are still understudied areas of research. When a person is

subjected to increased levels of stress, the body is unable to preserve a level of equilibrium,

impairing one's capabilities to cope. Stress factors about socioeconomic condition, financial

needs, academics, and connections with fellow students and family members are the most

prevalent in the young population. The purpose of this study is to characterize stress and

investigate the difficulties that adolescents encounter when coping with stress. Adolescents are

the community studied, so the publications analyzed in this paper are geared toward them.

Information on stress and coping in adolescents was gathered by analyzing numerous peer-

reviewed papers, publications, and dissertations. Suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and inefficient

coping were among the measured attributes, illnesses, and behaviors of a patient suffering from

educational stress as a result of an insensitive home environment. The utilization of mindfulness-

based treatments, cognitive behavioral treatments, and dialectic behavioral treatment in the

adolescent demographic is supported by research.

Keywords: Adolescents, Coping Mechanisms, Young Children, Mental Health

Adolescents and Their Coping Mechanisms

Stress is described as "the brain's imprecise reaction to any trend for transformation."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC), stress can be either

beneficial or harmful. When stress improves a person's perspective and stimulates learning skills,

it can be beneficial (Bentley, 2019). Stress is regarded as critical when it lasts for an extended

period or interferes with a person's capacity to operate. When a person is subjected to a lot of

stress, the body is unable to preserve a level of equilibrium, impairing one's capacity to cope.

Adolescents in today's social system face a wide range of stress factors. Money troubles,

educational achievement, social standing, peer viewpoints, relationships, and interactions with

their parents are a few of the stress factors that this age group faces.

If a person does not have sufficient coping mechanisms, it can lead to a variety of adverse

health consequences. The goal of this publication is to investigate the difficulties that adolescents

face when interacting with stress and coping (Boege, 2021). What difficulties do teens

experience when interacting with stress and coping? Adolescent girls' and boys' coping

mechanisms for education stress are becoming a growing source of consideration in the field of

adolescent development. Gender issues in dealing with school-related pressure have been

recognized in scientific studies between boys and girls. Boys are less concerned with school

requirements and are more focused on living in the current situation. Girls are more concerned

about their prospective and academic performance.

Girls have been pressured to concentrate on their school activities due to school-related

stress, whereas boys were permitted to concentrate on recreational activities (Zima, 2021). When

incorporating health promotion measures in school systems, it is critical to evaluate gender

viewpoints. A 16-year-old female conceded for suicidality was one of the patients seen in the
ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR COPING MECHANISMS 4

psychiatric facility. She asserted that she was undergoing severe educational frustration as well

as residing in an insensitive home with a single parent. During the evaluation, the patient

regarded her mental stress as an eight out of a ten (with 10 being the absolute worst). The patient

was restless and couldn't sit still during the dialogue. "I merely don't want to survive like this

anymore," she said, avoiding eye contact and shivering.

Her jackets were creased and her hair was not brushed, giving her a disheveled look. The

patient also mentioned that she had difficulty falling and remaining asleep at night. When

questioned if her general condition has changed, she mentioned, "I get stomach pains all evening,

and occasionally my heart pumps quickly and strangely." This adolescent's nursing assessment

would be unproductive coping due to educational frustration and insensitive home life, as

demonstrated by suicidal conception and observed psychological stress of 8 out of 10, with 10

being the most severe (Zima, 2021). When a person is stressed, the complete body is impacted

and endures changes to the system. Stress is linked to migraine, body aches, sleeplessness, and

decreased appetite.

When people are stressed, their immune systems suffer. The immune reaction is

suppressed, making an individual more susceptible to diseases and infection. Stress can also

cause a rise in the heartbeat and gastrointestinal issues, two of the physical ailments recognized

by an adolescent in a psychiatric facility (Brotman, 2016). Continuous stress can result in long-

term adverse mental well-being outcomes such as coronary artery disease, leukemia, kidney

disease, breathing problems, and early death. Adolescents who are having difficulty coping may

exhibit a variety of behaviors that are harmful to their general health. It was discovered that

academically successful adolescent teenagers are more likely to have suicidal feelings as a result

of academic pressure. Sexual behavior is another adolescent behavior that can be influenced by
ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR COPING MECHANISMS 5

poor coping mechanisms. A study found that children and teens with poor coping mechanisms

were more probable to use risky sexual behavior as a stress-relieving mechanism during their

adolescence. Adolescents who face stress and burnout are more likely to establish mental health

issues such as adjustment mental illness, nervousness, and feelings of hopelessness.

Literature Review

The review of literature contained data from both conceptual and empirical sources. To

offer a detailed evaluation of the publications on the concept of stress and coping strategies in

children and teens, a huge spectrum of publications, journals, and a dissertation were contained

(Laurel, 2007). A notable immediate connection between exhausting life happenings in

adolescence and risky behaviors in adolescent years was discovered in research highlighting

connections between childhood and adolescence stress, symptoms of depression, and behavior in

emerging adulthood. Another research found suicidal thoughts in children and teens who were

struggling academically. This study discovered that children and teens who performed well in

school encountered more academic-related pressure than teenagers who struggled in school

(Zima, 2021). Students who performed well in college had an enormous incidence of suicidal

thoughts as a result of their higher stress stages. This study found that children and teens have a

variety of stress factors in their lifetimes and that all of them must be recognized to offer the best

assistance.

One research looked at the amounts of stress factors in the lifetimes of children and teens.

Stress factors about socioeconomic conditions, financial arrangements, academic institutions,

and connections with colleagues and family members are the most prevalent in the youth

population (Thompson, 2014). Avoidance and diversion are the most common coping techniques

used by children and teens. One other research used a multi-dimensional stress-coping
ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR COPING MECHANISMS 6

framework with a cluster of children and teenagers to investigate the notion of stress

management and psychological health among children and teenagers. The significance of peer

adhesion and social power as positive cognitive tools for adolescents is highlighted in this

research. Peer bonding influences subjective well-being, and suicidal thoughts, and has a

substantial positive relationship with self-worth. Self-deprecation, behavioral and personal focus

coping all have a negative relationship.

The expressed stress factors and expressions differ depending on the culture of the

person. When contrasted to European Americans, Asian Americans are more probable to subdue

their feelings. East Asian traditions practice psychological limitations to facilitate the

requirements of others and encourage collaborative harmony. Euro-American racial minorities,

on the other hand, are socialized to value autonomy in the assumption of an independent identity,

such as the open manifestation of emotional experiences (Thompson, 2014). Stress is interpreted

separately by different ethnicities. Stress is viewed as psychophysiological in Western European

and North American societies. Other civilizations, such as Asians, Africans, and Americans,

express their frustration in physiological aspects through physical manifestations.

Stress is linked to adverse outcomes. When a person is stressed, serotonin is a helpful

neurotransmitter. Adolescent stress and coping are multidimensional, and the capacity of

childhood and adolescents to satisfactorily cope with life's stressful events is dependent on both

personal character traits and distinctions. Sexual identity, capacity to control emotional reactions,

capacity to implement appropriate coping techniques, external conditions, and support networks

all have an impact on an individual's capacity to deal with tension (Thompson, 2014). The most

common sources of stress in the teenage demographic are socioeconomic factors, funds,

academics, and connections with peers and family members.

Methods

This article records childhood and adolescence considerations and coping evaluated in

seven post-primary school systems in the city of New York, USA, in 2017, 2019, and 2022. 169

students (46% girls and 54% boys) were documented over a five-year time frame to first record

the trends of coping behavior of girls and boys at class tiers 7 (12-13 years), 9 (14-15 years), and

11 (16-17 years), and then to decide what adjustments were evident in their adjustment

(Betancourt, 2017). The Adolescent Coping Scale, which was utilized in this research, was

developed using explanations of adolescent coping. The ACS is a 90-item checklist that

measures 17 different coping techniques as well as one magnitude that measures a young

person's stated incapacity to cope.

Each of the 18 measurements represents a distinct coping approach and contains between

three and five items. Except for the final item, which asks students to write down something they

do to cope that isn't explained in the previous 79 objects, each item describes a particular coping

behavior (Landis, 2017). Participants simply the magnitude to which the outlined coping

behavior was used (1 "doesn't apply or don't do it", 2 "used very little", 3 "used occasionally", 4

"frequently", and 5 "a lot"). The eighteen scales were discovered to be accurate indicators of

teenage coping. The mean standardization across the eighteen weights is 0.70, whereas the mean

durability across all rating scales is 0.68. Coping designs have been developed to depict these

techniques. In summary, the ACS was administered to 168 students three times over five years to

evaluate coping.

Acquiring seven to nine hours of sleep and going to bed earlier are effective coping

mechanisms. It was stated that falling asleep subsequently in the daytime is counterproductive

and can disturb body rhythmic patterns. Another method for reducing stress is to engage in 20
ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR COPING MECHANISMS 8

minutes of mild cardiovascular exercise per day. Exercise relieves both acute and prolonged

stress; it relaxes muscles and boosts endorphin thresholds. To avoid sleep problems, it is

suggested that a personal workout at least three to five hours before falling asleep. Another

recommendation for stress reduction is to limit overall caffeine consumption to no more than 4

cups each day. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms include sleeplessness, anxiousness, irritability,

mood swings, upset stomach, fast heartbeat, stiff muscles, and jitteriness.

Listening to songs is yet another effective stress-reduction technique. Music soothes and

can increase one's breathing function. Music is incredibly useful to the elderly population, as it

can reduce annoyance and ambiguity. Engaging with pets is another stress-reduction

methodology. Pets frequently bring happiness, which can help an individual reduce stress as well

as work. Spa treatments are also an excellent way to relieve stress. Massages can reduce anxiety,

slow the pulse rate, calm the body, and enhance attentiveness.

Conclusion

Whatever the health care expert's involvement, it must be recognized that aiding the

teenage population with stress management and coping is an incredibly important topic for the

health care professional, general practitioner, social worker, or psychologist. The sexual identity,

traditions, and age of childhood and adolescence influence the main, supplementary, and

supplementary health deterrence and improvement provided to patients along the psychiatric

health spectrum. Stress, as discussed in this document, can have a beneficial or detrimental

impact on the body. In early childhood, teenagers are subjected to a plethora of stress factors. If a

person develops ineffective coping mechanisms during their teenage years, this can result in

adverse health consequences. The physical manifestations and signs of stress, as well as the long-

term consequences of stress, are discussed.

Adolescents who are stressed are more likely to develop mental health issues and are

more likely to have suicidal thoughts and long-term health complications. There are also ethnic

differences in how stress manifests itself. A review of the literature was conducted to summarize

numerous research on stress in teenagers and some coping methodologies such as cognitive

behavioral therapy and dialectic behavioral therapy. Appropriate interventions as well as

intended results were investigated. To fight life challenges, it is suggested to impede the stress

reaction and create positive coping mechanisms such as mindful awareness, consuming a

nutritious diet, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep. Nurses strive for verbal protests of

efficient coping with stress factors, identification of support structures, and control beliefs over

stress factors.
ADOLESCENTS AND THEIR COPING MECHANISMS 10

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