Psychosocial factors and coping strategies of adolescents in a rural Pennsylvania high school.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the coping levels of rural adolescents and gender differences of coping strategies and psychosocial factors. To identify the relationships of coping strategies with psychosocial factors of rural adolescents.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SAMPLE

A convenience sample of 72 students attending a rural high school in southwestern Pennsylvania.

MEASUREMENTS

Subjects completed the Coping Response Inventory-Youth (CRI-Y), the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI), the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorder (SCARED), the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS), and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES).

RESULTS

Significant gender differences were found for psychosocial factors of depression, self-esteem, and anxiety. Several significant relationships were observed between coping strategies and psychosocial factors of rural adolescents. Additionally, using content analysis, seven categories were determined based on the content of the open-ended question on the CRI: familial factors, peer relationships, etc.

CONCLUSIONS

These rural adolescents endorsed higher levels of avoidance coping than normative samples. Rural adolescents reported many problems needing proper coping skills in their everyday lives. This study provides information to public health professionals working with rural adolescents that could be used to help them attain more effective coping strategies.