title: Cross-situational coping with peer and family stressors in adolescent offspring of depressed parents.
abstract: Offspring of depressed parents are faced with significant interpersonal stress both within their families and in peer relationships. The present study examined parent and self-reports of adolescents' coping in response to family and peer stressors in 73 adolescent children of parents with a history of depression. Correlational analyses indicated that adolescents were moderately consistent in the coping strategies used with peer stress and family stress. Mean levels of coping were similar across situations, as adolescents reported greater use of secondary control coping (i.e., acceptance, distraction) than primary control coping (i.e., problem solving, emotional expression) or disengagement coping (i.e., avoidance) with both types of stress. Regression analyses indicated that fewer symptoms of self-reported anxiety/depression and aggression were related to using secondary control coping strategies in response to family stress and primary control coping in response to peer stress. Implications for understanding the characteristics of effective coping with stress related to living with a depressed parent are highlighted.
authors.affiliation: Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Peabody #512, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. sarah.jaser@yale.edu
authors.forename: Sarah S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jaser
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Champion
authors.forename: Kristen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Reeslund
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Mary Jane
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Merchant
authors.forename: Molly
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.forename: Bruce E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Compas
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D019263:Dysthymic Disorder / Q000469:parasitology*; D004644:Emotions; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011340:Problem Solving; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*