title: Coping as a mechanism linking stressful life events and mental health problems in adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although stressful life events represent an etiologic factor of mental health problems in adolescents, few studies have been conducted to address mechanisms linking the stress-psychopathology relation. The present study was designed to examine coping as a mediate factor on the relationship between stressful life events and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants were 13 512 students from eight cities of China, who participated in a school-based survey. Data were collected by a questionnaire comprising coping, stressful life events, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. As a model, a series of regression equations were used to examine whether coping mediated the association between stressful life events and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each dimension of stressful life events showed significant correlation with anxiety, depression and coping (all P<0.001). In the model to analyze mediate effects, all standardized coefficients (β) were significant (all P<0.01), indicating marked mediator effects. Furthermore, negative coping might account for more mediate effects than positive coping on this relationship.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Coping partially mediated the relationship between stressful life events and mental health during adolescence. This study highlighted an important public health priority for preventive interventions targeting stress-related psychopathology, and for further promoting adolescents' mental health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Anhui 230032, Hefei, China. mengxiuhong@163.com
authors.forename: Xiu Hong
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Fang Biao
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Yu Hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Ren Xi
authors.initials: RX
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D002681:China; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008603:Mental Health; D008960:Models, Psychological; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires