title: Family Functioning and Adolescent Psychological Maladjustment: The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies.
abstract: This study aims to analyze the mediating role of coping strategies in the relationship between family functioning and youth maladjustment. A community sample of 341 adolescents (M = 15.11 years old; SD = 1.71) completed self-report measures about such variables. Results showed that a perception of an inadequate family functioning was associated with the use of maladaptive coping strategies, as well as with youth psychological maladjustment. The results also revealed that rumination and support-seeking mediated the relationship between family functioning and internalizing behavior, and hostile expression of feelings played a mediating role between family functioning and externalizing behavior. No gender differences were found in the relationship between variables. This study emphasizes the importance of coping strategies used by adolescents to understand the relationship between family functioning and youth psychological maladjustment.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013, Lisbon, Portugal. rmfrancisco@psicologia.ulisboa.pt.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Francisco
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loios
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Psicologia, Universidade de Lisboa, Alameda da Universidade, 1649-013, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pedro
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000066498:Emotional Adjustment; D004644:Emotions; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005195:Family Relations / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D000066505:Help-Seeking Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Adolescent maladjustment; Coping; Family functioning; Gender differences