Development and preliminary validation of a self-report coping response measure in a community sample of children in middle childhood

Coping plays a key role in psychological adjustment. However, while coping in adulthood has been extensively studied, coping in childhood remains relatively sparsely researched. This may be in part due to the fact that measures of coping have yet to be developed that are suitable for use with young children. This paper describes the development and preliminary validation of the Profile of Coping Dimensions in Children (PCDC), a new, theory-driven measure of coping suitable for use in middle childhood, designed to assess coping as a multidimensional construct across eleven dimensions linked with wellbeing. Patterns of coping across age and gender were also examined. Participants were 2566 children aged 7-11 years, attending 15 primary (elementary) schools in the South East of England. The measure was administered along with other questionnaires designed to measure anxiety, somatization and perceived stress and happiness. The measure was found to be easy to use, and suitable for use in this age group. Coping response styles assessed using the measure were found to vary by age and gender, and were differentially associated with measures of anxiety, somatization and perceived stress and happiness. Results provide preliminary support for the utility of the measure as a multidimensional assessment of coping in middle childhood