Interpersonal coping responses during adolescence: implications for adjustment

2018-10-23This study examines a series of interpersonal coping responses in cross-sectional and longitudinal relations between developmentally salient social stressors and internalizing and externalizing outcomes. We also considered the role of gender in our interactive models of peer challenges and interpersonal coping. In the first year of this investigation, 379 ninth graders completed a peer nomination inventory assessing various indices of social reputations (overt and relational peer victimization, peer rejection, and unpopularity), as well as dyadic nominations of friends. Participants also completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms and engagement in different interpersonal coping responses (co-rumination, excessive reassurance-seeking, and problem-solving). Externalizing was indexed via disciplinary referrals obtained from school records. We followed these students over a one-year period and collected the same measures at both waves of data collection. Results highlight a notable pattern of effects, whereby lack of engagement in co-rumination and excessive reassurance-seeking appear to intensify depressive outcomes and engagement in problematic school behaviors. Limitations and implications are discussed