Coping strategies of adolescents with psychosocial problems included in NGO support programmes

The master thesis deals with coping strategies of youth with psychosocial distress, included in help programs of non-governmental organizations. In the theoretical section, we introduce challenges of youth on their way to adolescence, including social context and challenges emerging from society and the system in which they live. Described are the positive concept of mental health, the importance of mental health care, the arrangement of help programs on the country level, and the role of non-governmental organizations in care for mental health. Next, the perspective of the young on mental health and professional help is presented, with emphasis on what they miss on their way to find help. In the second part of the theoretical section, we present the coping strategies of the young, their functioning, categories, and coping strategies, which are most frequently chosen by the young. Finally, we present self-help as one form of help, which young can choose. The purpose of the master thesis is to get to know how young, which are included in help programs of non-governmental organizations, are dealing with their psychosocial distress. This was studied through qualitative empirical research, in which we conducted eight interviews with the young under 21 years old. Our study shows that it is essential for young to deal with their distress on their own because it gives them hope, motivation, confirmation and a sense of capability. Nevertheless, they do not hesitate to look for help elsewhere. It was shown that they need more guidance and support at the beginning of their active coping because their first choice is emotion-focused coping strategies - thought inactivity, behavioral and emotional inactivity, denial, and escape from distress. They see help programs of non-govermental organizations as a good place for active coping with psyhosocialdistress