Abstract
This study examined the relationship between the sense of coherence (SOC), which is conceptually the ability to successfully cope with stress, of Japanese junior high school students and their mothers, and investigated SOC-related factors among the students. We analyzed self-reported data from 134 junior high school students (aged 12–14 years) and their mothers (average age: 45.5 ± 4.1 years), based in an urban area of Japan. We found a weak correlation between the SOC total scores of female students and their mothers; further, few subscales showed weak correlations. However, the SOC of male students was not correlated with that of their mothers, including the three subcomponents that constitute the SOC. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that the SOC of female students was negatively associated with ASD-related characteristics, sensitivity to evaluation, and avoidant help-seeking style, and positively associated with a sense of belonging to the school. However, male students’ SOC showed a negative relationship with excessive response to evaluation and a strong sense of parental control. To improve SOC in adolescents, it is necessary to consider their gender differences and support them, both at home and school.
Highlights
This study examined the relationship between the sense of coherence (SOC), which is conceptually the ability to successfully cope with stress, of Japanese junior high school students and their mothers, and investigated Sense of coherence (SOC)-related factors among the students
Antonovsky[1,12] stated that SOC in adolescents is very vulnerable, and suggested that receiving trust and affection from teachers, friends, and family has a significant impact on the development thereof in adolescents. Antonovsky[1] stated that family relationships are associated with SOC formation, including the possibility that involvement in decisionmaking at home may foster a SOC in children; he did not clearly indicate if a SOC is passed down in families as an inherited trait
We found a weak correlation between mothers and daughters in terms of parent–child SOC, this relationship was absent between mothers and sons, as we found no correlation between male students’ and their mothers’ SOC scores
Summary
This study examined the relationship between the sense of coherence (SOC), which is conceptually the ability to successfully cope with stress, of Japanese junior high school students and their mothers, and investigated SOC-related factors among the students. In recent years, it has been a topic of great research interest, primarily in Europe and the US, as well as in Japan[7,8] It is a predictor of depression and adjustment d isorders[9,10], and studies have shown that a strong SOC provides psychological stability to adolescents, and helps them adjust to the school environment and society[11]. The tendency for over-adaptation may be reflected in a high-achiever student who understands the intentions of others, and at the same time, shows a high tendency toward d epression[16] In such a case, even if there is a tendency toward depression, parents and teachers judge a student as adapted and find it difficult to recognize the child’s help-seeking behavior. It is necessary to examine the relationship between adolescents’ susceptibility to others’ evaluation, decreased mental health, and help-seeking attitudes
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