Investigating the Association between Coping Styles and Social Identity in Adolescents of Marginal and Non-Marginal Areas

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between coping styles and social identity among adolescents residing in marginal and non-marginal areas. Method: A cross-sectional study design with a descriptive-analytic approach was utilized. The study population consisted of adolescents aged 12 to 19 from Kermanshah city, with 222 participants evenly distributed between marginal and non-marginal areas. Adolescents were enrolled in the study using a multi-stage sampling method (stratified cluster, simple randomized method). Data were collected using the Standard Social Identity questionnaire and Lazarus and Folkman's Coping Styles questionnaire. The data were analyzed statistically in the SPSS software environment (version 25) using appropriate statistical tests. Results: The results of the study showed that there is a significant relationship between the components of social identity and coping styles in adolescents (P < 0.05). Emotion-focused and problem-focused coping styles had the ability to explain social identity in the adolescents of Kermanshah city. Also, in comparing the coping styles and social identity between adolescents from marginalized and non-marginalized areas in the city of Kermanshah, there was no significant difference (P < 0.05). Conclusion: This study underscores the importance of understanding how coping strategies influence social identity among adolescents across different socio-environmental contexts. The findings highlight the need for further research to explore the mechanisms underlying these relationships and consider the role of contextual factors in shaping adolescent development.