Adolescent Coping Strategies Research Articles

Relationship between Vitality and Characteristics of Coping Strategies in Deviant Adolescents

Adolescence is important in the development and formation of a personality, and the family radically influences the development of a teenager; under the family influence, foundations of intentional behavior, ways of responding to stress, level of vitality and defense mechanisms are laid, and a general direction in the formation of moral concepts and relationships emerges. And all this happens against the background of contradictions in physiological and mental development, spiritual formation. The reasons for the use of psychoactive drugs are varied, and most often chemical dependence is determined by the combined action of various factors and conditions. The purpose of the research work was to study the relationship between family structure and characteristics of the adolescents’ response to stress in undergoing inpatient treatment due to the use of psychoactive substances. The study was conducted on the basis of the Novosibirsk Regional Clinical Narcological Dispensary (teenage department). The main group included 18 young men, age: from 15 to 18 years, with experience of using psychoactive substances from one year to three or more years - “teenage addicts”. The control group, “conditionally healthy”, denying the use of psychoactive substances, was represented by high school students of one of the gymnasiums, 15 young men of the same age group. The following methods were used: the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Scale (FACES-3) questionnaire; Plutchik, Kellerman, Conte questionnaire - Life Style Index (LSI) methodology; questionnaire “Methods of coping behavior” by R. Lazarus and S. Folkman and test of vitality (S. Muddy) adapted by D.A. Leontyev. Results. It was revealed that adolescent addicts differ from adolescents without addictive behavior in the following parameters: low level of family adaptation and family cohesion; Adolescents with addictive behavior differ in their style of responding to difficult life situations: they more often use defenses and coping, which serve the function of regulating negative emotional states associated with unmet needs for communication, self-affirmation, etc., while adolescents without addictive behavior use coping and defense, which main function is to resolve the situation; Adolescents with addictive behavior have a lower level of resilience than relatively healthy adolescents. The possibilities of psychotherapeutic influences are discussed.

The effect of applying emotional intelligence components on coping strategies in adolescents with beta-thalassemia major: a randomized clinical trial

BackgroundThalassemia is one of the most common genetic disorders. Patients with beta-thalassemia major confront serious clinical and psychosocial challenges in their all lives, which require coping strategies. It appears that psychological interventions are necessary to improve their coping skills. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of applying emotional intelligence components on coping strategies in adolescents with beta- thalassemia major.MethodsThis randomized clinical trial study involved 60 teenagers with beta- thalassemia major who were divided equally into intervention and control groups. The experimental group participated in 9 sessions of an emotional intelligence program consisting of 90 min, held both virtually and in person, two sessions per week. We investigated problem-focused and emotion-focused (including positive emotion-focused and negative emotion-focused) coping strategies of both groups of adolescents using the Billings and Moos questionnaire before the intervention, immediately after the intervention, and one month after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21. Then, according to the research objectives, independent t-tests, Chi-square, Mann–Whitney, repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni test were used.ResultsIn experimental group, the mean score of problem-focused (problem-solving, cognitive evaluation) and positive emotion-focused (social support) coping increased from (14.2 ± 2.6) and (5.0 ± 0.5) before the intervention to (29.6 ± 3.1) and (10.9 ± 1.3) one month after the intervention, respectively (P < 0.001). However, the mean score of emotional inhibition and somatic inhibition (negative emotion-focused) decreased from (13.8 ± 1.7) and (6.7 ± 1.5) before the intervention to (8.6 ± 2.0) and (3.8 ± 1.8) one month after the intervention, respectively (P < 0.001). While the mean score of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies before and one month after the intervention remained stable in the control group.ConclusionsAdolescents with beta-thalassemia suffer from psychosocial disorders and they also cope maladaptive with their illness. Applying emotional intelligence has improved their coping strategies. Caregivers should be encouraged to assess coping skills in teenagers with beta-thalassemia major and use methods such as emotional intelligence to improve them. Therefore, it can help these adolescents to deal effectively with stress and complications of the disease.Trial registration numberIRCT20210521051356N1 (17/06/2021).

COPING STRATEGIES FOR ADOLESCENTS WHO LOST A FAMILY MEMBER TO COVID-19

The loss of a family member due to Covid-19 in adolescence raises several questions, including, what are the repercussions of a loss at this important stage of development and what are the feelings experienced by this age group? This work aimed to understand the coping strategies of adolescents who lost a family member due to COVID-19, understand their experiences and/or feelings regarding the loss and demonstrate how the family views the adolescent's ways of coping from their own perception. adolescent. To this end, a mixed research method was used, of an investigative type, under a sequential constructivist design. A semi-structured interview and the Problem Coping Scale (EMEP) instrument were applied to 15 adolescents enrolled in a school in a city in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul and who lost a family member to COVID-19. It can be seen that participants used more problem-focused coping strategies than emotion-focused strategies. The experiences and feelings included sadness, a feeling of emptiness, lack and withdrawal, however in relation to how the adolescent perceives the family in this process, the participants reported having a present and welcoming family, which may indicate a positive family relationship.

Academic Stress and its Relationship with Coping Strategies in Adolescents

El estrés académico impacta negativamente a los adolescentes en el sistema educativo, lo que genera malestar físico, mental y conductual causado por las demandas en las instituciones educativas. Por consiguiente, la capacidad de afrontamiento conseguidas en esta etapa ayudará a lidiar con el estrés, los desafíos y las dificultades académicas mediante la utilización de recursos y habilidades. Se tuvo como finalidad examinar la correlación entre la tensión/estrés de tipo académico y las diferentes técnicas de afrontamiento en 300 adolescentes de una Unidad Educativa de Quito bajo un enfoque cuantitativo no experimental, transversal, descriptivo y de tipo correlacional. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron: Inventario de SISCO SV-21, Inventario de Estrategias de Afrontamiento (CSI) y Ficha Sociodemográfica. Como resultado, la mayor parte de los adolescentes experimentaron un estrés académico sustancial, que va desde moderado (87%) hasta severo (11%). Finalmente, no se encontró evidencia de una relación lineal presente entre las variables de estrés académico y las técnicas de afrontamiento.

On the Construct of Subjective Risk Intelligence and Its Relationships with Personality, Emotional Intelligence and Coping Strategies: A Comparison between Adolescents and Adults.

The complexity of today's scenario has made it necessary to investigate the need for individuals to make choices that entail increasing exposure to risk and uncertainty. Among the individual resources that could help people to cope with situations of uncertainty, the new construct of subjective risk intelligence (SRI), known as a person's ability to effectively weigh the pros and cons of a decision in situations where not all the outcomes are foreseen, would seem to play a prominent role. Considering that personality and coping strategies have been shown to be significantly related in previous research, the present study investigates the relationships between subjective risk intelligence, emotional intelligence, personality traits and coping strategies in both adults and adolescents. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1390 Italian people, divided into two subsamples of 641 adolescents and 749 adults. The results showed that SRI mediated the roles that personality traits and emotional intelligence have in coping strategies differently in the adult sample, in which the mediating role of SRI was found for avoidance coping, and in the adolescent sample, in which SRI influenced all of the antecedents analysed in the study for almost all of the identified coping strategies. In light of these findings, subjective risk intelligence could be activated to deal with uncertain and risky situations, influencing the choice of effective or ineffective strategies in both adults and adolescents.

Coping strategies of school-going adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in the climate vulnerable Manafwa watershed, Uganda

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic disrupted daily life, economies, and health, prompting strict government measures, including nationwide lockdowns and school closures in Uganda, resulting in significant academic setbacks for adolescents. The coping strategies employed by school-going adolescents in Uganda amidst the COVID-19 pandemic remain inadequately understood. This study aimed to assess the coping strategies adopted by school-going adolescents (early, middle and late adolescents) in the Manafwa watershed, recognized as one of Uganda’s most vulnerable regions, during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA cross sectional study design was conducted from I5th May, 2023 to 30th June, 2023 on 762 school going adolescents from government-aided secondary schools within the Manafwa watershed area. The adolescent version of the KidCope tool was used to evaluate adolescents’ coping strategies. Factor analysis identified correlations among adolescents’ coping strategies. Independent Samples t-Test and One-Way Variance of Analysis (ANOVA) was used for comparing the mean score differences of the coping strategies among the gender and adolescents’ stages respectively.ResultsMajority (n = 141, 36.2%) of the participants employed adaptive coping followed by negative-emotion coping (n = 127, 32.6%) and avoidant coping (n = 122, 31.3%). Females employed statistically higher resignation as a coping strategy compared to males, (mean of 1.2 vs. 1.0, respectively; P = 0.026). A higher proportion (n = 88, 69.3%) of middle age adolescents employed negative-emotion regulation (P-value = 0.040). However, those in early adolescence significantly utilized distraction as a coping strategy more than those in middle adolescence (mean difference = 0.36, p = 0.013).ConclusionDuring the pandemic, majority of school-going adolescents employed adaptive coping mechanisms, including positive emotional regulation and social support. However, compared to males, females employed resignation more frequently. Moreover, middle-aged adolescents had a greater propensity for negative emotion copying. Findings from this study contribute valuable information for the development of targeted interventions and support mechanisms for adolescents facing unprecedented challenges.

Phenomenology of Coping Strategies and Stress Among High School Adolescents

Stress cannot be avoided even by a teenager in high school. Some people use coping strategies to reduce stress. Coping strategies allow for more targeted and effective psychological interventions and will increase a person's ability to manage stress. The aim of this research is to analyze adolescents' coping strategies and stress. This research is a type of qualitative research using phenomenological methods. Research location High school. Determining research topics is inherently a snowball. The informants for this research were high school adolescents, teachers, and parents. The primary data collection technique involves conducting in-depth interviews using multiple informant interview guidelines. The process of data analysis includes: data reduction, data categorization, synthesis and ends with the development of a working hypothesis. Research findings revealed that adolescents are always stressed because stressors are always present in their lives. Internal and external sources of stress in adolescents have been found. Internal drivers of adolescent stress such as temperament, attachment, mastery, and self-determination processes. External factors observed in adolescents are social conditions, parental models and school processes. Several types of adolescent coping strategies have been shown to be adaptive and maladaptive. Adaptive coping strategies include reflection and self-reflection. Maladaptive coping strategies have been found to involve avoiding problems. Socialize to adolescents, parents and schools how to know adolescents better and help them in the developmental phase of searching for their own identity. The help of parents and stakeholders such as the school community is very important in this matter.

Addictive behavior of the younger generation: problems, solutions

The article deals with the problem of the lack of a system of preparing subjects for the organization of psychological and pedagogical prevention of the younger generation in a general education institution, which will ensure the formation and development of a professionally competent personality of an employee of the modern field of education. The concept of addictive behavior of adolescents and the prevention of dependent behavior as a complex system and process, a unified concept and integration of efforts of the psychological and pedagogical community of educational institutions in modern socio-cultural conditions is considered. The problem of education and upbringing of the younger generation is very relevant today. This is due to the physical and psychological insecurity of a person due to the political, economic, and cultural realities of modern society. From these positions, it is the sphere of education, from our point of view, that should become a kind of foundation that guarantees respect for the rights of an individual in the field of his physical and psychological health. The authors studied the attitude of participants in the educational process of the Nizhny Novgorod region (Volga Federal District, Russia): teachers, administrative workers in the field of education, students and their legal representatives to the organization of psychological and pedagogical prevention of dependent behavior of adolescents in a general education institution, and the system of work of specialists in the prevention of dependent behavior of adolescents in a general education institution has been tested. The analysis showed that the key problem areas are: the creation of a system of value orientations of adolescents, the inculcation of generally accepted social norms; the creation of conditions for the prevention of coping strategies of adolescents, the formation of skills of responsible behavior, self-control and problem-solving planning skills; as well as the promotion of a healthy lifestyle among adolescents, which indicated the general need to increase the competence of employees in the indicated aspect. Based on the results of research and analysis of the experience of educational institutions, a system of prevention of dependent behavior of adolescents in a general education institution has been developed and described.

A qualitative analysis of stress experiences and coping strategies in adolescents with Crohn's disease

BackgroundIn this study, we investigated the coping mechanisms and stress perceptions of adolescent patients with Crohn's disease.MethodsUsing semi-structured face-to-face interviews, we conducted an extensive qualitative study of the disease perceptions, stress experiences, and corresponding coping mechanisms in adolescent patients with Crohn's disease. We used Colaizzi content analysis to synthesize the themes.ResultsThe two main themes in this study were inappropriate coping mechanisms and physical and psychological stress. The primary initiators of physical and psychological stress in adolescents with Crohn's disease were weak disease perception, symptom distress, negative emotions, lack of support, and multiple stressors. The decrease in self-management and self-control induced by the initiators led to changes in cognition, emotions, and attitudes, which subsequently led to poor coping behavior.ConclusionAdolescents with Crohn's disease can better combat the condition by implementing appropriate coping strategies. Their mental health should be given attention, and a multidisciplinary team should be assembled to provide them with supportive care.

Clinician-led mental health conversations significantly associated with outcomes for scoliosis patients.

The psychological impact of idiopathic scoliosis has been well established in the literature. While the diagnosis of scoliosis is concerning, bracing often compounds patients' stress, and patients have expressed wanting to discuss their feelings with their healthcare providers. Counseling can be an effective coping strategy for adolescents facing chronic illness, but it has not been studied in individuals diagnosed with scoliosis. To assess the frequency and effect of counseling and clinician-led mental health discussions on individuals diagnosed with scoliosis in childhood and adolescence. Cross-sectional study. Community-based research, online. Individuals diagnosed with scoliosis in childhood and adolescence. The online survey included the SRS-22r, the BSSQ-Brace, questions about demographics, mental health, the Scolios-us Mentor Program, and general scoliosis experience. The survey was distributed to Scolios-us Mentor Program participants and to scoliosis clinicians to provide to their patients. Responses about mental health, experiences with healthcare providers, and counseling were analyzed for group differences and associations. Fifty-five subjects participated in the study, with a median age of 13 (IQR: 3). Our results indicate that mental health is not being discussed as much as it is desired. A desire to discuss mental health was associated with lower function (P=0.005), mental health (P<0.001), SRS-22r total scores (P=0.002), and BSSQ-Brace scores (P=0.015). Subjects who engaged in a mental health discussion with one or more scoliosis healthcare providers exhibited higher management scores (P=0.002). Only 18.2% of subjects sought counseling, and two-thirds of these subjects found counseling to be very or extremely helpful. Mental health is not discussed by scoliosis providers as often as patients desire it, and a desire to have these conversations is negatively associated with several clinical outcomes. Although clinicians are not regularly talking about mental health, the positive associations of mental health discussions with clinical outcomes are encouraging. The ability to acknowledge the desire to discuss mental health, begin these discussions, and refer patients to a mental health professional may improve patient outcomes.

The resilience and coping strategies in immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents and identity development

ABSTRACT Migration-related risk factors may impact the association between coping strategies, resilience, and identity development, one of the fundamental developmental tasks in adolescence. We examined the relationship between resilience and coping strategies in immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents’ identity development. On a sample of Turkish adolescents (n = 399, 50.9% girls), we conducted six hierarchical regression models to predict identity dimensions from resilience and coping strategies. For both immigrants and non-immigrants, seeking social support predicted a more mature and successful identity while avoidance predicted less reconsideration of commitment. For non-immigrants, seeking social support and avoidance was associated with in-depth exploration whereas for immigrants, only seeking social support was linked to in-depth exploration. Additionally, resilience predicted a successful identity for immigrants. Results were discussed considering migration-related difficulties

Stress and loneliness: exploring adolescents' use of social media as a coping strategy during COVID-19.

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, adolescents used various coping strategies to manage stress and loneliness. One such strategy was to engage in active coping, social relations coping and humour coping via social media. Such coping strategies can be helpful but can also reinforce stress and loneliness. To explore adolescents' use of social media to manage stress and loneliness at a time of restricted social contacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including potential differences between adolescents according to gender, age, area of residence and extent of social media use. A cross-sectional design and an online questionnaire were used to survey a convenience sample of adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years in Jordan. Three data collection tools were used - the modified Brief Coping Scale, the six-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Perceived Stress Scale. A total of 770 adolescents participated, half of whom were using social media more than before the pandemic. Increased use of active coping, social relations coping and humour coping was associated with decreases in stress and loneliness. Active coping contributed the most to reducing levels of stress while social relations coping contributed the most to reducing levels of loneliness. Younger participants made more use of active coping and humour coping than older participants. Social media use can be a positive coping strategy for adolescents to manage stress and loneliness during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chinese school adolescents’ stress experience and coping strategies: a qualitative study

BackgroundStress in adolescence is associated with adverse mental health outcomes. Coping resources have been proved by literature to have buffering effects on the impact of stress on mental health. It is imperative to understand the stress and coping strategies of adolescents. However, to date, there has been a scarce of qualitative examination of stress and coping strategies in adolescents in a Chinese population.ObjectivesThis study aimed to understand the stress experience and coping strategies of high school students in China.MethodsThis study adopted a qualitative design involving three focus group interviews. A purposive sampling method was used to recruit high school students who were enrolled in grades 10 to 11, and their teachers, at a Chinese high school which resulted in 20 students and 9 teacher participants. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.ResultsA total of 4 themes were identified: (i) sources of stress; (ii) impacts of stress (iii) coping strategies used by students; and (iv) recommendations for stress management programs. Students experienced excessive stress in their daily lives. The primary source of stress came from high expectations for academic achievement. Other sources of stress were peer relationships and family issues. The stress had negative impacts on students’ emotions, sleep, study, and mental wellbeing. The students demonstrated various coping strategies, with the most common being avoidant coping. Students and teachers agreed that the coping strategies were not effective in reducing stress in the long run and that more coping skills training was needed.ConclusionsThis study is the first to assess the perceptions of Chinese high school students and their teachers regarding adolescent stress experiences and coping strategies. Chinese high school students experienced significant stress in their daily lives and demonstrated unhelpful coping strategies. Participants demonstrated consensus that they did not have the skills to cope. There is a demonstrated need for interventions that focus on increasing coping skills in this population.

Parental Attitudes and Coping Strategies in Parents as Indicators of the Prognosis of Aggressive and Task-Oriented Coping Strategies in Adolescents in Situations of Social Conflict

The aim of the study was to identify family-related factors connected with aggressive and task-oriented coping strategies in adolescent youth in situations of social conflict. The study was conducted on a sample of 893 adolescents aged 13 to 15. M. Plopa’s Parental Attitude Scale (Skala Postaw Rodzicielskich, SPR), the Questionnaire for Coping Strategies in Parents in Situations of Social Conflict (Kwestionariusz Strategii Radzenia sobie Rodziców w Sytuacji Konfliktu Społecznego, KSRwSK) by D. Borecka-Biernat, and Questionnaire for Coping Strategies in Adolescents in Situations of Social Conflict (Kwestionariusz do Badania Strategii Radzenia sobie Młodzieży w Sytuacji Konfliktu Społecznego, KSMK) by D. Borecka-Biernat were used in the study. An analysis of the results of the study has indicated family discriminants of aggressive and task-oriented coping strategies in adolescents in situations of social conflict; those discriminants include the perceived parental attitudes in father, including the inconsistent, autonomous, and demanding attitude; the perceived aggressive strategy in mother and father in situations of social conflict, as well as the task-oriented strategy in mother in situations of social conflict. Identifying the determinants of aggressive and task-oriented strategies in youth might allow the caretakers of adolescents to better understand their behaviour in situations of social conflict and look at its roots from the young people’s perspective. Understanding the determinants of these behaviours is a necessary step in designing strategies that can shape individuals capable of coping with conflicts in a mature manner.

Coping strategies for chronically ill children and adolescents facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

to understand the experiences and coping strategies of children and adolescents with chronic illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. a descriptive study, with a qualitative approach, carried out with six children and adolescents at the reception of an outpatient clinic of a pediatric hospital in the state of Ceará. Data collection took place from April to September 2021, using story-drawing, analyzed in light of Coutinho's criteria. two thematic categories emerged: Situations experienced by children and adolescents in times of COVID-19; Coping strategies for children and adolescents in their chronic illness process during the COVID-19 pandemic. understanding the experiences and coping strategies of children and adolescents with chronic illness demonstrated the expression of creative imagination, incorporated by subjective components, which brings to light an approximation with the reality perceived and interpreted in a context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coping strategies in adolescents with Asperger’s syndrome

Coping strategies in adolescents with Asperger’s syndrome

Stress and Antistress in Child and Adult’s Representation

The results of a theoretical and empirical study of a child&amp;apos;s and a teenager&amp;apos;s representations of stressful situations, experiencing specific emotions, and coping with stress in comparison with adult assessments of child and adolescent stress are presented. Situations of evaluation and hopelessness are shown to be common for children and adolescents. Depending on the stress level, children distinguish the situation of loss, but adolescents distinguish the situation of abandonment. In the experience of stressful situations, the emotions associated with them and strategies for coping with stress are determined. The children are more often associated with stress and the experience of fear; the teenagers experience fear, anxiety, and resentment. The phenomenon of replacing a stressor (a stressful situation) with subjective experiences of fear, anxiety, anger, and resentment was found in both age groups but significantly more expressed in the children&amp;apos;s sample. Children&amp;apos;s and adolescents&amp;apos; profiles of coping with stress as a way of reducing tension and achieving an anti-stress state show the greatest similarity compared to the assessment of the types of stressful situations and emotions. The typical coping strategies, such as seeking Relaxing Diversions, friends, and Problem solving, were revealed. The differences between the children&amp;apos;s and adolescents&amp;apos; own assessments of stress and coping strategies and the assessments of adults were demonstrated. An adult tends to infantilize both a child and a teenager, attributing to the child such coping strategies as Social support (parent support), acting up, and seeking Relaxing diversion, and to the teenager, social support (parent support), friends, and acting up. In conclusion, the prospects for the study of child and adolescent stress — the construction of hierarchical models of stress and coping strategies in children and adolescents, including both conscious, partially conscious, and unconscious characteristics of stress and the resource capacity of a child of different ages in experiencing and successfully coping with everyday life problems — are shown.

Parental Influence Modelling the Formation of Adolescents’ Coping Strategies in Situations of Social Conflict

The study aimed to search for a family aetiology of strategies for adolescents in situations of social conflict inherent in the pattern of parental response to situations of social conflict. The research used the Questionnaire on Coping Strategies of Parents in Situations of Social Conflict (in Polish – KSRwSK) by D. Borecka-Biernat, and the Questionnaire for the Study of Coping Strategies of Adolescents in Situations of Social Conflict (in Polish – KSMK) by D. Borecka-Biernat. Empirical research was conducted in junior high schools. They included 893 adolescents (468 girls and 425 boys) aged 13–15. The research analysis showed that the mother and Father, perceived as using destructive and constructive strategies in social conflict, contribute to modelling a process involving destructive and constructive behaviour used in cases of social conflict.

Impact of domestic violence on cognitive and psychological development of children: A scoping review

Background: Domestic violence is an incident that affects all family members, including children. The impact of domestic violence needs to be identified from the beginning, so that early treatment can be given. The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of domestic violence on child development. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the coping strategies of adolescents with divorced parents.Methods: This study used the Scoping Review method. Literature were sourced from CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus. The keywords are “domestic violence” AND “child” AND “impact”. The criteria for articles in this study are full text, free access, English language, and the publication period of the last 10 years (2013-2022). Results: Nine articles were found discussing the impact of domestic violence on children's development, namely the psychological impact, social impact, and the impact on school life. Several samples from UK ranged from 8-336 respondents. These impacts occur due to trauma events in children that are not treated immediately. The impact will be even worse if there is no immediate intervention to reduce the impact of domestic violence. Conclusions: Domestic violence can cause disturbances to the development of children including psychological impacts, social impacts, and impacts on school life.

The Peculiarities of Psychological Adaptation of Teenagers to Difficult Life Situations

Introduction. The article deals with the problem of psychological adaptation of adolescents to difficult life situations. The existing theoretical approaches to understanding the phenomenon of psychological adaptation are analyzed, the concepts of “difficult life situation”, “critical situation” are considered. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the psychological specifics of the coping behavior of adolescents. The group of subjects who are in a difficult life situation was formed from pupils of the State Committee for Education and Science of the Republic of Moldova “Republican social shelter for children and adolescents ‘Nadezhda’ ”. Materials and Methods. In the course of the empirical study the following methods have been used: the projective method “Psychological autobiography” by the authors L. F. Burlachuk and E. Yu. Korzhova, the projective method “Man in the rain” by the authors A. Abrams and A. Emchin. To process the obtained empirical data, methods of mathematical statistics were used: the Mann – Whitney U-criterion and the φ* criterion – Fisher’s angular transformation. Results. According to the results of the empirical study, most adolescents of the 2nd group were characterized by the manifestation of passivity, lack of energy, stiffness, rigidity in difficult life situations, which generally confirms the weak representation of problem-oriented coping strategies in the coping behavior of adolescents. Discussion and Conclusion. The pupils of the orphanage turned out to be characterized by depressive states, possibly determined by the unfavorable social situation in which they found themselves, and in which they are most likely to experience deprivation of support from significant people. On the basis of the study carried out, psychological recommendations have been formulated to improve the effectiveness of adolescents’ psychological coping with difficult life situations, which can be used in the professional activities of psychologists – in professional counseling and psychocorrection, in the work of a teacher-psychologist, school psychologist and other specialists. These recommendations take into account, first of all, the importance of developing problem-oriented coping strategies in adolescents based on an objective and critical analysis of the cause-and-effect relationships of difficult situations.