Stress and coping in Japanese children and adolescents

Abstract

Japanese children and adolescents (n=580) provided self-reports of stressor intensity, coping efforts, and adjustment. A new measure of Japanese adolescent coping was created, and psychometric analyses confirmed a reliable four-factor structure. Mean group difference analyses showed that girls reported higher levels of self-image and peer relations stress, and reported using isolation and problem-solving coping more and externalising coping less than males. Younger adolescents (5th/8th grades) reported higher stress in the domains of school, peer relations, and family relations, whereas older adolescents (10th grade) reported higher self-image problems. Statistical moderation was used to examine how youth negotiated the stress process. Females were found to be more responsive to appearance, family, and peer difficulties. Affiliation coping by females operated as a buffer between appearance anxiety and dissatisfaction with appearance. Externalizing coping was not associated with peer relations satisfaction for males, but it was negatively associated for females.

Keywords:

• Japanese
• children
• adolescents
• stress
• coping
• moderation

Acknowledgements

These data were collected with a grant awarded by the Japanese Ministry of Education to the second author. A previous report of these data occurred at the Mie University Educational Psychology Conference, Mie University, Japan. Special thanks to: Dr Kazuo Nishikawa, Dr Kathryn Grant, Dr Linda Camras, Shouko Murakami, Kazuyo Fujii, Makiko Hamamoto, Yuusuke Matsuura, Rikako Takatsu, Mikako Nakajima, Fuzoku Elementary & Junior High Schools, Kyohoku Junior High School, and Tsu Higashi High School.