Coping, perceived stress, personality styles, and psychopathology among European and Asian children and adolescents.

Abstract

The aim of the dissertational thesis was to investigate the moderating and mediating effects of individual factors on psychopathology in children and adolescents. The study hypothesized that age, gender, coping strategies and personality styles affect the course of adjustment to stress. Also to examine the age- and gender-dependent associations of interpersonal and academic stressors, personality traits, coping styles (problem-focused, emotion-focused and maladaptive coping) with psychological problems in European and Asian children and adolescents. Maladaptive coping strategies (negatively correlated) with personality traits and ethnicity of the group revealed that Psychopathology outcome was moderated because of nationality differences and personality traits. Academic stress and social stress predict externalization in children and adolescents. Social compatibility and problem-focused coping showed significant moderating and mediating effects of personality and problem-focused coping across both ethnic groups. . Assessment tools were German and English versions of the German Coping Questionnaire for children and adolescents (SVF-KJ; Hampel&Peterman, 2001), a personality questionnaire (FFFK-S; Painsi, 2004), and a screening inventory of adjustment problems, (Reynolds´ Adolescent Adjustment Screening Inventory, RAASI, from Reynolds, 2001). The relations were examined among N=312 male and female students (age range 11-16 yrs). It showed that the onset of psychopathology can be traced at an early age and possibly controllable in children. The level of coping strategy rumination was significantly high for females. The main effect of nationality variable showed that Asian children and adolescent have significantly higher Mean score values for maladaptive coping strategies as compared to European group (Distraction, Minimization, and Resignation). Rumination was found higher in European group. For European males the level of Social support was found significant as compare to Asian males. Gender*nationality interaction revealed significant main effects for social stress in Asian males and academic stress in Asian females. Asian females grade 6/7 and grade 8/9 reported significantly higher academic stress as compared to males of the respective grades.