Teen Stress Coping Mechanisms

The new study suggested that teens may cope with stress better when they're around peers, rather than adults.

Adolescents begin to rely less and less upon the adults in their lives and more heavily on their peers for their development and sense of belonging.

The researchers found that teens cope better emotionally when they’re with peers rather than with adults in the immediate aftermath of a stressful event.

<p>The researchers collected data from 108 boys and girls ages 13 to 16, who attend a socioeconomically disadvantaged school in Western Australia, by having the teens complete online surveys sent to their smartphones five times a day for seven days.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The teens rated their recent experiences between 1 (“Sort of bad”) and 5 (“Very bad”) and offered a brief description of it in the surveys.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>facing racism, recovering from a fight, living in one home while siblings live in another, being responsible for getting younger siblings to school, and working night shifts to earn extra income.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>No, the study found that whether they were with friends in-person or online didn't seem to matter.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Teens reported lower levels of sadness, jealousy, and worry, and higher levels of happiness when with friends.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Girls seemed to benefit more from being with friends after a stressor, as their interactions often entail talking with one another.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The study speculated that peers help youth through social support and distraction.</p> Signup and view all the answers