Adolescent Perceptions of Stress, Coping, and Social Support
Lamb, Rachel
Lamb, Rachel
Citations
Altmetric:
License
License
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of development that is increasingly important to focus on. Physiological, psychosocial, and behavioral changes occur rapidly while social hierarchies begin to shift from family-based to peer-based, which can be overlooked by adults and researchers. The Conversations Around Resilience and Early-life Stress (CARES) Study is a qualitative study of teens across Vermont which aimed to amplify adolescents� lived experiences. Semi-structured online focus groups were conducted with 20 participants (ages 13-18 years, 65% female). The current study aims to evaluate how adolescents perceive these stressors and coping strategies in the context of participants� lived experiences. Questions regarding common stressors for teens, coping strategies used, and perceptions of social support were asked and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results indicate five major themes of stressors identified; school, finances, interpersonal relationships, current events, and personal identity, with themes being strongly intertwined in a complex web. Coping strategies used fell into four categories; destructive behaviors, distraction, personal strategies, and using social support. Social support was investigated further to increase understanding of who makes up the network of support for adolescents today and findings pointed to three groups; online communities, friends/peers, and trusted adults. Results point to the increased need to focus on lived experiences to assess these topics as nuances found in qualitative studies, such as this one, can be lost or reduced to a simple concept. Based on results, it can be concluded that there are certain aspects of adolescent life that seem to exist as universal stressors, however the way in which these are experienced is different across contexts. In a similar vein, the ways in which coping strategies are used and the people identified as part of a support system are reliant on the context of the adolescent.
Description
Date
1/1/2026
Student Status
Graduate Student
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type of presentation
Oral Presentation
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
DOI
Advisor(s)
Department
Program/Major
Clinical Psychology
College/School
College of Arts and Sciences
Organization
Research Category
Social Science (Stress)