Alleviation: An International Journal of Nutrition, Gender & Social Development, ISSN 2348-9340 Volume 1, Number 1 (2014), pp. 1 - 8
© Arya PG College, Panipat & Business Press India Publication, Delhi
www.aryapgcollege.com

Role of Coping Strategies in Reducing Stress in Adolescents

Abha khetarpal, Kamna Duggal
Associate Professor, Project Fellow
Department of Home Science, D.A.V. College for Girls, Yamunanagar (Haryana), India
Email: abhakhetarpal@rediffmail.com

Abstract

Stress is an inescapable part of modern life. It is as inevitable as taxes and death. Not only is uncontrolled stress harmful to our bodies but it can also lead to unwise behavior such as alcohol and drug abuse which place us at even greater risk health wise. The period of adolescence is roughly between 13 to 19 years. It is a period of biosocial transition between childhood and adulthood. On the psychological side, there is acute self-consciousness, rebelliousness and idealism. Inferiority feelings and low self-esteem plague adolescents. They often encounter frustration at home and school as they seek a sense of independence and control over their lives. To succeed in school, an adolescent must be fairly savy about dealing with teachers, parents and other adults in their lives. Consequently, their self-image is in a continual state of redefinition. It can be a highly stressful stage of life. Teenagers will be able to face stress easily if they know how to cope with it. The present study aims at knowing the effect of various stressors on the behavioral patterns of adolescents and the role of coping strategies in effective stress-management. For measuring stress levels, Bisht Battery of Stress Scales was administered to fifty adolescent girls in the age group of 16-18 years, from district Yamunanagar. Their coping strategies were found out by giving them a Stress Coping Inventory by Steven Hobfoll (1989). It has been observed from the data that the studied adolescents who lived in joint families were socially active, had better grades and were less stressed out than those subjects, who lived in nuclear families and were socially inactive. It has been further found out that under stressful conditions, 75 per cent of the respondents actively seek comfort from others whereas 25 per cent of the studied adolescents withdrew from others. Stress in adolescents reduces as their coping skills improve.

Keywords: Adolescence, Coping, Dilemmas, Self-Esteem, Transition.