A Descriptive Study of Urban Mexican American Adolescents’ Perceived Stress and Coping

In this descriptive study, the perceived stress, coping, and coping effectiveness of 158 low-income, urban, Mexican American 10th graders were assessed using open-ended and structured interview procedures. A total of 95% of participants were able to identify a difficult life event stressor and at le...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Hispanic journal of behavioral sciences 2000-05, Vol.22 (2), p.163-178
Main Authors: Kobus, Kimberly, Reyes, Olga
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Coping
Drug Use
Ethnicity
Family Involvement
Females
Grade 10
High School Students
High Schools
Hispanic Americans
Interpersonal Relationship
Interviews
Life Events
Limited English Speaking
Low Income
Low Income Groups
Males
Mexican Americans
Participant Characteristics
Perceptions
Problem Solving
Religion
School Policy
Sex Differences
Social Support
Social Support Groups
Stress
Stress Management
Stress Variables
Teenagers
Urban Population
Values
Youth Problems
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Summary:In this descriptive study, the perceived stress, coping, and coping effectiveness of 158 low-income, urban, Mexican American 10th graders were assessed using open-ended and structured interview procedures. A total of 95% of participants were able to identify a difficult life event stressor and at least one way they coped with this event. Participants, particularly females, most frequently identified family-related events as being the most difficult recent life event stressor. To manage stress, participants most commonly reported using active coping strategies, followed by family social support, self-reliance, and behavioral avoidance. Females were more likely than males to seek family support and to vent emotions when coping with stress. Participants were most likely to use active, problem-focused strategies when confronting school-and personal-related stressors, and to find coping most helpful when dealing with stressful school events. Findings are discussed in terms of the urban, ethnic-minority backgrounds of participants and directions for further research.
ISSN:0739-9863
1552-6364
DOI:10.1177/0739986300222002