[Coping of schizophrenic adolescents]

The present study examines for the first time specific forms of coping in adolescents with schizophrenia during the initial phase of their illness. It was found that schizophrenic adolescents develop considerably less active coping compared to adolescents with other disorders. Active coping is least prominent for positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations, thought disorders); the youngest first-manifestation adolescents are also impaired in other domains (irritability, psychosocial stability). The results have exploratory character as they are based on a small and thus not representative number of cases, but should prompt further investigations.