Relations Between Maternal Coping Socialization, Adolescents' Coping, and Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression

Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by increased exposure to stress in several life domains and a concomitant increase in risk for symptoms of internalizing disorders. Of particular salience is a marked increase in exposure to peer stress, which co-occurs with a rise in time spent with peers separate from adults. As a consequence, adolescence represents an important time for the development of effective emotion regulation skills and strategies for coping with interpersonal stress. An important factor in shaping and influencing how adolescents cope with stress is the type of coping socialization they receive from their parents. Socialization of coping involves either a parent's explicit coaching or modeling of coping strategies for adolescents and may play a role in not only the development of effective coping strategies, but also in adolescents' internalizing symptoms. In this study, we examined the relationship between maternal socialization of coping, adolescents' coping with peer stress, and adolescents' symptoms of anxiety and depression. Findings indicate that maternal coping suggestions are related both to adolescents' coping strategies and emotional wellbeing. Furthermore, the association of adolescents' coping strategies with their symptoms of anxiety/depression varied as a function of the extent to which mothers encourage specific types of coping. Findings emphasize a need for researchers to further clarify the association of maternal coping suggestions with youth coping and adjustment as they navigate interpersonal stressors encountered during adolescence.