Coping and depressive symptoms among Iranian students

Area of Science:

• Cross-cultural psychology
• Adolescent mental health
• Coping mechanisms

Background:

• Adolescent mental health is a significant concern globally.
• Understanding cultural variations in depressive symptoms and coping is crucial.
• Previous research often focuses on Western samples, limiting generalizability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate depressive symptoms and coping styles in Iranian adolescents facing academic stress.
• To compare findings with existing data from US adolescents.
• To examine the cross-cultural applicability of the personal control construct.

Main Methods:

• Survey administered to 568 junior and senior high school students in Tehran, Iran.
• Measures included depressive symptoms and coping styles related to a difficult academic event.
• Data analyzed to compare symptom levels and coping strategy effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Iranian students reported higher average depressive symptoms compared to US adolescents.
• Students employing active coping styles exhibited fewer depressive symptoms than those using passive styles.
• This pattern aligns with findings from Western samples.

Conclusions:

• Active coping is associated with lower depressive symptoms in Iranian adolescents, similar to Western youth.
• The concept of personal control appears to function similarly across Western and non-Western cultural contexts.
• Findings highlight the importance of promoting adaptive coping strategies for adolescent mental well-being.