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Coping and psychological well-being: Investigating the relations between specific coping strategies, anxiety, and depression among adolescents from Etwatwa, Daveyton
Coping strategies are significant in the prevention and development of mental problems in children and adolescents. Specific coping strategies within broad coping categories may be associated with symptoms of psychopathology differently. Yet, we lack comprehensive data on these associations in South...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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Department of Psychology
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613837282246656 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Hlatshwayo, Busisiwe Sophie |
| author2 | Wild, Lauren |
| author_browse | Hlatshwayo, Busisiwe Sophie Wild, Lauren |
| author_facet | Wild, Lauren Hlatshwayo, Busisiwe Sophie |
| author_sort | Hlatshwayo, Busisiwe Sophie |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Coping strategies are significant in the prevention and development of mental problems in children and adolescents. Specific coping strategies within broad coping categories may be associated with symptoms of psychopathology differently. Yet, we lack comprehensive data on these associations in South Africa. The present cross-sectional study investigates specific coping strategies and their association with symptoms of anxiety and depression among 415 Etwatwa adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 years. A quantitative, correlational research design was adopted, and data was collected in the form of self-report questionnaires. Female adolescents reported significantly more symptoms of anxiety and depression than male adolescents (p < .001). The only statistically significant gender difference in coping was that female adolescents used more behavioural disengagement (p = .001) than male adolescents. Using substances, behavioural disengagement and self-blame predicted more symptoms of both anxiety and depression among adolescents. Denial was associated with more symptoms of anxiety while venting was associated with more symptoms of depression. When the data set was split by gender, behavioural disengagement predicted anxiety in both female and male adolescents. Self-blame predicted both anxiety and depression in female adolescents and only anxiety in male adolescents. Venting predicted depression in female adolescents but not in male adolescents. While further research is recommended to determine the direction of effects, the findings of this study suggest that targeting the use of these strategies may help to prevent emotional distress among adolescents. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41821 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:29.581Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Department of Psychology |
| publisherStr | Department of Psychology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41821 Coping and psychological well-being: Investigating the relations between specific coping strategies, anxiety, and depression among adolescents from Etwatwa, Daveyton Hlatshwayo, Busisiwe Sophie Wild, Lauren adolescents depression anxiety coping strategies socioeconomic disadvantage quantitative Coping strategies are significant in the prevention and development of mental problems in children and adolescents. Specific coping strategies within broad coping categories may be associated with symptoms of psychopathology differently. Yet, we lack comprehensive data on these associations in South Africa. The present cross-sectional study investigates specific coping strategies and their association with symptoms of anxiety and depression among 415 Etwatwa adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 years. A quantitative, correlational research design was adopted, and data was collected in the form of self-report questionnaires. Female adolescents reported significantly more symptoms of anxiety and depression than male adolescents (p < .001). The only statistically significant gender difference in coping was that female adolescents used more behavioural disengagement (p = .001) than male adolescents. Using substances, behavioural disengagement and self-blame predicted more symptoms of both anxiety and depression among adolescents. Denial was associated with more symptoms of anxiety while venting was associated with more symptoms of depression. When the data set was split by gender, behavioural disengagement predicted anxiety in both female and male adolescents. Self-blame predicted both anxiety and depression in female adolescents and only anxiety in male adolescents. Venting predicted depression in female adolescents but not in male adolescents. While further research is recommended to determine the direction of effects, the findings of this study suggest that targeting the use of these strategies may help to prevent emotional distress among adolescents. 2025-09-15T15:10:48Z 2025-09-15T15:10:48Z 2025 2025-08-15T07:22:39Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41821 en eng application/pdf Department of Psychology Faculty of Humanities Universiy of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | adolescents depression anxiety coping strategies socioeconomic disadvantage quantitative Hlatshwayo, Busisiwe Sophie Coping and psychological well-being: Investigating the relations between specific coping strategies, anxiety, and depression among adolescents from Etwatwa, Daveyton |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Coping and psychological well-being: Investigating the relations between specific coping strategies, anxiety, and depression among adolescents from Etwatwa, Daveyton |
| title_full | Coping and psychological well-being: Investigating the relations between specific coping strategies, anxiety, and depression among adolescents from Etwatwa, Daveyton |
| title_fullStr | Coping and psychological well-being: Investigating the relations between specific coping strategies, anxiety, and depression among adolescents from Etwatwa, Daveyton |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coping and psychological well-being: Investigating the relations between specific coping strategies, anxiety, and depression among adolescents from Etwatwa, Daveyton |
| title_short | Coping and psychological well-being: Investigating the relations between specific coping strategies, anxiety, and depression among adolescents from Etwatwa, Daveyton |
| title_sort | coping and psychological well being investigating the relations between specific coping strategies anxiety and depression among adolescents from etwatwa daveyton |
| topic | adolescents depression anxiety coping strategies socioeconomic disadvantage quantitative |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41821 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hlatshwayobusisiwesophie copingandpsychologicalwellbeinginvestigatingtherelationsbetweenspecificcopingstrategiesanxietyanddepressionamongadolescentsfrometwatwadaveyton |