Coping and Self-Concept in Adolescence


Book Description

Self-concept and coping behaviour are important aspects of development in adolescence. Despite their developmental significance, however, the two areas have rarely been considered in relation to each other. This book is the first in which the two areas are brought together; it suggests that this interaction can open the way to new possibilities for further research and to new implications for applied work with adolescents. Two separate chapters review research carried out in each of the areas. These are followed by a series of more empirically focussed chapters in which issues such as changes in relationship patterns, difficult school situations, leaving school, use of leisure, anxiety and suicidal behaviour are examined in the context of self-concept and coping. The final chapter seeks to identify some of the central themes emerging from this work and discusses possible research and applied implications.




The Promise of Adolescence


Book Description

Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.




Encyclopedia of Adolescence


Book Description

The Encyclopedia of Adolescence breaks new ground as an important central resource for the study of adolescence. Comprehensive in breath and textbook in depth, the Encyclopedia of Adolescence – with entries presented in easy-to-access A to Z format – serves as a reference repository of knowledge in the field as well as a frequently updated conduit of new knowledge long before such information trickles down from research to standard textbooks. By making full use of Springer’s print and online flexibility, the Encyclopedia is at the forefront of efforts to advance the field by pushing and creating new boundaries and areas of study that further our understanding of adolescents and their place in society. Substantively, the Encyclopedia draws from four major areas of research relating to adolescence. The first broad area includes research relating to "Self, Identity and Development in Adolescence". This area covers research relating to identity, from early adolescence through emerging adulthood; basic aspects of development (e.g., biological, cognitive, social); and foundational developmental theories. In addition, this area focuses on various types of identity: gender, sexual, civic, moral, political, racial, spiritual, religious, and so forth. The second broad area centers on "Adolescents’ Social and Personal Relationships". This area of research examines the nature and influence of a variety of important relationships, including family, peer, friends, sexual and romantic as well as significant nonparental adults. The third area examines "Adolescents in Social Institutions". This area of research centers on the influence and nature of important institutions that serve as the socializing contexts for adolescents. These major institutions include schools, religious groups, justice systems, medical fields, cultural contexts, media, legal systems, economic structures, and youth organizations. "Adolescent Mental Health" constitutes the last major area of research. This broad area of research focuses on the wide variety of human thoughts, actions, and behaviors relating to mental health, from psychopathology to thriving. Major topic examples include deviance, violence, crime, pathology (DSM), normalcy, risk, victimization, disabilities, flow, and positive youth development.




Self-Concept Clarity


Book Description

This welcome resource traces the evolution of self-concept clarity and brings together diverse strands of research on this important and still-developing construct. Locating self-concept clarity within current models of personality, identity, and the self, expert contributors define the construct and its critical roles in both individual and collective identity and functioning. The book examines commonly-used measures for assessing clarity, particularly in relation to the more widely understood concept of self-esteem, with recommendations for best practices in assessment. In addition, a wealth of current data highlights the links between self-concept clarity and major areas of mental wellness and dysfunction, from adaptation and leadership to body image issues and schizophrenia. Along the way, it outlines important future directions in research on self-concept clarity. Included in the coverage: Situating self-concept clarity in the landscape of personality. Development of self-concept clarity across the lifespan. Self-concept clarity and romantic relationships. Who am I and why does it matter? Linking personal identity and self-concept clarity. Consequences of self-concept clarity for well-being and motivation. Self-concept clarity and psychopathology. Self-Concept Clarity fills varied theoretical, empirical, and practical needs across mental health fields, and will enhance the work of academics, psychologists interested in the construct as an area of research, and clinicians working with clients struggling with developing and improving their self-concept clarity.




Coping and Self-Concept in Adolescence


Book Description

Self-concept and coping behaviour are important aspects of development in adolescence. Despite their developmental significance, however, the two areas have rarely been considered in relation to each other. This book is the first in which the two areas are brought together; it suggests that this interaction can open the way to new possibilities for further research and to new implications for applied work with adolescents. Two separate chapters review research carried out in each of the areas. These are followed by a series of more empirically focussed chapters in which issues such as changes in relationship patterns, difficult school situations, leaving school, use of leisure, anxiety and suicidal behaviour are examined in the context of self-concept and coping. The final chapter seeks to identify some of the central themes emerging from this work and discusses possible research and applied implications.




Therapy Games for Teens: 150 Activities to Improve Self-Esteem, Communication, and Coping Skills


Book Description

Build teen self-esteem and communication skills with 150 simple, effective therapy games Planning thoughtful and productive therapy activities for teens doesn't have to be a complex challenge or require a lot of specialized resources. Therapy Games for Teens makes it easier to reach them, with 150 games based in recreation therapy that help teens cope with stress, bullying, grief, anxiety, depression, and more. These fun and inclusive therapy games are designed specifically with teens in mind. Step-by-step instructions show you how to guide them as they practice everything from labeling their own emotions to creative ways of venting frustration, with techniques that incorporate mindfulness and self-reflection. Give teens the tools to navigate life's challenges effectively, so they can grow up into confident, self-aware adults. Therapy Games for Teens helps: Put teens in control--Designed for both groups and individuals, these therapy games use self-exploration and creative expression to help teens let their guard down and learn valuable coping skills. Discussion questions--Each activity includes tips, talking points, and open-ended questions to help teens put what they learned into perspective and apply it to their lives. Practical and doable--The therapy games use simple materials like pencils, paper, dry-erase boards, and tape so there's no need for expensive or specialized tools. Help teens arm themselves with skills to manage their emotions and step into their potential.




Adolescent Coping


Book Description

Young people need to cope in a variety of settings, including school, home, peer groups and the workplace, and with a range of life problems such as examinations and parental divorce. This thoroughly revised and updated new edition of Adolescent Coping presents the latest research and applications in the field of coping. It highlights the ways in which coping can be measured and, in particular, details a widely used adolescent coping instrument. Topics include the different ways in which girls and boys cope, coping in the family, how culture and context determine how young people cope, decisional coping, problem solving and social coping, with a particular emphasis on practice. Each topic is considered in light of past and recent research findings and each chapter includes quotations from young people. While topics such as depression, eating disorders, self-harm and grief and loss are addressed, there is a substantial focus on the positive aspects of coping, including an emphasis on resilience and the achievement of happiness. In addition to the wide-ranging research findings that are reported, many of the chapters consider implications and applications of the relevant findings with suggestions for the development of coping skills and coping skills training. Adolescent Coping will be of interest to students of psychology, social work, sociology, education and youth and community work as well as to an audience of parents, educators and adolescents.




The Palgrave Handbook of Positive Education


Book Description

"The approaches outlined in this volume will help expand the narrow focus on academic success to include psychological well-being for students and educators alike. It is a must-read for anyone interested in how positive outcomes such as life satisfaction, positive emotion, and meaning and purpose can be optimized in the educational settings." -- Judith Moskowitz, PhD MPH, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA, IPPA President 2019-2021 This open access handbook provides a comprehensive overview of the growing field of positive education, featuring a broad range of theoretical, applied, and practice-focused chapters from leading international experts. It demonstrates how positive education offers an approach to understanding learning that blends academic study with life skills such as self-awareness, emotion regulation, healthy mindsets, mindfulness, and positive habits, grounded in the science of wellbeing, to promote character development, optimal functioning, engagement in learning, and resilience. The handbook offers an in-depth understanding and critical consideration of the relevance of positive psychology to education, which encompasses its theoretical foundations, the empirical findings, and the existing educational applications and interventions. The contributors situate wellbeing science within the broader framework of education, considering its implications for teacher training, education and developmental psychology, school administration, policy making, pedagogy, and curriculum studies. This landmark collection will appeal to researchers and practitioners working in positive psychology, educational and school psychology, developmental psychology, education, counselling, social work, and public policy. Margaret (Peggy) L. Kern is Associate Professor at the Centre for Positive Psychology at the University of Melbourne's Graduate School of Education, Australia. Dr Kern is Founding Chair of the Education Division of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). You can find out more about Dr Kern's work at www.peggykern.org. Michael L. Wehmeyer is Ross and Mariana Beach Distinguished Professor of Special Education; Chair of the Department of Special Education; and Director and Senior Scientist, Beach Center on Disability, at the University of Kansas, United States. Dr Wehmeyer is Publications Lead for the Education Division of the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA). He has published more than 450 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and is an author or editor of 42 texts. .




Self-Regulation in Adolescence


Book Description

During the transition from childhood to adulthood, adolescents face a unique set of challenges that accompany increased independence and responsibility. This volume combines cutting-edge research in the field of adolescence and the field of motivation and self-regulation to shed new light on these challenges and the self-regulation tools that could most effectively address them. Leading scholars discuss general principles of the adolescent period across a wide variety of areas, including interpersonal relationships, health and achievement. Their interdisciplinary approach covers perspectives from history, anthropology and primatology, as well as numerous subdisciplines of psychology - developmental, educational, social, clinical, motivational, cognitive and neuropsychological. Self-Regulation in Adolescence stresses practical applications, making it a valuable resource not only for scholars, but also for adolescents and their family members, teachers, social workers and health professionals who seek to support them. It presents useful strategies that adolescents can adopt themselves and raises important questions for future research.




Stress, Coping, and Relationships in Adolescence


Book Description

Unique and comprehensive, this volume integrates the most updated theory and research relating to adolescent coping and its determinants. This book is the result of the author's long interest in, and study of, stress, coping, and relationships in adolescence. It begins with an overview of research conducted during the past three decades and contrasts research trends in adolescent coping in the United States and Europe over time. Grounded on a developmental model for adolescent coping, the conceptual issues and major questions are outlined. Supporting research ties together the types of stressors, the ways of coping with normative and non-normative stressors, and the function that close relationships fulfill in this context. More than 3,000 adolescents from different countries participated in seven studies that are built programmatically on one another and focus on properties that make events stressful, on coping processes and coping styles, on internal and social resources, and on stress-buffering and adaptation. A variety of assessment procedures for measuring stress and coping are presented, including semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and content analysis. This multimethod-multivariate approach is characterized by assessing the same construct via different methods, replicating the measures in different studies including cross-cultural samples, using several informants, and combining standardized instruments with very open data gathering. The results offer a rich picture of the nature of stressors requiring adolescent coping and highlight the importance of relationship stressors. Age and gender differences in stress appraisal and coping style are also presented. Mid-adolescence emerges as a turning point in the use of certain coping strategies and social resources. Strong gender differences in stress appraisal and coping style suggest that females are more at risk for developing psychopathology. The book demonstrates how adolescents make use of assistance provided by social support systems and points to the changing influence of parents and peers. It addresses controversial issues such as benefits and costs of close relationships or the beneficial or maladaptive effects of avoidant coping. Its clear style, innovative ideas, and instruments make it an excellent textbook for both introductory and advanced courses. Without question, it may serve as a guide for future research in this field. This book will be of value to researchers, practitioners, and students in various fields such as child clinical and developmental psychology and psychopathology.