Abstract
Emerging adulthood is a time of great possibility and of considerable risk. This qualitative study explored the adaptation and coping strategies used over time by twenty-five emerging adults. Respondents were selected from a longitudinal community study cohort of 26-year-olds and had experienced adversity in early life. Participants mentioned using a variety of strategies, such as active evasion, seeking support, and “letting go,” in order to cope with difficulties. These strategies varied by context and according to respondents’ developmental level at the time of the adversity. Flexibility in understanding life circumstances and in choosing coping strategies to deal with specific adversities was noted as beneficial through childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood.
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Dina M. Carbonell and Helen Z. Reinherz are, affiliated with Simmons Longitudinal Study, Simmons College School of Social Work Boston, MA. William R. Beardslee is affiliated with Department of Psychiatry, Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA. Address correspondence to Helen Z. Reinherz, Simmons Longitudinal Study, Simmons College, School of Social Work, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115; e-mail: helen.reinherz@simmons.edu.
Dina M. Carbonell is now deceased. This manuscript was completed by her prior to her death. This research was supported by NIMH grant R01 41569. The authors wish to recognize and thank Jennifer Tanner, Deborah K. Padgett, and Mark Brenner for their invaluable assistance with the analysis process and the manuscript.
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Carbonell, D.M., Reinherz, H.Z. & Beardslee, W.R. Adaptation and Coping in Childhood and Adolescence for those at Risk for Depression in Emerging Adulthood. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 22, 395–416 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-005-0019-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-005-0019-4