Coping styles and psychosomatic problems: are they related?

A number of recent studies have shown avoidant coping to be related with diverse types of somatic and mental pathology. In order to investigate the relevance of coping for both psychological and somatic problems in delinquent subjects, 185 boys from juvenile correction and 96 boys from secondary schools in Arkhangelsk, Northern Russia, were assessed by means of the Coping Scale for Children and Youth, the Youth Self-Report and the Giessen Subjective Complaints List - youth form. The results from the delinquent subjects partly confirmed previous findings on the dominant role of behavioural avoidance in the relationships between coping styles and both behavior/emotional problems and somatic complaints. Further implications of the results are discussed. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.