Psychological and physical health correlates of coping in minority adolescents.

In the current study the relations between coping and psychological/physical health in a sample of minority adolescents was investigated. Participants (n = 182) were all low-income, first-generation college-bound students from historically underrepresented groups. For Mexican-Americans, positive reinterpretation, focusing and venting emotions, instrumental social support, active coping, religious, restraint, emotional support, acceptance and planning forms of coping were all associated with positive psychological and physical health; for African-Americans, coping methods were not significantly associated with psychological or physical health; for Asian-Americans, positive reinterpretation, active coping, religious coping, restraint, acceptance and planning forms of coping were associated with only psychological health. Cultural-specific (rather than gender-specific) socialization is identified as a potential explanation of these results.