Military-Connected Adolescents' Coping Strategies and Psychological Well-Being: The Moderating Role of Family Functioning

Military-connected adolescents face unique challenges associated with military life, and some coping strategies are more beneficial to their well-being than others. It is important to understand their use of various coping strategies in connection with their psychological well-being and if there are family circumstances in which these coping strategies are more or less effective for enhancing psychological well-being. Two hundred sixty-six Army families completed surveys. A path analysis examined the associations between military-connected adolescents' use of three distinct coping strategies (i.e., engaging in activities, utilizing self-reliance and optimism, and venting negative feelings) and their psychological well-being (i.e., depressive symptoms, anxiety and life satisfaction). The moderating role of family functioning (reported by mothers) was also examined. The three coping strategies were uniquely related to indicators of the adolescents' psychological well-being, particularly their life satisfaction. Family functioning was not a robust moderator of these associations but was directly associated with greater well-being. Study findings emphasize the salience of various coping strategies for military-connected adolescents. In addition to initiatives that foster healthy family functioning, implications include programming to enhance adolescents' use of coping strategies that encourage self-reliance and optimism along with engaging in demanding activities while minimizing adolescents' reliance on venting negative feelings as a coping strategy.