The role of coping strategies in interpersonal identity development of war-affected immigrant adolescents

Akgul G., Klimstra T., Cok F.

IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT: DIVERSITY IN MIGRATION PATHWAYS AND EXPERIENCES, cilt.176, ss.103-121, 2021 (SSCI) identifier identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 176
  • Basım Tarihi: 2021
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1002/cad.20392
  • Dergi Adı: IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON CHILD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT: DIVERSITY IN MIGRATION PATHWAYS AND EXPERIENCES
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, ASSIA, Child Development & Adolescent Studies, EBSCO Education Source, Educational research abstracts (ERA), EMBASE, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Linguistics & Language Behavior Abstracts, MEDLINE, Psycinfo, Social services abstracts, Sociological abstracts
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.103-121
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: adolescents, coping strategies, identity development, immigrants, interpersonal identity, EMERGING ADULTS, POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS, CHINESE FAMILIES, ETHNIC-IDENTITY, SOCIAL SUPPORT, MENTAL-HEALTH, STUDENTS, EXPLORATION, ADJUSTMENT, REFUGEES
  • Ankara Üniversitesi Adresli: Hayır

Özet

Increasing immigration around the world has affected the lives of children and adolescents. The ability to cope with the stress of migration and adaptation to a new culture likely is an important protective factor for optimal identity development under these conditions. The present study examined the role of coping strategies in interpersonal identity development among immigrant adolescents. The sample consisted of 93 (43% females) first-generation immigrant adolescents who migrated to Turkey due to war in their home countries. They have been living in the suburbs in Ankara and attending regular public schools. A two-wave longitudinal design was employed with a 4-month interval between waves. Identity development was measured using the Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale focusing on the dimensions commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment in the domain of interpersonal relations. The coping strategies problem-solving, social support seeking, and avoidance were assessed with the Coping Strategies Scale. Results showed that none of the identity dimensions significantly predicted the use of specific coping strategies. However, different coping strategies predicted relative change in some identity dimensions. These results are discussed in light of previous findings on associations between identity development and coping strategies in different populations, and the difficulties associated with being an immigrant.