 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Ameena Batada, MPH and Anita Chandra, MPH. Population and Family Health Sciences/ Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 2007 E. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21205
Stressful experiences and how teenagers cope with stress is integral to the onset and maintenance of a wide range of psychological distress and psychopathology during adolescence. Most of the research on adolescent stress has focused on understanding how Caucasian youth from middle-class backgrounds cope with stress. It is unclear whether existing models describing stress and coping are also applicable for work with youth of color. African American adolescents are particularly at risk for experiencing stress associated with negative psychological and physical health outcomes. Given the rising rates of youth suicide and depression in the African American community and the disparity in mental health service utilization for this population, broadening the knowledge base regarding stress and coping among African American adolescents is paramount. This paper describes the development of several complementary data collection techniques to explore the perceptions of stress and coping in a sample of urban African American adolescents and the lessons learned from the employment of multiple methods. The data collection techniques include a teen survey, teen workshop and focus groups, audio journals, pile sort activities, and personal support network mapping. The combination of quantitative and qualitative, closed response and narrative, provides a rich base from which to draw study conclusions and implications for practice. The study findings support the modification of existing models of stress and coping to include the adolescent perspective. In addition, the themes that emerge from this research will inform traditional measures of youth stress and coping that may not adequately assess these issues. In summary, use of a multiple method approach that heavily relies on the youth perspective highlights the unique contribution of this work to our understanding of a critical adolescent health problem.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: N/A
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.