The Influence of Psychological Gender and Coping on Adolescents' Symptom Reports

Abstract

Health complaints are rather widespread even in children and adolescents. This paper explores the role ofpsychological gender (feminine and masculine) and coping strategies for the explanation of individualdifferences in symptom reports. A study with 1.021 children and adolescents aged 9 to 17 showed a significantrelation of the coping variables catastrophizing and anger-related emotion regulation to an increase in symptomreports almost throughout the sexes and age groups. There were additional influences of a male genderorientation to decreased symptom reports and of non-pain-related problem solving to increased symptom reports.These effects were, however, restricted to the male subgroup. The meaning of the results for the currentwell-being and the future coping of children and adolescents with their health complaints is elaborated anddiscussed.