Front Psychol. 2025 Sep 23;16:1668051. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1668051. eCollection 2025.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Adolescence is a critical developmental phase marked by increased vulnerability to stress and the formation of functional or dysfunctional coping strategies. While stress and coping are well-studied for their psychopathological relevance, their associations with psychodynamic constructs-such as impairments in personality structure, psychodynamic conflicts, and defense mechanisms-remain underexplored. This study investigated whether these psychodynamic features are associated with stress perception and coping styles among adolescents with and without mental health problems.
METHODS: A total of 171 adolescents (aged 14-21) completed standardized self-report measures assessing stress across multiple life domains, coping styles, psychodynamic conflicts, impairments in personality structure, and habitual defense styles. Mental health problems were screened via self-reports, and participants were classified into clinical and healthy control groups accordingly.
RESULTS: Adolescents with mental health problems reported significantly higher stress and more dysfunctional (avoidant) coping strategies than their healthy peers. Regression analyses revealed that impairments in personality structure-particularly in identity and attachment-predicted heightened stress perception and dysfunctional coping, especially in the clinical group. Psychodynamic conflicts showed domain-specific links to stress: the guilt conflict was associated with school- and family-related stress, while the passive oedipal conflict predicted stress in romantic relationships. Maladaptive defense style was negatively associated with self- and peer-related stress, suggesting dissociative and affect-isolating mechanisms limiting conscious stress perception. Among healthy adolescents, functional (active) coping was associated with fewer impairments in attachment.
DISCUSSION: Findings highlight the value of psychodynamic constructs for understanding adolescent stress and coping and the relevance of attachment- and personality structure-focused prevention and intervention strategies.
PMID:41064175 | PMC:PMC12503032 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1668051
