Future-oriented coping: gender and adolescent stage as modulators of its use, dispositional profile and relationship with emotional adjustment outcomes

The aim of this study was to examine possible differences by sex and stage of adolescence in the use of proactive and preventive coping, its relationships with personality and emotional adjustment. A total of 934 Spanish adolescents participated. No differences were found by sex or stage of adolescence in the use of future-oriented coping or in its relationship with adjustment scores. The differences found were centered on the dispositional profile of future-oriented coping shown by the different subgroups. The dispositional profile of proactive coping was more complex in girls and in late adolescence. In contrast, the dispositional profile of preventive coping was more complex in boys, and the differences by stage of adolescence highlighted the different weight of the personality dimensions involved. These findings point to the importance of developing programs adapted according to sex and stage of adolescence to train adolescents in the use of future-oriented coping skills and to improve their mental health.