A Study of Stress Management and Social Maturity among Adolescents

ABSTRACTThe present study examines the relationship between stress management and social maturity among adolescents. Adolescence is a critical developmental period marked by rapid physical, emotional, and social transitions. Effective stress management during this phase fosters resilience, while social maturity supports responsible and adaptive behavior. The sample comprised 200 adolescents (100 boys and 100 girls) drawn from government and private senior secondary schools in Mohali. Standardized tools the Stress Management Scale (Kaushik & Arora Charpe, 2011) and the Social Maturity Scale (Shrivastava, 1998, adapted) were used for data collection. Data was analyzed using mean, standard deviation and t-tests. Results indicated no significant gender differences in stress management or social maturity. However, government school students exhibited higher stress management, whereas private school students displayed greater social maturity. No significant relationship was found between stress management and social maturity. The findings highlight the role of contextual factors in adolescent development and call for targeted educational interventions.