The Relationship between Perceived Stress, Self Esteem, Way of Coping and Problem Solving Ability among School Going Adolescents

INTRODUCTIONAdolescence, a vital stage of growth and development, marks the period of transition from childhood to adulthood. It is one of the important stages in the life span of a human being when very rapid changes take place both physically as well as psychologically. Adolescence is also the stage when young people extend their relationships beyond parents and family and are intensely influenced by their peers and the outside world in general.Adolescent moral development has been conceptualized in three phases (i.e., preconventional morality, conventional morality, and post-conventional morality) by (Kohlberg, 1978). (Gilligan, 1993) advanced understanding by exploring observed gender differences in how boys and girls approach moral dilemmas, demonstrating that generally, boys seek direct resolution and girls will avoid conflict to maintain a relationship (Rew, 2005). These differences are likely to be reflected in how boys and girls cope with stressors.Adolescence and perceived stress, self-esteem, way of coping and problem solving abilityAdolescence can be specifically turbulent as well as a dynamic period of one's growth and development. Healthy self-esteem is the experience of being competent to cope with the basic challenges of life, stress and being worthy of happiness. Stress is the major source of many problems among adolescents and it may lead to low self-esteem, poor way of coping and poor problem solving ability. Many psychological problems such as depression and suicide occur as a result of low self-esteem, poor way of coping and poor problem solving abilityIt is now quite widely accepted that adolescence is a time of involving multidimensional changes: biological, psychological (including cognitive) and social. Biologically, adolescents are experiencing pubertal changes, changes in brain structure and sexual interest, as a start. Psychologically, adolescents' cognitive capacities are maturing. And finally, adolescents are experiencing social changes through school and other transitions and roles they are assumed to play in family, community and school (National Research Council [NRC], 2002). These changes occur simultaneously and at different paces for each adolescent within each gender, with structural and environmental factors often impacting adolescents' development.Wilburn and Smith (2005) found in his study "Stress, Self Esteem and Suicidal Ideation in Late Adolescents". Sample. The Life Experience Survey, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire were used for the study. The results revealed that both stress and self-esteem were significantly related to suicidal ideation and low self esteem and stressful life events significantly predict suicidal ideation.Gayle et al. (2005) found among 37 highly stressed children with stress affected and highly stressed with stress coped children. The study showed that stress coped children to be more adjusted and competent. They had higher self esteem more positive coping strategies and problem solving skills than stress affected children.Frydenberg and Lewis (1991) suggests that girls report using more social support strategies and less productive means of coping.MATERIAL & METHODSAimTo see the relationship among school going adolescent in terms of perceived stress, self-esteem, way of coping and problem solving ability.Universe of the studyClass 9th and 10th students of St. Joseph's Boys High School and Anita Girls High School, Kanke, Ranchi, constituted as universe of the study as aim of the present study was to see the relationship among school going adolescent in terms of perceived stress, selfesteem, way of coping and problem solving ability.HypothesisThere will be no significant correlation among perceived stress self-esteem, way of coping and problem solving ability among school going adolescents.SampleThe sample comprised of 200 adolescents who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria using simple random sampling technique. …