Stress and Stress Management Among Youth and Young Men

examined a broader range of health issues. Thus, promoting effective stress management in adolescence has implications for health across the lifespan. Studies have also examined stressors that adolescents face, using both subjective and objective measures. Although researchers debate which method is better suited for adolescents (Grant et al., 2003), this literature has identified many sources of stress experienced by adolescents. Some researchers report on daily hassles common in adolescence, such as conflicts with family and peers and academic pressure (and consequent lack of free, child-driven play); other research examines less common chronic and acute stressors, such as chronic illness, parental divorce, poverty, natural disaster, exposure to violence in communities, and sexual abuse (Compas, Connor-Smith, Saltzman, Thomsen, & Wadsworth, 2001; Finkelstein, Kubzansky, Capitman, & Goodman, 2007; Ginsburg, 2007a; Rasmussen, Aber, & Bhana, 2004; Turyk et al., 2007). This column will review research on how stress influences health outcomes and how effective coping mechanisms and stress management can reduce the negative impact of stress. Implications for practice and interventions in clinical and community settings are discussed. Whereas most research in these areas focuses on adults, the column highlights findings related to adolescents. Also highlighted is the relatively small literature that examines gender differences in stress and coping. Although this column focuses primarily on stress and stress management among individuals, it is critical to note that environments significantly influence stress exposure. A large literature on resilience has examined factors that lead young people to thrive despite exposure to adverse circumstances and stressors that threaten healthy development. This field of research has evolved from a focus on individual traits of resilient youth to identifying Stress, and humans’ physiological and psychological responses to stressors, has a strong influence on health status (Cohen, JanickiDeverts, & Miller, 2007; McEwen, 1998). A substantial body of research links stress to mental and physical health outcomes as well as behaviors that jeopardize health. The “stress” and “stressors” literature is vast and spans decades. Definitions and measurements of stress vary in this literature. Some research assesses physiological reaction to events or conditions considered stressful. Many studies examine psychosocial measures of stress, which can be broadly categorized as objective or subjective. Objective or “environmental” stressors may be acute (e.g., events such as natural disaster or the death of a relative) or chronic (e.g., poverty). Subjective measures assess individuals’ perceived stress (e.g., frequency of “feeling stressed” or self-reported ability to cope with life hassles). Some research investigates stress as a mediator (e.g., between socioeconomic status [SES] and health status); some research examines coping mechanisms as a mediator between stress and health outcomes. Adolescence presents a critical period to foster stress management skills. The second decade of life involves tremendous cognitive development that increases adolescents’ ability to think abstractly, reason, and plan (Halpern-Felsher, Millstein, & Irwin, 2002; Keating 1990). Inherent in this development is an emerging capacity to recognize stress and actively manage it. Stress research with adolescents has focused on outcomes that can be measured in youth, such as mental health problems and health-damaging behaviors. Stress research in adult populations has Adolescent Male Health