Coping, personality, and resilience in emerging adults

Abstract

The research on resilience is largely focused on its development in children, workers in high-stress jobs, and ill or injured persons. However, relatively little is known about its relationship with coping mechanisms and personality. The present study focused on the relationship between personality traits, specific coping mechanisms, broad coping styles, exercise type and frequency, and resilience in a sample of 221 university students aged 18 to 25 years old. Measures included the General Health Questionnaire, Connor Davidson Resilience Scale, COPE Inventory, Mini IPIP, and Academic Self-Efficacy Scale. A hierarchical linear regression revealed that neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness were significant personality predictors of resilience and acceptance, turning to religion, and avoidant coping were the strongest coping predictors of resilience, although the latter was an inverse relationship. In terms of specific coping mechanisms, the strongest correlations were planning, positive reinterpretation, active coping, and behavioural disengagement. This study highlights the factors that are most strongly associated with resiliency in emerging adults, such as problem-focused coping mechanisms, positive reinterpretation of stressful events, having a social network, and not giving up in times of difficulty. The results emphasize the importance of utilizing effective coping mechanisms that address the source of the stress, maintaining a positive attitude, and persevering.