Keywords
Middle-childhood
Coping
Attachment
Psychopathological symptoms Eventos tristes
Infancia intermedia
Afrontamiento
Apego
Síntomas psicopatológicos
How to Cite
Abstract
Background: This study aims to explore how children’s experiences of sadness are related to their coping strategies, attachment, and psychopathology. Method: A sample of 517 children described a sad event and related coping strategies. Events included bullying/quarrelling, frustration, accidents/illness, experienced/anticipated separation, and loss. Coping strategies included constructive coping, disengagement, and absence-of-coping. Results: Constructive coping was associated with secure attachment. Secure children used constructive and disengagement strategies for frustration, constructive coping particularly for bullying situations, and absence-of-coping for loss. Children reporting absence-of-coping during episodes of frustration exhibited more externalizing symptoms. Conclusions: The results highlight relationships between circumstancialdimensions and specific emotional experiences, and the importance of context-specific coping strategies in promoting emotional well-being.
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