insight into the utility of a preli

insight into the utility of a preliminary tool for assessing
homeless youths’ coping styles. Such assessment may
identify malleable risk factors that could be addressed by
service providers to help prevent mental health problems.
Keywords Coping scale Á Depression Á Homeless youth Á
Psychometric properties
Introduction
When exposed to stressful situations, youths’ coping
methods may influence their risk for mental health prob-
lems. Coping is a process in which individuals apply
strategies to help change stressful environments or reduce
psychological distress associated with adverse circum-
stances (Lazarus and Folkman 1984). The ability to adapt
to stressful stimuli is crucial in a young person’s devel-
opment, with successful adaptation often helping to reg-
ulate emotions and behavior, thereby decreasing sources of
stress (Compas et al. 2001). Because youths’ exposure to
multiple stressors is a significant risk factor for poor health
and well-being (Grant et al. 2003), the methods that youth
use to cope with distressing situations have implications for
their future adjustment and development of mental health
problems.
Although progress has been made in the measurement of
coping among youth in the general population (Compas
et al. 2001), less is known about the extent to which
measures of coping adequately capture the ways in which
homeless youth cope with stress. This is quite an oversight,
as research suggests homeless youth face an abundance of
significant stressors, including a search for basic needs
such as housing and food as well as dangers on the streets
associated with victimization (Coates and Mckenzie-Mohr
Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver,
2148 South High Street, Denver, CO 80208, USA
Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, City
University of New York, 2180 Third Avenue, New York,
NY 10035, USA
School of Social Work, University of Texas, 1925 San
Jacinto Blvd. D3510, Austin, TX 78712-0358, USA