Effects of neuroticism and avoidant coping style on maladjustment during early adolescence

This study examined the association of neuroticism, avoidant coping style and maladjustment. Initially two hundred and sixteen 12 and 13 year old adolescents completed questionnaires covering neuroticism, avoidant coping and maladjustment. Their maladjustment levels were also rated by their parents. Results for a sub-sample (N=101), who indicated some degree of maladjustment, showed that neuroticism predicted avoidant coping and parent-rated maladjustment positively. Avoidant coping showed a positive non-significant trend in the prediction of parent-rated maladjustment, and it also moderated, by exacerbating, the effect of neuroticism on maladjustment. Results did not indicate mediation by avoidant coping on the relation between neuroticism and parent-rated maladjustment. These findings are discussed in terms of direct, moderational, mediational and differential choice-effectiveness models for the relation between neuroticism, avoidant coping style and maladjustment during early adolescence.