The proposed research will investigate sex differences in exposure and vulnerability to the effects of stress on mental health among high school adolescents in a community population. The general focus of the research is to examine how social ties function both as a liability in exposing youth to stressors and as potential resources for supportive interventions. A specific concern is whether social ties differentially benefit young men and women and contribute to the higher levels of stress reactivity and depression usually evidenced among women from adolescence onward. The research should: 1) further our understanding of the role of stress and coping in influencing disorder and well being for adolescents; 2) further our understanding of the role of social relationships in exposure of adolescents to stressors; 3) clarify the conditions under which social relationships operate as a liability or resource in the face of stress; 4) contribute to developing a social relational model of stress-moderating processes; 5) identify characteristics of coping and use of supports that are associated with resilience in response to stress for adolescents. The total sample will be 600 male and 600 female high school students from two high schools, who will be interviewed face-to- face twice, with a one year interval between interviews. Information obtained during the interview will cover: stressful life events, chronic stressors, perceived stress, coping strategies, social supports, other moderating variables (e.g. personality factors, self esteem), mental health, and behavioral outcomes, as well as demographic and background characteristics of the respondent and his/her family.
