Irrational beliefs,situational attributions,and the coping responses of adolescent runaways

Data collected from a sample of 181 adolescent runaways was used to investigate the relationship between irrational beliefs, situational attributions and different coping responses. The findings support the hypothesis that irrational beliefs and situational attributions directly relate to coping. Further, particular sets of irrational beliefs and attributions were found to be differentially associated with both adaptive and non-adaptive coping responses. Contrary to a second hypothesis, however, irrational beliefs failed to moderate the relationship between attributions and coping, and thus did not appear to influence coping responses through the meaning ascribed to stressful situations. Clinical applications based upon information about the cognitive phenomenology of the coping pathway suggested by this study are discussed.Dr. Martin S. Denoff is an Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Tampa. He is in private practice and is a consultant to the Hillsborough County Department of Children's Services—Beach Place Runaway Services Center.Support for this research was partially provided by a faculty development grant.