Active And Avoidant Coping Profiles In Children And Their Relationship With Anxiety And Depression During The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study
Abstract Active and avoidant coping styles are important dispositional factors for the development of anxiety and depression symptoms. Children use both active and avoidant coping together in daily life. No studies have investigated the relationship between active-avoidant coping profiles and internalizing symptoms of children in the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aimed to investigate children’s active-avoidant coping profiles and assess the relationship of active-avoidant coping profiles to anxiety and depression symptoms in the COVID-19 pandemic. A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 322 Chinese children in mainland China during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed the Children’s Coping Strategies Checklist – Revised1 in Time 1 and the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale in Time 1 and 6 months later (Time 2). Four active-avoidant coping profiles were revealed: Low Active copers, High Active copers, Balanced copers, and Avoidant copers. Low and High Active copers were related to lower levels of anxiety and depression symptoms than Balanced copers and Avoidant copers. Avoidant copers showed less decrease in depression symptoms than Balanced copers and High Active copers. It is important to improve children's active-avoidant coping profiles for relieving anxiety and depression symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.