TY - JOUR
T1 - Adolescents with high mental toughness adapt better to perceived stress: A longitudinal study with Swiss vocational students.
AU - Gerber, Markus
AU - Brand, Serge
AU - Feldmeth, Anne
AU - Lang, Christin
AU - Elliot, Catherine
AU - Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith
AU - Pühse, Uwe
PY - 2013/5
Y1 - 2013/5
N2 - A mindset of mental toughness enables an individual to cope successfully with the pressures and demands of life. This 10-month study prospectively examined the association between mental toughness and stress resilience in 865 students (. M=. 17.86. years, 42.7% girls) from two vocational schools. Within each school, separate cluster analyses identified groups with different profiles of risk (assessed with perceived stress) and adaptation (operationalized with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction). Four clusters emerged characterizing students with well-adjusted (low risk, good adaptation), maladjusted (elevated risk, bad adaptation), deteriorated (low initial risk, worsening adaptation) and resilient profiles (elevated initial risk, improving adaptation). The latter two clusters reported similar levels of mental toughness at baseline, but resilient adolescents scored significantly higher on mental toughness at follow-up. After controlling for possible confounds, baseline toughness levels predicted depressive symptoms and life satisfaction over time. This study shows that mental toughness operates as a stress resilience resource. Mental toughness is, therefore a topic of interest for health specialists working with adolescent populations.
AB - A mindset of mental toughness enables an individual to cope successfully with the pressures and demands of life. This 10-month study prospectively examined the association between mental toughness and stress resilience in 865 students (. M=. 17.86. years, 42.7% girls) from two vocational schools. Within each school, separate cluster analyses identified groups with different profiles of risk (assessed with perceived stress) and adaptation (operationalized with depressive symptoms and life satisfaction). Four clusters emerged characterizing students with well-adjusted (low risk, good adaptation), maladjusted (elevated risk, bad adaptation), deteriorated (low initial risk, worsening adaptation) and resilient profiles (elevated initial risk, improving adaptation). The latter two clusters reported similar levels of mental toughness at baseline, but resilient adolescents scored significantly higher on mental toughness at follow-up. After controlling for possible confounds, baseline toughness levels predicted depressive symptoms and life satisfaction over time. This study shows that mental toughness operates as a stress resilience resource. Mental toughness is, therefore a topic of interest for health specialists working with adolescent populations.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Depressive symptoms
KW - Life satisfaction
KW - Perceived stress
KW - Resilience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873734506&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2012.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2012.12.003
M3 - Article
VL - 54
SP - 808
EP - 814
JO - Personality and Individual Differences
JF - Personality and Individual Differences
SN - 0191-8869
IS - 7
ER -