Mental health problems are leading contributors to the global disease burden in adolescents. This study aims to highlight (1) salient context-specific factors that influence stress and coping among school-going adolescents across two urban sites in India; and (2) potential targets for preventing mental health difficulties. Focus group discussions were undertaken with a large sample of 191 school-going adolescent boys and girls aged 11–17 years (mean = 14 years), recruited from low- and middle-income communities in the predominantly urban states of Goa and Delhi. Framework analysis was used to identify themes related to causes of stress, stress reactions, impacts and coping strategies. Proximal social environments (home, school, peers and neighborhood) played a major role in causing stress in adolescents’ daily lives. Salient social stressors included academic pressure, difficulties in romantic relationships, negotiating parental and peer influences, and exposure to violence and other threats to personal safety. Additionally, girls highlighted stress from having to conform to normative gender roles and in managing the risk of sexual harassment, especially in Delhi. Anger, rumination and loss of concentration were commonly experienced stress reactions. Adolescents primarily used emotion-focused coping strategies (e.g., distraction, escape-avoidance, emotional support seeking). Problem-focused coping (e.g., instrumental support seeking) was less common. Examples of harmful coping (e.g., substance use) were also reported. The development of culturally sensitive and age-appropriate psychosocial interventions for distressed adolescents should attend to the challenges posed by home, school, peer and neighborhood environments. Enhancements to problem- and emotion-focused strategies are needed in order to bolster adolescents’ repertoire of adaptive coping skills in stressful social environments.

中文翻译：

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“这就像一次精神攻击”：印度城市上学青少年的压力和应对方式

心理健康问题是全球青少年疾病负担的主要原因。本研究旨在强调（1）影响印度两个城市的在校青少年的压力和应对方式的显着特定环境因素；(2) 预防心理健康困难的潜在目标。对 191 名 11-17 岁（平均 14 岁）在校青少年男孩和女孩进行了大样本的焦点小组讨论，这些男孩和女孩是从果阿和德里等城市州的低收入和中等收入社区招募的。框架分析用于确定与压力原因、压力反应、影响和应对策略相关的主题。邻近的社会环境（家庭、学校、同龄人和邻居）在青少年日常生活中造成压力方面发挥着重要作用。显着的社会压力源包括学业压力、恋爱关系困难、谈判父母和同伴的影响以及遭受暴力和其他人身安全威胁。此外，女孩们强调了必须遵守规范的性别角色和管理性骚扰风险的压力，尤其是在德里。愤怒、沉思和注意力不集中是常见的应激反应。青少年主要使用以情绪为中心的应对策略（例如，分散注意力、逃避逃避、寻求情感支持）。以问题为中心的应对方式（例如寻求工具性支持）不太常见。还报告了有害应对方式（例如物质使用）的例子。针对困扰青少年制定文化敏感且适合年龄的社会心理干预措施时，应考虑家庭、学校、同伴和邻里环境带来的挑战。需要加强以问题和情绪为中心的策略，以增强青少年在压力社会环境中的适应性应对技能。