COPING RESOURCES BASED ON THE BASIC Ph MODEL AND THEIR RELATION TO STRESS VULNERABILITY IN ADOLESCENCE

Abstract

Psychological recovery and post-stress flourishing are key areas of contemporary psychological research, particularly during adolescence, a period characterized by increased sensitivity to stressors. The BASIC Ph model (Lahad et al., 2013) offers a comprehensive framework for identifying strategies for coping with distressing and crisis situations while also allowing the exploration of individual differences in psychological recovery processes. The study aimed to identify the dominant strategies for coping with crises in adolescence using the BASIC Ph model and to analyze their relationship with stress vulnerability. 
The research group consisted of 38 adolescents aged 17 to 19 (24 boys and 14 girls) from the St. Jozef Robotník Secondary Vocational School in Slovakia. To collect data, a test based on the BASIC Ph model (Lahad & Leykin, 2013) and the “How Vulnerable Are You to Stress?” questionnaire (Miller & Smithová, 1983, in: Schreiber, 2000) were implemented. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and linear regression analysis. Participants demonstrated the highest scores in the area of cognitive coping strategies (M = 20,24), while the lowest scores were recorded in physical and bodily resources (M = 14,84). 
An increased vulnerability to stress was observed in 36.84% of the participants. A statistically significant negative correlation was identified between the stress index and the cognitive channel of the BASIC Ph (r = -0,410; p = 0,0095), as well as between stress vulnerability and the cognitive (r = -0,670; p = 0,0063) and physical channels (r = -0,514; p = 0,0498). Regression analysis demonstrated a tendency toward the predictive value of cognitive strategies for the stress index level (β = -0,56; p = 0,060) and confirmed their considerable predictive association with stress vulnerability (β = -0,34; p = 0,041). 
The results underscore the importance of cognitive resources in overcoming stress during adolescence and confirm the validity of using the BASIC Ph model to identify protective factors for psychological growth following stress. Simultaneously, the data indicate the necessity of developing emotional, social, and physical resources in preventive and interventional programs aimed at supporting mental health during adolescence.