Exploring the Links Between Coping Strategies, Emotional Intelligence, and Age in Adolescents with Neuromotor Disabilities

Abstract

Background/objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and coping strategies used by adolescents with disabilities, on the one hand to understand how emotional skills influence stress management and everyday challenges and, on the other hand, considering that it could help specialists to develop interventions and educational programs that support the improvement of emotional skills and coping strategies among adolescents with disabilities.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 100 Romanian adolescents with neuromotor disabilities aged 13 to 18 years (M = 15.2) divided into three groups according to the stages of adolescence: Group 1 (13 years-46 respondents), Group 2 (14 to 17 years-26 respondents), and Group 3 (18 years-28 respondents). They completed a questionnaire that assessed the emotional intelligence of the adolescents (positive impression, interpersonal, intrapersonal, stress management, adaptability, and general mood) as well as another one that assessed the possible cognitive emotional coping strategies (e.g., "blame self", "acceptance", "rumination", "positive refocusing", "refocus on planning", "positive reappraisal", "putting into perspective", "catastrophizing", and "blaming others") that they may adopt in managing life situations related to their health problem.

Results: Group 3 has significantly higher scores than Group 2 on the Interpersonal subscale and also significantly higher scores than Group 1 on the Stress management. Our analysis also revealed significant correlations between adaptive coping strategies and emotional intelligence domains across all groups, with positive associations between acceptance and stress management, as well as between positive refocusing and adaptability. Regression analysis identified adaptive coping strategies as significant predictors of emotional intelligence, explaining 29% of its variance.

Conclusions: Our findings underscore the critical importance of targeted interventions to enhance emotional regulation and adaptive coping strategies in adolescents with neuromotor disabilities. By focusing on strengthening emotional intelligence and tailoring interventions to developmental stages, these programs can promote better emotional and social functioning, particularly in challenging situations.

Keywords: adolescents; coping strategies; emotional intelligence; neuromotor disabilities.