Research data and codebook for the study "Coping strategies of emerging adult children of parents with a mental illness"

Although research suggests that coping plays a central role in the transgenerational transmission of psychopathology, there is limited knowledge about the coping strategies of emerging adult children of parents with a mental illness and the associations with mental health and attachment patterns. This cross-sectional study examined these coping strategies among emerging adult children, both with and without parents with a mental illness (n=139, age range 18-30 years), using an online survey. A one-way MANOVA revealed that offspring of parents with a mental illness exhibited higher levels of the coping strategy Behavioral Disengagement (partial η² = .03, p < .05) and lower levels of Positive Reframing (partial η² = .04, p < .05) compared to the control group. Regression analyses indicated that for those affected by parental mental illness, greater use of Active Coping (b = 6.27, p < .05), Substance Use (b = 4.11, p < .05) and Self-Blame (b = 8.48, p < .001) predicted more symptoms of psychopathology, while greater use of Self-Blame predicted poorer mental health (b = -.28, p < .05). These findings highlight the importance of integrating coping strategies into prevention and intervention services for emerging adults with parents who have a mental illness.