Loneliness As A Mediator Variable Between Parenting and Coping in Adolescence

The objectives of this article are to analyse: 1) the relation between dimensions of the adolescent perception of parental relationship with them to adolescent functional/dysfunctional coping; 2) the relation between adolescent feelings of loneliness to adolescent functional/dysfunctional coping; 3) the relation between the adolescent perception of parental relationship with them with their feelings of loneliness, 4) the relation between adolescent perception of parental relationship with them with coping, meditated by feelings of loneliness.

The abridged and adapted version of Frydenberg and Lewis’ (1997) Adolescent Coping Scale, CRPBI (Schaefer,1965) adapted and abridged in Argentina, and the Adolescents’ Loneliness Assessment (Richaud & Sacchi, 2004) were administered to a sample of 950 Argentine middle class adolescents, aged 13 to 16.

The results suggest that even though during adolescence, parental styles keep acting on dysfunctional coping with conflict, they do so with less intensity in direct ways, but above all they influence feelings of loneliness and through these on coping.

Keywords: Adolescence, Coping, Loneliness, Parenting.