Generational Differences in Coping Skills When Handling Uncertainty in Life Events
Sophia Sinacola & Dr. Jessica Matyas
Rochester Christian University, Department of Psychology, Rochester Hills, MI 48307
Conclusions & �Future Research
- Coping strategies are cognitive and behavioral efforts used to manage stress (Chen et al., 2018)
- Major life events (e.g., illness, loss, financial hardship) are linked to decreased well-being (Radjenovic et al., 2025)
- Coping varies across generations due to differences in mental health awareness, social norms, and access to support systems
- Millennials and Generation Z use therapy and structured coping methods more
- Generation X and Baby Boomers use more religious and interpersonal coping methods (Sowan et al., 2023)
- Hypothesis: It was expected that younger generations (Gen Z and Millennials) would report greater use of adaptive coping strategies and higher perceived coping effectiveness compared to older generations (Gen X and Baby Boomers)
- Design: Cross-sectional survey
- Participants: N = 107 adults (Gen Z, n = 54; Millennials, n = 25; Gen X, n = 13; Baby Boomers, n = 14)
- Measures: Life events experienced, stress (1-10 scale), coping strategies (adaptive vs. maladaptive), and coping effectiveness (1-5 scale)
- Analysis: Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
Chen, Y., Peng, Y., Xu, H., & O'Brien, W. H. (2018). Age Differences in Stress and Coping: Problem-Focused Strategies Mediate the Relationship Between Age and Positive Affect. International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 86(4), 347–363. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415017720890
Radjenovic, S., Rupprecht, F. S., & Nikitin, J. (2025). Navigating life’s twists and turns: Characteristics of life events across adulthood. European Journal of Ageing, 22(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-025-00838-0
Sowan, W., Rutin, R., & Cohen, M. (2023). Chronic stressors, coping strategies, and depressive symptoms: A comparison across older age groups. Stress and health: Journal of the International Society for the Investigation of Stress, 39(5), 1037–1046. https://doi.org/10.1002/smi.3237
Conclusions
- Coping strategies differ by generation, but outcomes are similar
- All groups reported lower current stress and higher current quality of life compared to during the life event
- No generation demonstrates superior coping overall
- Effectiveness depends more on type of coping than generation
Implications
- Emphasize adaptive coping (therapy, support, self-care)
- Develop generation-specific mental health interventions
Future Research
- Use larger, more diverse samples
- Conduct longitudinal studies
- Examine effectiveness of specific coping strategies across generations
Descriptive findings: All generations reported high stress during life events, lower current stress, and improved QoL over time
Generational Patterns:
Gen Z & Millennials: Therapy, peer support, and self-care
Gen X & Baby Boomers: Family support and religious coping
Fig. 2. Generational Differences in Quality of Life From the Time of the Major Life Event(s) to the Present.
Fig. 1. Generational Differences in Stress Levels from the Time of the Major Life Event to the Present.
Results – Current Research
Fig. 3. Generational Differences in Stress Levels During Major Life Events.
Inferential Results:
No significant generational differences
- Stress: F(3,102) = 0.49, p > 0.05
- Quality of life: F(3,102) = 0.33, p > .05
Relationships:
Stress negatively correlated with QoL
Coping Effectiveness
- Adaptive strategies resulted in higher perceived effectiveness
- Maladaptive strategies resulted in lower effectiveness
Figure 7. Generational Differences in Quality of Life From the Time of the Major Life Event(s) to the Present
Figure 5. Generational Differences in Quality of Life During Major Life Events.
Figure 4. Generational Differences in Stress Levels During Major Life Events.
- Out of all 107 participants: 93.6% experienced death of a loved one, 86.2% used family/friend support to cope (most common strategy), only 35.8% used therapy, and 76.5% rated their coping method as effective
- Most participants reported moderate to high current stress levels, with the largest group selecting 7/10 (21.1%)
- While quality of life was lower during life events, current ratings shifted toward higher scores (8-10 range), suggesting improvement over time