Is Coping Skills for Kids Evidence-Based?
A question that I get asked frequently is if my work is “evidence-based.” According to the American Psychological Association (2006), evidence-based practice means “the integration of the best available research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences.” My work at Coping Skills for Kids is done with this definition in mind.
“best available research”
I read research about coping skills and their effectiveness regularly. As new findings emerge, I want to make sure that those are included in my work at Coping Skills for Kids. In the research studies section below, you’ll find links studies focused on different coping skills, divided by Coping Style. This page gets updated as I find new research.
“clinical expertise”
The coping skills that I include throughout my books and resources have strategies that I’ve tried with clients throughout the years that have worked well. My goal is to have kids & teens find coping skills are safe and healthy. There are three important things I keep in mind when determining whether or not to include it.
Does it hurt the client?
Does it hurt other people or living creatures?
Does it damage property?
If a coping skill is safe and healthy, and works, then we can consider it as a potential strategy to suggest.
Over time, as I learn new things, or read studies, that gets integrated into my work. For example, chewing ice is something that I know people do as a coping skill. But it’s not healthy for teeth. You can crack a tooth if you chew on ice. A suitable replacement would be munching on frozen berries or grapes.
Another example is mindfulness. There wasn’t as much discussion on mindfulness when I was in graduate school. Now there’s research coming out all the time about it, which is why I’ve added it into the strategies I recommend and teach my clients.
“patient characteristics, culture, and preferences”
Part of evidence-based research should be to include the client’s preferences - who they are, what they enjoy, their background, and their own experiences. I’ve been working with clients for two decades now, and I hear from them all the time about different strategies that work for them. Part of the therapeutic connection we have includes me listening to them and honoring their experiences. I add those new strategies into my repertoire of coping skills regularly.
The Coping Skills Checklist was something that was generated organically as I was working with clients. A client shared that the list of coping skills I was using was too confusing and asked if there was a more accessible way to go through it. So we started dividing up the coping skills in the room. Over the years, it’s been refined to the 5 Coping Styles that I use today.
I divide coping skills up into these 5 Coping Styles, because not all coping skills work for all kids. It depends on where kids are, what they are feeling, and what they like. There was a recent article on CBS News about mindfulness in schools, talking about how kids have responded well to the strategy. But one young student shared that mindfulness didn’t work for her. She said that dancing was a way that helped her body relax instead.
Keep in mind that the Coping Skills Checklist is not an exhaustive list. There are spaces on there for clients to add in their own coping skills. There are coping skills that I haven’t included in my work, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work.
Above all, do no harm.
I saw Temple Grandin speak at the Learning & the Brain Conference in New York in May of 2019, and she mentioned a strategy to try with dyslexic kids. She suggested trying a colored piece of paper to help them focus on the lines. In her unique Temple Grandin style, she said (paraphrased) “I know it hasn’t been researched, but it’s just a piece of paper. You’ll know in 15 minutes if it works or not. And if it doesn’t work, you can move on”.
Her words resonated with me. That’s how I think about coping skills. Try it - if it doesn’t work, move on. If it works for a client and doesn’t hurt themselves, doesn’t hurt someone else or any other living thing, and doesn’t damage property, then that’s a winner!
We should allow for creativity, new ideas, and client preferences as we explore ways to cope as long as they are safe and healthy.
General Coping Skills, Mental Health & SEL Research
Climie, Emma; Altomare, Alyssa A. (2013) Supporting Children with Mental Health Concerns in Classrooms. International Journal for Leadership in Learning, 1 (1).
Collins, Traci P. (2014) Addressing Mental Health Needs in Our Schools: Supporting the Role of School Counselors. Professional Counselor, 4 (5) 413-416.
Compas, B. E., Jaser, S. S., Bettis, A. H., Watson, K. H., Gruhn, M. A., Dunbar, J. P., Williams, E. Thigpen, J. C. (2017). Coping, emotion regulation, and psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analysis and narrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 143(9), 939-991.
Even, Trigg A.; Quast, Heather L. (2017) Mental Health and Social Emotional Programming in Schools: Missing Link or Misappropriation? Journal of School Counseling, 15(5).
Larson, S., Chapman, S., Spetz, J. and Brindis, C. D. (2017), Chronic Childhood Trauma, Mental Health, Academic Achievement, and School-Based Health Center Mental Health Services. Journal of School Health (87), 675–686. doi:10.1111/josh.12541
Layard, R. (2013) : Mental health: The new frontier for labour economics, IZA Journal of Labor Policy (2), 1-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/2193-9004-2-2
J., Layard, R., & Sachs, J. (2015, April 2). World Happiness Report. [Government Report] Retrieved from http://worldhappiness.report/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/04/WHR15_Sep15.pdf
National Alliance on Mental Illness (n.d.) Mental Health Facts Children & Teens [PDF Fact Sheet] Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/Infographics/Children-MH-Facts- NAMI.pdf
National Insititute of Mental Health (n.d.) Any Anxiety Disorder Among Children. Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/any-anxiety-disorder-among-children.shtml
Report of Healthy Development: A Summit on Young Children’s Mental Health. Partnering with Communication Scientists, Collaborating across Disciplines and Leveraging Impact to Promote Children’s Mental Health. 2009. Washington, DC: Society for Research in Child Development.
Yeager, D. S. (2017). Social and Emotional Learning Programs for Adolescents. Future of Children, 27(1), 73-94.
Relaxation Coping Style
Taren, A. A., Gianaros, P. J., Greco, C. M., Lindsay, E. K., Fairgrieve, A., Brown, K. W., … Creswell, J. D. (2015). Mindfulness meditation training alters stress-related amygdala resting state functional connectivity: a randomized controlled trial. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 10(12), 1758–1768. http://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv066
Berman, M. G., Kross, E., Krpan, K. M., Askren, M. K., Burson, A., Deldin, P. J., …Jonides, J. (2012). Interacting with nature improves cognition and affect for individuals with depression. Journal of affective disorders, 140(3), 300–305.
doi:10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.012
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377
Froh, Jeffrey & Sefick, William & Emmons, Robert. (2008). Counting blessings in early adolescents: An experimental study of gratitude and subjective well-being. Journal of School Psychology. 46. 213-33. 10.1016/j.jsp.2007.03.005.
Li Q. (2010). Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental health and preventive medicine, 15(1), 9–17. doi:10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3
Overview of National ADHD Research Study Utilizing a Double Finger Labyrinth Design. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.relax4life.com/adhd-research-withintuipaths/
Taren, A. A., Gianaros, P. J., Greco, C. M., Lindsay, E. K., Fairgrieve, A., Brown, K. W., …Creswell, J. D. (2015). Mindfulness meditation training alters stress-related amygdala resting state functional connectivity: a randomized controlled trial. Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, 10(12), 1758–1768. doi:10.1093/scan/nsv066
Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30, 890 – 905.
Wood, A.M, Maltby, J., Gillett, R., Linley P.A., Joseph, S., (2008). The role of gratitude in the development of social support, stress, and depression: Two longitudinal studies. Journal of Research in Personality, 42 (4) 854-871, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2007.11.003.
Distraction Coping Style
Beetz, A., Uvnäs-Moberg, K., Julius, H., & Kotrschal, K. (2012). Psychosocial and psychophysiological effects of human-animal interactions: the possible role of oxytocin. Frontiers in psychology, 3, 234. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00234
Brown, S. L., & Vaughan, C. C. (2010). Play: how it shapes the brain, opens the imagination, and invigorates the soul. New York: Avery.
de Witte, M., Pinho, A.d., Stams, G., Moonen, X., Bos, A., van Hooren, S. This work was supported by Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek: [Grant Number 023.007.068]. (2020). Music therapy for stress reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Taylor & Francis. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17437199.2020.1846580
Fiorelli, J. A. & Russ, S. W. (2012) Pretend Play, Coping, and Subjective Well-Being in Children: A Follow-Up Study. American Journal of Play, 5(1), 81-103.
Golinkoff, R. M., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Singer, D. G. (2010). Play=learning: how play motivates and enhances childrens cognitive and social-emotional growth. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gray, Peter. Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life. Basic Books, 2015.
Hartling L, Newton AS, Liang Y, et al. Music to Reduce Pain and Distress in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Pediatr. 2013;167(9):826–835. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.200
Schladt, T. M., Nordmann, G. C., Emilius, R., Kudielka, B. M., de Jong, T. R., & Neumann, I. D. (2017). Choir versus Solo Singing: Effects on Mood, and Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol Concentrations. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 11, 430. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00430
Stitchlinks - The Research Projects. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.stitchlinks.com/research1.html (Link to research studies about people who crochet, knit, and stitch and the impacts it has on them.)
Sensory Coping Style
Do Weighted Blankets Really Ease Sleeplessness? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201808/do-weightedblankets-really-ease-sleeplessness
Ganio, M., Armstrong, L., Casa, D., McDermott, B., Lee, E., Yamamoto, L.,Marzano S, Lopez RM, Jimenez L, Le Bellego L, Chevillotte E, Lieberman HR. (2011). Mild dehydration impairs cognitive performance and mood of men. British Journal of Nutrition, 106(10), 1535-1543. doi:10.1017/S0007114511002005
McDermott, Jennifer F. Klau, Liliana Jimenez, Laurent Le Bellego, Emmanuel Chevillotte, Harris R. Lieberman, Mild Dehydration Affects Mood in Healthy Young Women, The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 142, Issue 2, February 2012, Pages 382–388, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.111.142000
Mullen, B., Champagne, T., Krishnamurty, S., Dickson, D., & Gao, R. X. (2008). Exploring the Safety and Therapeutic Effects of Deep Pressure Stimulation Using a Weighted Blanket. Occupational Therapy in Mental Health, 24(1), 65–89. doi: 10.1300/j004v24n01_05
Movement Coping Style
Anderson, E., & Shivakumar, G. (2013). Effects of exercise and physical activity on anxiety. Frontiers in psychiatry, 4, 27. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00027
Cuddy, A. (n.d.). Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are?language=en
Cuddy, A. J. C., Schultz, S. J., & Fosse, N. E. (2018). P-Curving a More Comprehensive Body of Research on Postural Feedback Reveals Clear Evidential Value for Power-Posing Effects: Reply to Simmons and Simonsohn (2017). Psychological Science, 29(4), 656–666. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617746749
Exercise reorganizes the brain to be more resilient to stress. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.princeton.edu/news/2013/07/03/exercise-reorganizes-brain-be-more-resilient-stress
Jarrett, O. S., PhD. (2019). A Research-Based Case for Recess: Position Paper (2019). US Play Coalition.
Kim, S., & Kim, J. (2007). Mood after Various Brief Exercise and Sport Modes: Aerobics, Hip-Hop Dancing, ICE Skating, and Body Conditioning. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 104(3_suppl), 1265–1270. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.104.4.1265-1270
Lesté, A., & Rust, J. (1984). Effects of Dance on Anxiety. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 58(3), 767–772. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1984.58.3.767
Physical Activity Reduces Stress. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/stress/physical-activity-reduces-st
Perry: Rhythm Regulates the Brain. (n.d.). Retrieved from https:attachmentdisorderhealing.com/developmental-trauma-3/
Stapp, A. C. (2018). Effect of Recess on Fifth Grade Students Time On-Task in an Elementary Classroom. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 10(4), 449-456. doi:10.26822/iejee.2018438135
Zajenkowski, M., Jankowski, K. S., & Kołata, D. (2014). Lets dance – feel better! Mood changes following dancing in different situations. European Journal of Sport Science, 15(7), 640–646. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2014.969324
Processing Coping Style
Burton, C. M., & King, L. A. (2004). The health benefits of writing about intensely positive experiences. Journal of Research in Personality, 38(2), 150–163. doi: 10.1016/s0092-6566(03)00058-8
Cortina, M. A., & Fazel, M. (2015). The Art Room: An evaluation of a targeted schoolbased group intervention for students with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 42, 35–40. doi:10.1016/j.aip.2014.12.003
Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education (2014, December 8). Dan Siegel: Name it To Tame It. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcDLzppD4Jc
Ekman, P. (1992). Are there basic emotions? Psychological Review, 99(3), 550–553. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.99.3.550
Ekman, P. (1993). Facial expression and emotion. American Psychologist, 48(4), 384– 392. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.48.4.384
Lambert, N. M., Gwinn, A. M., Baumeister, R. F., Strachman, A., Washburn, I. J., Gable, S. L., & Fincham, F. D. (2013). A boost of positive affect: The perks of sharing positive experiences. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 30(1), 24–43. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407512449400
Moser, J.S., Dougherty, A., Mattson, W.I. et al. Third-person self-talk facilitates emotion regulation without engaging cognitive control: Converging evidence from ERP and fMRI. Sci Rep 7, 4519 (2017) doi:10.1038/s41598-017-04047-3
Plutchik, R. (2001). The Nature of Emotions: Human emotions have deep evolutionary roots, a fact that may explain their complexity and provide tools for clinical practice. American Scientist, 89(4), 344-350. Retrieved January 15, 2020, from www.jstor.org/stable/27857503
Sutherland, J., Waldman, G., & Collins, C. (2010). Art Therapy Connection: Encouraging Troubled Youth to Stay in School and Succeed. Art Therapy, 27(2), 69–74. doi: 10.1080/07421656.2010.10129720
