In plain language
Some people approach life’s problems as challenges they can handle; others see problems as threats, doubt their ability to cope, and feel overwhelmed. Psychologists call the second pattern negative problem orientation (NPO). Earlier research had linked NPO to poor emotional well-being, but most of it was done with adults, or captured only a single snapshot in time — leaving open the question of what comes first: does a negative stance toward problems drag mood down, or does bad mood create a negative stance toward problems?
To find out, the researchers surveyed 841 Australian adolescents once a year across Grades 8, 9, and 10, measuring negative problem orientation along with sadness, fear, hostility, and joviality (joyful, enthusiastic mood). Using cross-lagged structural equation modelling, they found that teens high in NPO went on to experience more fear, sadness, and hostility, and less joy, than teens with the same starting mood but a more positive orientation toward problems. The effects held for both boys and girls, and Grade 8 NPO even predicted emotions two years later, indirectly through its effect in Grade 9. Evidence for the reverse direction — emotions driving later NPO — was much less consistent.
The findings matter for prevention. Because seeing problems as threats appears to come before declines in well-being, screening for negative problem orientation could help identify at-risk adolescents early, and problem-solving programs that specifically target how young people orient to their problems may protect mental health during the teenage years.
Key findings
- Across three annual waves (Grades 8–10, N = 841), adolescents high in negative problem orientation experienced increases in fear, sadness, and hostility and decreases in joviality, relative to peers with the same baseline emotions.
- The cross-lagged effects from NPO to emotion were consistently significant and generalised across boys and girls.
- At baseline, NPO explained about 16% of the variance in negative emotions and about 9% of the variance in joviality.
- Grade 8 NPO predicted Grade 10 emotional experience indirectly, through its influence on Grade 9 emotions — showing effects that extend beyond one year.
- Evidence for the reverse pathway was mixed: sadness, hostility, and fear sometimes predicted later NPO, but joviality never did, so there was no clear evidence that emotion drives problem orientation.
- The longitudinal effect sizes were comparable to those found in adult studies, supporting problem-orientation training and early identification of at-risk adolescents.
How to cite
APA
Ciarrochi, J., Leeson, P., & Heaven, P. C. L. (2009). A longitudinal study into the interplay between problem orientation and adolescent well-being. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 56(3), 441–449. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0015765
BibTeX
@article{ciarrochi2009longitudinal,
author = {Ciarrochi, Joseph and Leeson, Peter and Heaven, Patrick C. L.},
title = {A longitudinal study into the interplay between problem orientation and adolescent well-being},
journal = {Journal of Counseling Psychology},
year = {2009},
volume = {56},
number = {3},
pages = {441--449},
doi = {10.1037/a0015765}
}
Related work
- All publications by Joseph Ciarrochi (searchable, with free PDFs)
- Process-Based Therapy & Idionomic Analysis
Author: Joseph Ciarrochi (ORCID 0000-0003-0471-8100). Free copy hosted with permission for scholarly use. Please cite the published version via the DOI above.