As hypothesized, in both bivariate and specificity analyses, secondary control coping was a transdiagnostic correlate of symptoms in youth. Analyses replicate prior studies that show secondary control coping is related to lower internalizing symptoms (e.g., Compas et al. 2010; Fear et al. 2009; Jaser et al. 2005). Secondary control coping reflects strategies that involve altering or adapting the self to a stressful situation, including cognitive reappraisal and positive thinking. Automatic negative cognitions have been shown to predict both symptoms of anxiety and depression (e.g., Bird et al. 2013). Therefore, using strategies to reframe or manage those negative thoughts through secondary control coping may decrease symptoms in youth at high risk for depression. In addition, parental depression is experienced as relatively uncontrollable, suggesting that secondary control coping may be a particularly important strategy for children of depressed parents when coping with the stress associated with their parent’s depression. Findings from Compas et al. (2010) demonstrated that secondary control coping mediated the impact of a preventive intervention for children of depressed parents on internalizing symptoms in youth. The present study further suggests that secondary control coping may be an important target for transdiagnostic interventions for anxiety and depression.
