Leonia United

This study investigated how N = 5,126 adolescents (mean age of 15 years) from 18 countries perceive and cope with future- and school-related stress. The adolescents completed the Problem Questionnaire (PQ), which assesses stress, and the Coping Across Situations Questionnaire (CASQ), which assesses three coping styles (reflection/support-seeking, emotional outlet, and withdrawal/denial). Across countries, adolescents reported considerably higher levels of future-related stress than school-related stress. The adolescents actively coped with stressors in both domains and seldom relied on emotional outlet or withdrawal/denial. A clustering of the countries according to socioeconomic criteria and geographical proximity demonstrated that adolescents from the continental group of countries showed low stress and high coping. Adolescents in the east/Asia group showed medium stress and low coping and those in the south group showed high stress and low coping. Developmental context was more strongly associated with stress perception and coping, style than age or gender, a finding relevant for prevention approaches aiming to endorse positive orientation to the future and improve coping competence.

AS EARLY as 1910 Laws1 described the so-called "Nitroglycerin head," and several papers soon followed that helped to elucidate the physiologic effects of nitroglycerin on the human body, especially after the absorption of extremely minute quantities through the unbroken skin, or even the inhalation of the fumes when dynamite is used for blasting purposes.2 3 4Men working in powder plants soon acquire a rather transient immunity to nitroglycerin that can rapidly be lost over a period such as a weekend or during a vacation. Return to the job consequently results in a severe headache, which is also experienced by men first . . .