ABSTRACT
Adolescent coping is an important resource when young people are required to deal with a chronic illness. This chapter addresses some co-morbidity conditions such as eating disorders, boredom, loneliness and chronic illness. There are three common types of eating disorder: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Going beyond a coping framework E. Stice, H. Shaw and Martin-Joy conducted a meta-analytic review of prevention programs related to eating disorders. The more unhelpful psychosocial situations, such as boredom and loneliness, tax the adolescent's resource pools, particularly those relating to social support and coping resources. Consistent with research into spiritual coping in adults, young people with chronic illness use spiritual coping strategies. The use of spiritual support is a coping strategy that is not frequently used by most adolescents in a contemporary context but those young people who do use it generally report benefits.
