Youth Coping Index – YCI
Measures the coping behaviors and strategies used by youth and adolescents when facing difficulties or tension.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Youth Coping Index – YCI was developed by Hamilton I. McCubbin, Anne I. Thompson, & Kelly M. Elver (1995). It is designed to measure Adolescent Coping. The scale is intended for use with Adolescents and Youth.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 31 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Youth spiritual and personal development, Youth positive appraisal and problem solving, Youth incendiary communication and tension management.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Youth spiritual and personal development | 2,3,4,5,8,10,11,14,21,24,27,30,31 | 13 |
| Youth positive appraisal and problem solving | 1,6,7,12,13,16,20,22,28,29 | 10 |
| Youth incendiary communication and tension management | 9,15,17,18,19,23,25,26 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Never, 2 = Hardly ever, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Most of the time.
The scale includes 1 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 31 to 155. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low coping usage: 31 – 72
- Moderate coping usage: 73 – 113
- High coping usage: 114 – 155
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.