Coping Strategies Across the Lifespan: Psychological and Neuropsychological Perspectives

A special issue of Medicina (ISSN 1648-9144). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychiatry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 1 July 2026 | Viewed by 657

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Social Work, Hellenic Mediterranean University (HMU), 71410 Heraklion, Greece
2. Quality of Life Lab, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Heraklion, Greece
3. University Research Centre Institute of AgriFood and Life Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: aged; communication; digital health; eHealth; health literacy; health promotion; mental health; psychometrics; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
1. Department of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, 263 35 Patra, Greece
2. School of Health Sciences, Neapolis University Pafos, Pafos, Cyprus
Interests: clinical psychology; neuropsychological perspectives; mental health; coping; psychosomatic issues; trauma; stress; cognitive behavioral therapy; psychotherapies; interventions; innovative interventions; screen addiction psychosocial issues; emotional intelligence; psychological distress

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Psychology, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
Interests: clinical psychology; attachment, interpersonal trauma and mental health/well-being; therapeutic aspects of close/interpersonal relationships; emotional regulation; cognitive, emotional and social aspects of mental health problems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Coping is a dynamic and multifaceted process through which individuals manage stress, adversity, and life challenges, playing a central role in psychological well-being, adaptive functioning, and professional and overall quality of life across the lifespan, from children and adolescents to adults. Recent advances in clinical psychology and neuropsychology have revealed complex interactions between cognitive, emotional, and neural mechanisms that underpin coping, highlighting the critical role of brain plasticity in fostering resilience, improving mental health, and enhancing quality of life in both personal and professional domains.

This Special Issue seeks to bring together high-quality research at the intersection of clinical psychological and neuropsychological perspectives, exploring the mechanisms, applications, and translational potential of coping strategies. We welcome original research, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and theoretical contributions investigating cognitive and emotional regulation, neurobiological pathways, stress adaptation, and interventions designed to enhance coping, resilience, and quality of life in people of all ages and in various professional contexts. Submissions examining neuropsychiatric disorders, chronic illness, trauma, or developmental stages are particularly encouraged, especially studies bridging mechanistic insights with clinical practice, such as evidence-based therapeutic or rehabilitation programs.

By combining clinical psychological frameworks with neuropsychological findings, this Special Issue aims to advance understanding of coping processes, inform innovative interventions, and inspire interdisciplinary research that translates theory into effective clinical practice, enhancing mental health and quality of life for individuals across the lifespan.

Prof. Dr. Argyroula Kalaitzaki
Guest Editor

Dr. Maria Theodoratou
Dr. Panoraia Andriopoulou
Guest Editor Assistants

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Medicina is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • coping
  • clinical psychology
  • neuropsychology
  • resilience
  • brain plasticity
  • adaptation
  • quality of life
  • cognitive function
  • emotional regulation
  • stress adaptation
  • lifespan

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

14 pages, 286 KB  
Review
Neuropsychological Functioning and Coping Strategy Intervention Approaches in Youth with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
by Kalliopi Megari, Dimitra V. Katsarou, Georgios A. Kougioumtzis, Evangelos Mantsos, Maria Sofologi, Agathi Argyriadi, Alexandros Argyriadis and Efthymia Efthymiou
Medicina 2026, 62(5), 933; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62050933 (registering DOI) - 11 May 2026
Viewed by 351
Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ages 3–18 is associated with disturbances in attention, working memory, processing speed, and executive control, as well as persistent difficulties in affect regulation. These neuropsychological vulnerabilities might interfere with learning, peer relationships, and the consolidation of [...] Read more.
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ages 3–18 is associated with disturbances in attention, working memory, processing speed, and executive control, as well as persistent difficulties in affect regulation. These neuropsychological vulnerabilities might interfere with learning, peer relationships, and the consolidation of age-appropriate developmental skills. Methods: We conducted a narrative review informed by a structured literature search in PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, Embase, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. English-language publications from 1990 to 2025 were considered if they examined (1) neuropsychological outcomes of trauma exposure or PTSD in youth and/or (2) interventions with potential to modify neurocognitive or affective functioning, including trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), mindfulness-based interventions, cognitive rehabilitation strategies, and biofeedback/neurofeedback. Results: Across study designs, trauma exposure and PTSD in youth are consistently linked to impairments in attentional control and executive functioning, with downstream effects on everyday memory and academic performance. Neurobiological studies commonly implicate altered reactivity within amygdala-centered threat circuits and reduced top-down modulation by prefrontal networks, although findings vary with trauma type, developmental stage, and comorbidity. TF-CBT remains the best-supported intervention for pediatric PTSD symptoms; however, neurocognitive outcomes are measured less frequently. Mindfulness-based programs show promise for strengthening attention and emotion regulation when carefully adapted for trauma-exposed youth. Neurofeedback and targeted cognitive rehabilitation represent emerging approaches with preliminary evidence, but the literature remains heterogeneous. Conclusions: An intervention strategy that combines symptom-focused trauma therapy with explicit targeting of executive control, memory processes, and affect regulation may represent a developmentally informed clinical framework for trauma-exposed youth. Future trials need to incorporate standardized neuropsychological endpoints and examine moderators that inform treatment matching. Full article
Back to TopTop