Objective: The objective of this survey was to examine adolescent coping.

Material and Method: The study employed cross-sectional descriptive survey design. The sample comprised second-year medical students at Thammasat University. The participants completed the demographic questionnaire, the Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem and the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experience (ACOPE).

Results: There were 171 responders from 186 medical students (91.9% response rate): 56.7% females and 43.3% males. The most common coping methods reported were investing in close friends, relaxing, being humorous, and developing self-reliance and optimism; the least were seeking spiritual support, seeking professional support, and avoiding problems. Significant gender and self-esteem differences were found in the adolescent coping strategies that participants used. Females reported using solving family problems, developing social support, and ventilation of feelings more frequently than male. Self-esteem had positive correlation with developing self-reliance and optimism, being humorous, developing social support, investing in close friends, and relaxing; whereas self-esteem had negative correlation with ventilation of feelings.

Conclusion: Most medical students use appropriate coping strategies; however, seeking professional or spiritual support were rarely used. Gender and self-esteem were associated with adolescent coping. It appears that females used more interpersonal coping more than males. Low self-esteem among the adolescents was related to emotion-based coping strategies and high self-esteem was related to interpersonal coping strategies.