The salutogenic model has led to revolutionary changes in the study of health. In recent years, a large amount of research has been carried out on the relationship between sense of coherence and health, but relatively little is known about sense of coherence in adolescence. This study is a systematic review of the studies that looked at sense of coherence in adolescent samples. Valuable information is provided regarding the characteristics of the samples, the reliability of the sense of coherence scale versions, the influence of demographic variables and how family, school, peers and neighbourhood impact sense of coherence development. Furthermore, future directions for the study of sense of coherence in adolescence are provided.
AntonovskyA (1987) Unraveling the Mystery of Health: How People Manage Stress and Stay Well. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
2.
AntonovskyA (1996) The salutogenic model as a theory to guide health promotion. Health Promotion International11(1): 11–18.
3.
AntonovskyHSagyS (1986) The development of a sense of coherence and its impact on responses to stress situations. Journal of Social Psychology126: 213–225.
4.
AxelssonLAnderssonIHakanssonA. (2005) Work ethics and general work attitudes in adolescents are related to quality of life, sense of coherence and subjective health – a Swedish questionnaire study. BMC Public Health5: 103.
5.
BlomEHLarssonJOSerlachiusE. (2010) The differentiation between depressive and anxious adolescent females and controls by behavioural self-rating scales. Journal of Affective Disorders122(3): 232–240.
6.
BowenGLRichmanJMBrewsterA. (1998) Sense of school coherence, perceptions of danger at school, and teacher support among youth at risk of school failure. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal15(4): 273–286.
7.
Buddeberg-FischerBKlaghoferRSchnyderU (2001) Sense of coherence in adolescents. Sozial-und Praventivmedizin46(6): 404–410.
8.
CederbladMDahlinLHagnellO. (1994) Salutogenic childhood factors reported by middle-aged individuals. Follow-up of the children from the Lundby study grown up in families experiencing three or more childhood psychiatric risk factors. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience244: 1–11.
9.
DorriMSheihamAWattR (2010) Modelling the factors influencing general and oral hygiene behaviours in adolescents. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry20: 261–269.
10.
EdbomTMalmbergKLichtensteinP. (2010) High sense of coherence in adolescence is a protective factor in the longitudinal development of ADHD symptoms. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences24(3): 541–547.
11.
ErikssonMLindströmB (2006) Antonovsky’s sense of coherence scale and the relation with health: A systematic review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health60(5): 376–381.
12.
ErikssonMLindströmB (2007) Antonovsky’s sense of coherence scale and its relation with quality of life: A systematic review. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health61(11): 938–944.
13.
ErikssonMLindströmB (2008) A salutogenic interpretation of the Ottawa Charter. Health Promotion International23(2): 190–199.
14.
EvansWPMarshSCWeigelDJ (2010) Promoting adolescent sense of coherence: Testing models of risk, protection, and resiliency. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology20(1): 30–43.
15.
GustafssonPENelsonNGustafssonPA (2010) Diurnal cortisol levels, psychiatric symptoms and sense of coherence in abused adolescents. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry64(1): 27–31.
16.
HanssonKOlssonMCederbladM (2004) A salutogenic investigation and treatment of conduct disorder (CD). Nordic Journal of Psychiatry58(1): 5–16.
17.
HonkinenPLAromaaMSuominenS. (2009) Early childhood psychological problems predict a poor sense of coherence in adolescents: A 15-year follow-up study. Journal of Health Psychology14(4): 587–600.
18.
HonkinenPLSuominenSHeleniusH. (2008) Stability of the sense of coherence in adolescence. International Journal of Adolescent Medicine & Health20(1): 85–91.
19.
HonkinenPLSuominenSBValimaaRS. (2005) Factors associated with perceived health among 12-year-old school children. Relevance of physical exercise and sense of coherence. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health33: 35–41.
20.
JellesmaFCRieffeCTerwogtMM. (2006) Somatic complaints and health care use in children: Mood, emotion awareness and sense of coherence. Social Science & Medicine63(10): 2640–2648.
21.
KobasaSC (1979) Stressful life events, personality, and health: An inquire into hardiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology37(1): 1–9.
22.
KoposovRARuchkinVVEisemannM (2003) Sense of coherence: A mediator between violence exposure and psychopathology in Russian juvenile delinquents. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease191(10): 638–644.
23.
KoushedeVHolsteinBE (2009) Sense of coherence and medicine use for headache among adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health45(2): 149–155.
24.
KristenssonPÖhlundLS (2005) Swedish upper secondary school pupils’ sense of coherence, coping resources and aggressiveness in relation to educational track and performance. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences19(1): 77–84.
25.
LundbergO (1997) Childhood conditions, sense of coherence, social class and adult ill health: Exploring their theoretical and empirical relations. Social Science & Medicine44(6): 821–831.
26.
Madarasova-GeckovaATavelPVan DijkJP. (2010) Factors associated with educational aspirations among adolescents: Cues to counteract socioeconomic differences?BMC Public Health10: 154–162.
27.
MargalitM (1985) Perception of parents’ behavior, familial satisfaction, and sense of coherence in hyperactive children. Journal of School Psychology23(4): 355–364.
28.
MargalitMEysenckS (1990) Prediction of coherence in adolescence: Gender differences in social skills, personality, and family climate. Journal of Research in Personality24(4): 510–521.
29.
MarshSCClinkinbeardSSThomasRM. (2007) Risk and protective factors predictive of sense of coherence during adolescence. Journal of Health Psychology12(2): 281–284.
30.
MoksnesUKRannestadTByrneDG. (2010) The association between stress, sense of coherence and subjective health complaints in adolescents: Sense of coherence as a potential moderator. Stress and Health27(3): 157–165.
31.
MyrinBLagerströmM (2008) Sense of coherence and psychosocial factors among adolescents. Acta Paediatrica97(6): 805–811.
32.
NashJK (2002) Neighborhood effects on sense of school coherence and educational behavior in students at risk of school failure. Children and Schools24(2): 73–89.
33.
NatvigGKHanestadBRSamdalO (2006) The role of the student: Salutogenic or pathogenic?International Journal of Nursing Practice12(5): 280–287.
34.
NielsenAMHanssonK (2007) Associations between adolescents’ health, stress and sense of coherence. Stress and Health23(5): 331–341.
35.
NilssonKWStarrinBSimonssonB. (2007) Alcohol-related problems among adolescents and the role of a sense of coherence. International Journal of Social Welfare16(2): 159–167.
36.
OlssonMHanssonKLundbladAM. (2006) Sense of coherence: Definition and explanation. International Journal of Social Welfare15(3): 219–229.
37.
RätyLKALarssonBMWSöderfeldtBA (2003) Health-related quality of life in youth: A comparison between adolescents and young adults with uncomplicated epilepsy and healthy controls. Journal of Adolescent Health33(4): 252–258.
38.
RistkariTSouranderARonningJA. (2008) Life events, self-reported psychopathology and sense of coherence among young men – a population-based study. Nordic Journal of Psychiatry62(6): 464–471.
39.
SagySAntonovskyH (2000) The development of the sense of coherence: A retrospective study of early life experiences in the family. International Journal of Aging & Human Development51: 155–166.
40.
SagySDotanN (2001) Coping resources of maltreated children in the family: A salutogenic approach. Child Abuse & Neglect25(11): 1463–1480.
41.
SimonssonBNilssonKLeppertJ. (2008) Psychosomatic complaints and sense of coherence among adolescents in a county in Sweden: A cross-sectional school survey. BioPsychoSocial Medicine2(1): 4.
42.
SollerhedACEjlertssonGApitzschE (2005) Predictors of strong sense of coherence and positive attitudes to physical education in adolescents. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health33(5): 334–342.
TorsheimTAaroeLEWoldB (2001) Sense of coherence and school-related stress as predictors of subjective health complaints in early adolescence: Interactive, indirect or direct relationships?Social Science & Medicine53(5): 603–614.
45.
World Health Organization (WHO) (1986) Ottawa Charter. Ottawa, ON, Canada: World Health Organization.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
