Recent research has emphasized the need to identify the effectiveness of various coping strategies and social supports used by adolescent mothers. This study examined how adolescents cope with life stresses in nine problem areas. Participants were adolescent mothers who returned to school after the birth of their baby (N=40), adolescent mothers who dropped out of school (N=35), and female dropouts who were not mothers (N=20). Participants ranged in age from 15 to 19; all mothers had a child under 3 years of age. Data were obtained by means of a structured interview in the adolescents' homes. In addition to demographics, data were obtained on problems in life conditions, coping responses, social support, and depression. Analyses focused on individual and situational determinants of coping responses and on the effectiveness of responses in specific situations. The results showed that mothering dropouts were more depressed than nonmothering dropouts, and were less satisfied with their level of education than were mothers who had returned to school. Nonmothering dropouts had significantly higher levels of family stress than did mothering dropouts. In general, the effectiveness of coping strategies varied from situation to situation, with the adolescents' coping strategies appearing to be most effective in relieving stress in intimate relationships and with educational problems. (NB)