Cognitive-behavioral vulnerability models suggest that inadequate coping strategies in controllable and uncontrollable situations can predict future common mental disorders (CMDs). Cognitive-behavioral scar theories argue that experiencing CMDs without intervention can solidify unhelpful habits and mindsets over time. Identifying natural growth patterns in coping skills associated with reduced CMD symptoms can enhance current treatments by informing treatment targets.
 
Consistent with these ideas, increased goal persistence, but not positive reframing or self-mastery, was linked to greater reductions in future CMD counts in adults (Zainal & Newman, 2019). However, changes in CMD counts did not significantly affect changes in coping strategies in the same study. Similarly, among adolescents, reductions in academic competence-building predicted later increases in depression symptoms, but not the other way around (Hong et al., 2022). This evidence supports the importance of enhancing coping skills, perseverance, and self-efficacy early in life to prevent CMDs in adulthood, which is in line with cognitive-behavioral vulnerability models rather than scar theories.