Physical neglect constitutes an experience of deprivation characterised by the absence of care, supervision, and stimulation, which may affect cognitive development during adolescence and hinder the learning of strategies to cope with demands. This study aimed to analyse coping styles and cognitive performance in adolescents in residential care with physical neglect as the predominant form of maltreatment, as well as to examine the association between both dimensions.

This observational, cross-sectional study included 45 adolescents in residential care, aged between 12 and 16 years, with physical neglect as the predominant type of maltreatment. The instruments used were the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS), the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT), the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome for Children (BADS-C), and the Digit Span and Coding subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V).

Participants showed a predominance of the non-productive coping style, together with lower-than-expected scores for their age and educational level in selective attention, processing speed, working memory, planning, cognitive flexibility, and inhibition. Lower cognitive and executive performance was related to greater use of the non-productive coping style. In addition, linear regression analyses showed that the global cognitive performance index was significantly associated with the non-productive coping style, even after statistically controlling for sex, age, and polyvictimization.

These findings suggest the importance of jointly considering coping styles and cognitive performance in adolescents in residential care with physical neglect, as well as the potential value of interventions that integrate emotion regulation, executive functions, and problem-solving.