Maladaptive coping can take many forms. The defining feature of all maladaptive coping is that it either results in more problems for the person or repeatedly places the person back into similar situations which present the same coping challenges, such as dysfunctional relationships or substance abuse.

Many maladaptive coping patterns are acquired in childhood or early adolescence. Most behaviour is learned by modeling or imitating others, mostly parents and peers. Sometimes parents make demands on their children which force the child to adopt dysfunctional coping patterns to help them cope with that demand. For example, some parents require strict obedience from their children, enforced with frequent physical punishment. As a result, such children may become quite rigid, following a very strict range of behaviour to avoid parental punishment. They may be very self controlled, responding very inappropriately to authority as adults, or may lack the personal resources to deal with demands that require them to develop new responses.

Some people have a stronger need for control than others. Such people may perceive loss of control as extremely threatening and strive excessively to maintain control over their environment and lives. Some persons, often characterized by being hostile, highly competitive, time-urgent, intolerant of uncertainty, easily irritated, and have exaggerated physiological responses to challenge, have been identified as at higher risk of acute myocardial infarction. This response pattern has been called “Type A Behaviour Pattern” or TABP. It is strongly encouraged by modern working practices. Other people are much less concerned about not having control over their environment, they are relaxed and do not respond to demands with effortful striving and exaggerated physiological responses. These people are called “Type B”.