This paper compares the coping strategies of two groups of families coping with unusual stresses: families of diabetic adolescents and families of adolescents who were psychiatrically hospitalized in early adolescence. The coping strategies of these two groups of families are also compared to the coping strategies of a group of families of non-patient adolescents. Analyses indicate that families of ill adolescents find a greater variety of coping strategies helpful than families of non-patient adolescents, in particular relying more heavily on community resources. The coping of the families of adolescents with a history of psychiatric illness was characterized by greater family passivity and less confidence in family problem-solving ability. The coping of families with diabetic adolescents was characterized by greater reliance on active internal and external means of responding to stress, such as reframing family problems, using church and religious resources, and seeking support from extended family. Implications of these results are discussed in the context of the particular stresses with which these special families cope.