THE CODE - A REVISED BATTERY FOR COPING AND DEFENSE AND ITS RELATIONSTO SUBJECTIVE HEALTH

A condensed test battery (the CODE) based on the Utrecht Coping List ( UCL) and part of the Defense Mechanisms Inventory (DMI) has been devel oped to assess coping and defense in large population studies. It was tested for reliability and validity in students and back pain patients . Principal components factor analysis of the subscales of the UCL and DMI in the student sample revealed two coping clusters: ''Instrumenta l mastery-oriented coping'' and ''Emotion-focused coping'' and two def ensive clusters: ''Cognitive defense'' and ''Defensive hostility''. '' Instrumental mastery-oriented coping'' was negatively related to subje ctive health complaints measured with Ursins Health Inventory (UHI). T he back pain patients were clearly different from the students, using less coping and more defensive strategies. They had more subjective he alth complaints that showed negative correlations with ''Instrumental mastery-oriented coping''. The CODE is a comprehensive battery that ma y be valid for large population studies of psychological determinants of muscle pain and other subjective health problems.