SEX-DIFFERENCES IN COPING AND DEPRESSION AMONG YOUNG-ADULTS

The main purpose of the study was to evaluate the notion that the asso ciation between sex and depression is partly mediated by differences i n coping styles. The study is based on questionnaire data from 890 fem ale and 766 male Finnish 22-year-old young adults. Of the 12 ways of c oping presented, self-blame, venting anger on others, seeking comfort in sweets and drinking beer were positively, and the others negatively , associated with depression; these were called dysfunctional and func tional ways of coping, respectively. Women resorted much more often th an men to dysfunctional ways of coping, except drinking. They also sco red lower on personal resilience and showed more depressive symptoms. The sex difference in depressiveness was eliminated when dysfunctional coping was taken into account. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Lt d