PERSONALITY AND SELF-EFFICACY AS PREDICTORS OF COPING WITH ABORTION

The present study explored the relationships among dispositional optim ism, self-esteem, chronic perceptions of control, depression, and self -efficacy in predicting psychological adjustment among women undergoin g an abortion. Self-efficacy was found to be a strong, proximal predic tor of adjustment, both immediately after the abortion and 3 weeks lat er Optimism, perceptions of personal control, and high self-esteem wer e all related to better postabortion adjustment (mainly through the me diator of increased self-efficacy for coping). In addition, the effect s of these three personality variables were found to overlap considera bly. Finally, preabortion depression had both direct and indirect (thr ough self-efficacy) effects on adjustment. These effects did not overl ap completely with the effects attributable to personality.