PATTERNS OF COPING PREFERENCES FOR MALE AND FEMALE CAREGIVERS OF FRAIL OLDER ADULTS

The similarities and differences in male and female caregivers' prefer red strategies for coping and the perceived helpfulness of these strat egies in managing caregiving stressors were examined in this study. Re spondents were 170 caregivers (139 women and 31 men) who were primary caregivers for an elderly adult relative who was either cognitively im paired or physically frail. Results provide preliminary evidence that gender is related to frequency of use but not to the perceived helpful ness of specific coping strategies.