Coping with depressed mood among Chinese medical students in Hong Kong

Depressed mood and coping activities were assessed in a sample of 95 undergraduate medical students using the Beck Depression Inventory and the Coping Strategies Scales. Problem-focused activities were commonly employed by students and were perceived as helpful although activities involving brooding over problems, perceived as less helpful, were also commonly employed. There were few sex differences in employment of specific activities. In terms of coping strategies, depressed students tended to avoid and deny problems and contain their emotions, and depressed females in particular were more passive. It is suggested that while depressed and nondepressed students equally employed apparently adaptive strategies such as problem-solving and cognitive restructuring, the effectiveness of these strategies could be undermined by depressed students' brooding over problems and passivity.