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Related Experiment Videos

Coping: a genetic epidemiological investigation.

K S Kendler1, R C Kessler, A C Heath

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.

Psychological Medicine
|May 1, 1991
PubMed
Summary

This study found that problem-solving and seeking support are healthy coping mechanisms that reduce anxiety and depression. Denial, however, worsens these conditions, with genetic factors influencing these coping behaviors.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Behavioral Genetics

Background:

  • Coping behaviors are crucial in managing stress and mental health.
  • Understanding the interplay between coping strategies, life events, and psychiatric disorders is vital.
  • The genetic and environmental influences on coping mechanisms require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between different coping behaviors (turning to others, problem-solving, denial) and symptoms of anxiety and depression.
  • To examine how these coping strategies moderate the impact of stressful life events.
  • To determine the genetic and environmental contributions to individual differences in coping behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • A general population sample of 827 female twin pairs completed self-report measures.

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  • Factor analysis was used to identify distinct coping factors.
  • Structural equation modeling was employed to assess genetic and environmental influences and moderation effects.

    • Main Results:

    • Three coping factors were identified: turning to others, problem-solving, and denial.
    • Turning to others and problem-solving were associated with lower anxiety and depression levels and buffered the effects of stressful life events.
    • Denial was linked to higher anxiety and depression and exacerbated the effects of life events.
    • Heritability estimates for turning to others and problem-solving were 30% and 31%, respectively.
    • Familial-environmental factors accounted for 19% of the variation in denial.

    Conclusions:

    • Problem-solving and seeking social support are adaptive coping strategies that protect against anxiety and depression, even under stress.
    • Denial is a maladaptive coping strategy that increases vulnerability to anxiety and depression.
    • Genetic factors significantly influence the tendency to use problem-solving and seek support, while environmental factors play a role in denial.
    • Coping behaviors may represent a pathway through which genetic predispositions influence vulnerability to psychiatric disorders.