Coping strategies and psychological symptoms in a Japanese sample

The role of coping strategies as moderators in the relationship between hassles and psychological/physical well-being was investigated in a Japanese sample (N = 107). Multiple regression analyses revealed that active-behavioral coping contributed to a negative prediction of depression after partialing out hassles' levels. Emotion-focused coping and avoidance provided significant predictions of physical symptoms, whereas problem-focused coping significantly contributed a negative prediction. The results indicated that active-behavioral and problem-focused coping were moderators, while emotion-focused coping and avoidance were enhancers in the stress-symptoms relationship. The role of coping strategies as moderators did not appear to be influenced by the Japanese cultural environment.