Related Experiment Videos
Coping and attributional styles as predictors of depression
S F Bruder-Mattson1, C A Hovanitz
1University of Cincinnati.
Journal of Clinical Psychology
|September 1, 1990
Summary
This study reveals gender differences in how coping and attributional styles influence depression. Coping strategies significantly predicted depression in women, more so than attributional styles.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Coping and attributional styles are recognized factors influencing mental health.
- The reformulated model of helplessness posits a link between attributional style and depression.
- Understanding the interplay of these factors, particularly across genders, is crucial for effective interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between coping styles and attributional styles.
- To examine how these styles interact in predicting depression.
- To determine if gender moderates these relationships.
Main Methods:
- 176 subjects completed the Ways of Coping Checklist, Attributional Style Questionnaire, and Beck Depression Inventory.
- Correlational analyses were used to examine relationships between variables.
- Data were analyzed separately for men and women.
Main Results:
- Problem-focused coping linked with specific attributions for positive events in men.
- Emotion-focused coping associated with particular attributions for negative events in both genders, with variations.
- Depression-attribution correlations were significant for women, aligning with helplessness theory.
- Coping styles explained more variance in female depression than attributional styles.
Conclusions:
- Gender-specific analyses are essential when studying attributional styles and coping.
- Coping styles appear to be a stronger predictor of depression in women than attributional styles.
- These findings highlight the nuanced, gendered nature of psychological distress.