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Gender, coping and psychosomatic symptoms.

A J Vingerhoets1, G L Van Heck

  • 1Department of Medical Psychology, Free University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Psychological Medicine
|February 1, 1990
PubMed
Summary

This study found that while men and women use different coping strategies for stress, both sexes show similar links between coping mechanisms and psychosomatic symptoms. The relationship between coping and symptoms is bidirectional.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Health Psychology
  • Behavioral Medicine

Background:

  • Coping strategies are crucial in managing stress and its impact on health.
  • Previous research suggests potential gender differences in coping mechanisms.
  • Understanding these differences is vital for targeted psychological interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate gender differences in coping strategies using the Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC).
  • To examine sex differences in the predictive value of coping strategies on psychosomatic symptoms.
  • To explore the bidirectional relationship between coping and symptoms.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC) to assess coping strategies.
  • Employed multiple regression analyses to determine the predictive value of coping on psychosomatic symptoms.
  • Analyzed data for both male and female participants to identify gender-specific patterns.

Main Results:

  • Males favored problem-focused coping (e.g., rational action, positive thinking, humor).
  • Females preferred emotion-focused coping (e.g., self-blame, seeking social support, wishful thinking).
  • Despite gender differences in strategy preference, coping and symptom relationships were congruent across sexes, with stressors and coping factors contributing similarly to symptom variance.

Conclusions:

  • Gender influences the choice of coping strategies but not their overall relationship with psychosomatic complaints.
  • The study highlights a bidirectional link between coping strategies (especially self-blame, fantasizing, wishful thinking) and symptoms.
  • Distancing coping was associated with psychosocial load, warranting further investigation in prospective studies.

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