Internal vs. external determinants of coping responses to stressful life-events in the elderly

Coping appears to function in the relationship between stressful life-events and health. Factors that may influence an individual's use of a particular coping strategy, however, are not well understood. Coping consistency within individuals and across situations was examined in a longitudinal study of 74 independently living elderly persons, as were the effects of the type of event experienced, appraisal of its degree of threat, and demographic variables on coping behaviour. Correlational analyses indicated that coping responses were more a function of event type than of an individual's consistent style. A number of distinct life-events were associated with particular types of coping responses. The degree of threat, one's expectation of the changeability of an event, and one's appraisal of possible courses of action were also correlated with specific coping behaviours. Age was negatively correlated with problem-focused coping and total number of coping responses. This study suggests that the type of stressful event an individual experiences may be a more important general determinant of one's coping response than is one's overriding propensity to cope in a particular way.