Leisure behavior and sense of coherence in the context of depression

Improved sense of coherence (SOC) can protect health among individuals with depression. Literature suggests that leisure behavior can improve SOC, yet empirical studies are lacking. The current study aimed to examine whether leisure behavior was associated with SOC and depression.

A cross-sectional online survey method was used with a sample of community-living adults (62% female, age 18-75 years) with a self-reported current or historical diagnosis of depression recruited from four different depression-related populations.

The results of structural equation modeling found that leisure behavior predicted greater SOC as well as lower depressive symptoms. Greater SOC was associated with lower perceived stress and lower depressive symptoms. The total effect size, including both direct and indirect association between leisure behavior and depressive symptoms was 0.452.

The findings suggested the potential benefits of leisure behavior on SOC and depressive symptoms.