Directed coping: A key to coping effectively?

Directed coping, or the use of fewer coping strategies, represents attempts of the individual to effectively cope with stressors. As individuals engage in this process, health and wellness (e.g., physical and mental) generally improve, suggesting directed coping may be an effective technique. However, little specific information is known about the directed coping construct beyond the results of the single study by Wright et al. among nurses dealing with work stressors. Therefore, the current study seeks to examine the directed coping construct in more depth. Following a pre/post study design, 611 undergraduate students participated in a health behaviour change program, completing an online questionnaire regarding their health, wellness and general life stressors as well as an in-person physical health assessment before and after the 6-week program. Consistent with hypotheses, directed coping was associated with and predictive of improved health and wellness subjectively (e.g., affect and stress) and objectively (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure and grip strength) relative to coping with general life stressors. Moreover, directed coping demonstrated stability over time and was related to personality characteristics. Thus, the results suggest directed coping is an effective method of coping and may be stable across situations.