Gender Differences in Interpersonal Coping and Depressive Symptoms During Emerging Adulthood

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Depressive symptoms are a significant concern in emerging adulthood.
• Interpersonal coping styles are crucial in navigating relationships and mental well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between interpersonal coping styles (anxious/expressive, dismissive, adaptive) in parent and peer domains and depressive symptoms.
• To examine the moderating role of gender in these associations among emerging adults.

Main Methods:

• Survey research with 352 undergraduate students (mean age 18.91).
• Utilized the Interpersonal Coping Styles Questionnaire and the Brief Symptom Inventory.
• Regression analyses were employed to assess relationships and moderation effects.

Main Results:

• Anxious/expressive coping with parents and peers correlated with higher depressive symptoms.
• Peer coping styles explained additional variance in depressive symptoms compared to parent coping.
• Gender moderated associations: anxious/expressive peer coping linked to depression in men; dismissive peer coping linked to depression in women.

Conclusions:

• Relational context, particularly peer interactions, is vital for understanding depressive symptoms.
• Gender plays a significant role in how interpersonal coping styles relate to mental health outcomes in emerging adults.