Gender and coping: Use of distinct strategies and associations with stress and depression

Abstract

I evaluated gender differences in the use of three distinct coping strategies, and in associations between those strategies, stress, and symptoms of depression. In a sample of men and women from two universities, which included many non-traditional students, women used slightly more social support seeking than men, but men and women did not differ in the use of problem-solving or avoidance. There were no gender differences in associations between stress, coping, and depression for problem-solving or social support seeking. Problem-solving was a weak predictor of depression, and surprisingly, the stress—depression relationship was slightly stronger in participants who used more problem-solving. Social support seeking moderated the stress—depression relationship equally in men and women. Avoidance coping was a powerful predictor of depression in men and women; however, it exacerbated the negative effect of stress only in men.