The Impact of Coping Flexibility on the Risk of Depressive Symptoms

Abstract

ObjectiveAccording to the dual-process theory, coping flexibility is defined as the ability to produce and implement a new coping strategy in place of an ineffective coping strategy. Specifically, coping flexibility includes two processes: evaluation coping and adaptive coping. Evaluation coping refers to sensitivity to feedback about the efficacy of a coping strategy, and adaptive coping involves the willingness to implement alternative coping strategies. The coping flexibility hypothesis (CFH) postulates that more flexible coping will be associated with more adaptive outcomes; importantly, there are numerous theories and studies that support the CFH. The main purpose of this study was to test the CFH based on dual-process theory.MethodsA total of 1,770 Japanese college students participated and, completed a set of questionnaires that measured coping flexibility (evaluation coping and adaptive coping) and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms were measured via the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale.ResultsThe proportions of women and men who reported depressive symptoms were 58.69% (95% CIs [55.74, 61.66]) and 54.17% (95% CIs [50.37, 57.95]), respectively when a cut-off score of 16 on the CES-D was used. A multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that evaluation coping (OR = 0.86, 95% CIs [0.83, 0.0.89]) and adaptive coping (OR = 0.91, 95% CIs [0.88, 0.93]) were significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms.ConclusionThe results of the present study indicated that the CFH based on dual-process theory was supported in a Japanese sample.

Effects of Flexibility in Coping with Menstrual Pain on Depressive Symptoms

“…Evaluation coping occurs when a person abandons a coping strategy that produces undesirable outcomes. This coping process subsumes various strategies, including the comprehension of one's environment, the monitoring and evaluating of coping outcomes, and the abandonment of ineffective coping strategies . If individuals continue to use an ineffective coping strategy, a stressful situation is unlikely to improve.…”

“…Adaptive coping refers to the implementation of strategies that create available alternatives and the abandonment of ineffective strategies. If adaptive coping produces unfavorable outcomes, the evaluation‐adaptive coping process is repeated until favorable outcomes are obtained …”

“…The definition of coping flexibility in the dual‐process theory involves a core process of flexibly coping with stressors . According to Cheng and colleagues, who synthesized multiple concepts of coping flexibility, the process occurs in three main stages: planning, execution, and feedback.…”

Mood and coping flexibility in a group of adolescents using marijuana

“…Low mood has a disadvantageous effect on the individual's way of thinking. One can therefore talk about a negative feedback loop between the applied maladaptive coping methods for stress and low mood [9,35]. In the presented study, we accepted Russell and Feldman Barrett's [36] understanding of mood who defined mood as a prolonged core affect.…”

“…Obniżony nastrój wywiera niekorzystny wpływ na sposób myślenia jednostki. Można zatem mówić o pętli negatywnego sprzężenia zwrotnego między stosowaniem nieadaptacyjnych metod radzenia sobie ze stresem a obniżonym nastrojem [9,35]. W prezentowanych badaniach przyjęto rozumienie nastroju za Russellem i Feldman Barrett [36], którzy definiują nastrój jako przedłużający się rdzenny afekt.…”