A Comparison of Stressful Life Events, Perception, and Coping in Depressed and Nondepressed Females

Abstract

This study compared the number of stressful life events, the perception of these events' desirability/undesirability, and the coping methods utilized by 20 depressed female patients to those of 20 nondepressed females. Subjects were administered the Life Experiences Survey, the· Indices of Coping Responses, the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale_, and a demographic survey. Data were analyzed through a series of t tests. As _hypothesized, the depressed group had significantly higher total change scores and negative change scores. An additional· finding that the depressed group had a significantly lower positive change score was unexpected. Emotional discharge coping responses were reported significantly more often by the depressed group, and problem-solving coping responses were reported significantly less often. Although the two groups in this study differed on several d~mographic variables, th~s study's coping findings closely resembled those of a socio- ·demographically matched comparison study by Billings, Cronkite, and Moos (1983).