Stress coping strategies of depressive patients

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare stress coping strategies of major depressive patients with those of healthy controls. Patients and Method: The sample of the study was composed of consecutively selected unipolar major depressive patients applying to the Psychiatry Out-Patient Clinic (n=50) and healthy controls (n=50). Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Coping Strategies with Stress (COPE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and sociodemographic data form were applied to the participants. Results: While positive reframing, the use of instrumental social support, active coping, humor, and restraint items of the COPE were statistically significantly higher in the control group, acceptance, behavioral disengagement and substance use items were statistically significantly higher in the depression group. While the emotionally centered coping total score was close in both groups, the dysfunctional coping total score was higher in the depression group, and the problem-centered coping total score was higher in the control group. Conclusion: Recognizing and reconstructing the negative coping attitudes of patients with depression and reinforcing the positive ones would yield more efficient results in terms of the progress of the disorder.