Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STRESS MANAGEMENT
Volume 15, Issue 3, Pages 209-221Publisher
AMER PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOC
DOI: 10.1037/1072-5245.15.3.209
Keywords
social change; stressors; coping; depression
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Globalization, demographic aging, and individualization and pluralization of life courses have led to individuals' increasing uncertainty regarding their future. The effects of social change on the lives of individuals, however, may depend on coping processes. The authors analyzed whether perceived uncertainty due to social change, problem-focused coping, and distancing from demands would be related to depressive symptoms in 1,975 German adolescents and adults. A higher number of perceived demands in the areas of work and family life (e.g., perceived increase of difficulties with finding adequate jobs and of instability of one's intimate relationship) were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. In addition, higher levels of problem-focused coping were related to fewer depressive symptoms, whereas higher levels of distancing from demands were related to more depressive symptoms. Problem-focused coping buffered the effect of family-related demands but not of work-related demands on depressive symptoms. Finally, distancing from demands buffered the effects of family-related demands but amplified the effects of work-related demands on depression. In sum, the present study supports the main effects model and the interaction effects model of coping.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available