Coping Strategies and Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction Depressive symptoms among older adults are associated with reduced quality of life and increased healthcare utilization. International research has shown associations between coping strategies and depressive symptoms. However, research in a Swedish context is limited, emphasizing the importance of examining this association. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between coping strategies (approach coping and avoidant coping) and depressive symptoms among older adults in Sweden. Method A quantitative cross-sectional design was applied, and the data were analyzed using hierarchical multiple linear regression. The total number of participants was 482, ages 66- 99. Data was obtained from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care – Blekinge (SNAC-B) Result The hypotheses were confirmed, showing that higher levels of approach coping were significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms and higher levels of avoidant coping were significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms after adjustment for covariates. The final model explained 32% of the variance in depressive symptoms. Discussion In conclusion, the result was in line with previous research suggesting that coping strategies may function as both risk and protective factors for depressive symptoms. This could be used to develop health promotion interventions for the elderly. However causal inferences cannot be made due to the cross-sectional design.
Source: DiVA (Linnaeus University)
Language: Swedish
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7164706930