PDF Ebook The Relationship Between Personality, Coping Styles And Stress, Anxiet And Depression
Our personality and the way we cope with stress are two factors that are important in the development of psychological distress. The current study explored the relationship between personality, coping styles and psychological distress in 201 students from the University of Canterbury. Participants completed the Temperament Character Inventory - Revised (TCI-R; Cloninger et al., 1994), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS; S.H. Lovibond & P.F. Lovibond, 1995) and the Coping Orientation of Problem Experience (COPE; Carver, Scheier, Weintraub, 1989). The study showed that participants with high harm avoidance and low self-directedness reported increased stress, anxiety and depression, while low harm avoidance and high self-directedness appeared to be a protective factor against the development of distress.
Avoidant coping was shown to be the most maladaptive coping style as it was associated with increased stress, anxiety and depression, while problem-focused coping appeared to reduce depressive symptoms. Strong associations were also found between personality and coping styles, as individuals with high reward dependence were more inclined to engage in emotion-focused coping, while high self-directed individuals engaged in more problem-focused coping. High harm avoidance was associated with avoidant coping, resulting in greater distress than either predictor alone. The current study suggests that our personality and the coping styles we employ may influence whether we experience stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, the association between personality and coping styles suggests that individuals with maladaptive personalities (e.g. high harm avoidance) are at a greater risk for experiencing psychological distress as they are more likely to use a maladaptive coping style such as avoidant coping.
The primary aim in this thesis is to examine the association between certain personality traits, coping styles and psychological distress. Psychological distress can be conceptualised in a variety of ways. For the purpose of this study it will be defined as symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. In this section the previous research regarding the contribution of certain personality styles and coping to psychological distress will be discussed. In addition, this research will outline previous research that has shown there is also an association between certain personalities and coping styles. It is argued that a maladaptive personality and a maladaptive coping style predict increased psychological distress, relative to each predictor alone. The goal of this study is to provide greater understanding of the etiology and maintenance of stress, anxiety and depression.Consequently individuals may be identified that are 'at risk' for experiencing psychological distress.
Contents
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
ABSTRACT
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1Coping
1.1.1 Coping Styles
1.2 Coping Style and Psychological Distress
1.2.1 Overview
1.2.2 Avoidant Coping and Psychological Distress
1.2.3 Problem-Focused Coping and Psychological Distress
1.2.4 Emotion-Focused Coping and Psychological Distress
1.2.5 Summary
1.3 Personality
1.3.1 Personality Traits and their Associations with Stress, Anxiety and Depression
1.3.2 Cloninger's Psychobiological Model of Personality
1.4 Personality and Psychological Distress
1.4.1 Harm Avoidance, Self-Directedness and Psychological Distress
1.4.2 Reward Dependence and Psychological Distress
1.4.3 Summary
1.5 Personality and Coping Style
1.5.1 Overview
1.5.2 Review of Personality and Coping Style
1.5.3 Review of Cloninger's Psychobiological Model and Coping Styles
1.5.4 Summary
1.6 Current Study
2. METHOD
2.1 Participants
2.2 Procedure
2.3 Ethical Approval
2.4 Measures
2.4.1 The Temperament Character Inventory Revised (TCI-R; Cloninger et al., 1994)
2.4.2 The Coping Orientation of Problem Experience Inventory (The COPE; Carver et al., 1989)
2.4.3 The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS; S. H. Lovibond & P. F. Lovibond,
1995)
2.5 Statistical Analyses
2.5.1 Checking the Data for Normality
3. RESULTS
3.1 Descriptive Information
3.2 Examination of Data
3.3 Relationship between Coping and Stress, Anxiety and Depression Variables
3.3.1 Coping Styles (Problem-Focused, Emotion-Focused, Avoidant) and Psychological Distress
3.4 Individual Coping Styles and Psychologial Distress
3.4.1 Post Hoc Analysis of Problem-Focused Coping Styles and Depression Scores
3.4.2 Post hoc Analysis of Avoidant Coping Styles and Stress, Anxiety and Depression Scores
3.5 Relationship between Personality and Stress, Anxiety and Depression Variables
3.5.1 Associations between Personality (Harm Avoidance, Reward Dependence, Self
Directedness) and Psychological Distress
3.6 Relationship between Personality and Coping Styles
3.6.1 Associations between Personality Traits and Coping Styles
3.7 The Contribution of Harm Avoidance and Avoidant Coping to Stress, Anxiety and Depression
3.7.1 The Contribution of Harm Avoidance and Avoidant Coping to Stress
3.7.2 The Contribution of Harm Avoidance and Avoidant Coping to Anxiety
3.7.3 The Contribution of Harm Avoidance and Avoidant Coping to Depressive Symptoms
4. DISCUSSION
4.1 Comparison with Previous Research
4.1.1 Avoidant Coping and Distress
4.1.2 Problem-Focused Coping and Distress
4.1.3 Emotion-Focused Coping and Distress
4.1.4 Harm Avoidance and Distress
4.1.5 Self-Directedness and Distress
4.1.6 Reward Dependence and Distress
4.1.7 Personality and Coping
4.1.8 The Contribution of Harm Avoidance and Avoidant Coping to Psychological Distress
4.2 Strengths and Limitations
4.3 Implications and Future Research
4.4 Conclusion
REFERENCES
APPENDIX
Appendix A: Recruitment Documentation
Description of Study for Website, Poster Advertisement, Information Sheet, Participant Contact Details, Consent Form, Debrief Form, Ethics Approval
Appendix B:Materials used in the Current Study
Demographic Information, Index of Questionnaires, Temperament Character Inventory – Revised, The Coping Orientation of Problem Experience, The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale
Appendix C:Tables
Download
PDF Ebook The Relationship Between Personality, Coping Styles And Stress, Anxiet And Depression
Posted in :
