University of Twente Student Theses
The Relationship between Coping Mechanisms and Mental Health in the Context of Stressful Events : An Experience Sampling Study
Derksen, Jan (2023) The Relationship between Coping Mechanisms and Mental Health in the Context of Stressful Events : An Experience Sampling Study.
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| Abstract: | Background: Cross-sectional studies on coping mechanisms have established adaptiveness for social support seeking and reappraisal and maladaptiveness for rumination and distraction regarding mental health outcomes. However, these studies cannot account for the context in which a coping mechanism is used. This study employs the Experience Sampling Methodology to analyse the association between coping mechanisms and mental health in the context of stressful events. Method: Participants (n = 31, mean age = 29, 61% female, 39% male) were asked to self-report stressful events, negative state affect and momentary reappraisal use ten times a day for one week. Additionally, a baseline assessment of mental health, depression symptoms and anxiety symptoms were administered. Linear mixed models were used to analyse the associations between coping mechanisms after stressful events and state well-being. Pearson correlations were calculated to examine the association between coping mechanisms and trait mental health. Results: A significant positive association between momentary rumination and negative affect (p <.001) and a significant positive association between the relative frequency of rumination with anxiety symptoms (p = .016) was found. Distraction, social support seeking, and reappraisal were neither significantly associated with negative affect nor trait mental health. Conclusion: Only rumination seems to be associated with maladaptive mental health outcomes in the context of stressful events, while distraction, social support seeking, and reappraisal seem not to be associated. It is encouraged to conduct studies which explore separate parts of rumination while accounting for stressful events with a more heterogenous sample with differing mental health states and trajectories while also measuring recovery to baseline affect states. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Bachelor) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology BSc (56604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/95602 |
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