Abstract

The work presented here is an attempt to describe a characteristic phenomenon which is depression in the context of mechanisms of coping with stress, conditioned by the strategy of coping relations and hidden anger. The variables of importance for creating depression and its course have been assumed as modifying factors for stress coping strategies.

The main aim of the presented work was an attempt to define tendencies in the use of stress coping strategies in patients suffering from depression while faced with stressful situations, and their connections with hidden anger, being decisive factors in the role of stress coping mechanisms. The research material was selected as a result of tests made in two groups of patients. The first group (35 people) consisted of persons suffering from depression who were qualified on the basis of clinical diagnosis contained in the patient’s history and age. The placebo group consisted of healthy volunteers (35 people) who were never treated because of psychological disorders and did not use doctor’s or psychologist’s advice.

The statistical analyses carried out gave results which partly confirm the data present in professional publications and explain the main research problems.

Persons suffering from depression differ considerably from healthy people in their structure of stress coping strategies. They much more often activate avoidance strategies, such as cognitive avoidance (UP) and acceptance/ resignation (AR). They less often apply most part of strategies belonging to the confrontational group: logical analyses (AL), finding positive evaluation of stressful situation (PP) and action aiming at solving a problem (DR). Therefore, patients suffering from depression more often avoid stressful life situations denying problems and accepting a given state of affairs, at the same time they analyze the situation less, they have problems with finding its positive aspects as well as present less readiness to undertake problem solving actions. Patients with depression show a higher level of hidden anger as compared to ‘healthy’ people. Anger remaining out of control (expressed in the form of clinical symptoms of depression) determines their behavior to a much greater extent. Any avoidance strategy used by patients with depression remains in a certain relationship with hidden anger. Hidden anger has influence on bigger readiness to avoid stressful life situations. At the same time, it lowers the degree of a tendency to develop problem solving behavior (DR) and similarly lowers readiness to look for other sources of life satisfaction (PW). The changes described in professional publications as those having importance for the creation of depression symptoms and its course, remain in a certain relationship to stress coping strategies. This correlation concerns life changes which lessen readiness to find positive aspects of stressful situations (PP) and increase readiness to withdraw through resignation (AR) as well as enhance tendency to openly react to emotions (WE). The last strategy (WE) decreases in its intensiveness in case of a loss caused by a death in the family.

Adres: mgr Elżbieta Benedysiuk
e-mail: benedysiuk@wp.pl