An examination of the relationships between depression symptoms, coping strategies, and resilience: Understanding these variables in the context of a general sample

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationships between depression symptoms, coping strategies, and resilience. There was a need for this research because these variables had not been explored in a general population sample. Snowball sampling occurred through social networking websites using a post that provided an overview of the study and a link to the PsychData website where it could be accessed. Participants completed four instruments to measure demographics, coping strategies, depression symptoms, and resilience. Analysis of data from 137 participants revealed that as the use of problem-focused coping strategies increased, depression symptoms decreased and resilience increased. Furthermore, as the use of less-useful coping strategies increased, depression symptoms increased and resilience decreased. Also, as resilience increased, depression symptoms decreased. Mediation analyses revealed that resilience mediated the relationship between problem-focused coping and depression, as well as the relationship between less-useful coping and depression.