Coping Strategies in Patients with Depressive Disorder: A Comparative Study

The current investigation was a cross-sectional attempt to examine the gender differences in using coping strategies among patients with depressive disorder. A total of 60 patients out of which 30 male and 30 female fulfilling the ICD-10 criteria for depressive disorder participated in the this study. Consecutive recruited participants were assessed on proactive coping inventory. Female patients with depressive disorder scored higher on reflective coping, instrumental support coping and emotional support than male patients. Both male and female patients scored higher on avoidance coping. Overall findings suggest that proactive coping was more used by female patients with than male patients.