Stress Generation, Avoidance Coping, and a Depressed Life

Stress Generation, Avoidance Coping, and Depressive Symptoms: A 10-Year Model



Author Holahan, Charles J; Moos, Rudolf H; Holahan, Carole K; Brennan, Penny L; Schutte, Kathleen K Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Vol 73(4), Aug 2005, pp. 658-666



This study examined (a) the role of avoidance coping in prospectively generating both chronic and acute life stressors and (b) the stress-generating role of avoidance coping as a prospective link to future depressive symptoms. Participants were 1,211 late-middle-aged individuals (500 women and 711 men) assessed 3 times over a 10-year period. As predicted, baseline avoidance coping was prospectively associated with both more chronic and more acute life stressors 4 years later. Furthermore, as predicted, these intervening life stressors linked baseline avoidance coping and depressive symptoms 10 years later, controlling for the influence of initial depressive symptoms.



Folks – if I keep avoiding cleaning up the mess which passes for my kitchen, it would seem that I am guaranteed both chronic and acute stress and future depression. In other words, are they are telling me that if I don’t clean my kitchen, next time I try to cook a meal I will be severely stressed and then depressed? I see only one solution. My husband should take me out for all meals, thus alleviating my need to avoid cleaning the kitchen, and halting a major depressive episode into the bargain. I could cope with that.



I wonder if there is a solution for my avoiding doing the ironing?

cup runneth over

The problem wth being stoic, is that when you really want to be truely vulnerable and just cry, everyone looks at you as though you have gone insane.