Avoidant coping predicts psychological disturbance in the elderly.

In a prospective study of 81 independently living elderly persons, information on coping strategy in response to a stressful life event was used in a canonical analysis to examine the relationship between coping factors and health status measures. A canonical correlation of .53 (28% of variance) indicated that those who responded to stressful life events with self-blame, wishful thinking, and avoidance tended to be more symptomatic 4 months later. In a regression analysis, avoidant coping significantly contributed to the prediction of psychological disturbance at the time of the second interview (R2 = .22, p less than .05). Coping strategy, however, did not significantly contribute to the prediction of physical health status during the interval examined. These results are generally consistent with the notion that coping strategies modulate the influence of life events on health and well-being but underscore the possibility that such relationships may differ depending on whether physical or psychological health status is being predicted.