Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) participants often report depressive symptoms, which predict medical and behavioral outcomes. Depressive symptoms and coping strategies are also associated among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), but this relationship is unclear. The purposes of this study were to describe the frequency of approach and avoidance coping strategies used by CR participants, and to examine the association of coping strategies with depressive symptoms.
Methods: The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and a 20-item self-report measure (Brief COPE) assessing the frequency of approach and avoidance coping strategies used to cope with CAD were administered to CAD patients entering CR (n = 84; mean age = 62.7, SD = 11.4; 32% women; 36% non-Caucasian). Higher scores indicate greater depressive symptoms on the BDI-II and greater frequency of coping strategy use on the Brief COPE. Approach and avoidance coping strategies were analyzed as correlates of depressive symptoms in a regression model.
Results: BDI-II scores averaged 8.22 (SD = 7.07), indicating minimal depressive symptoms. Participants reported more frequent use of approach coping strategies than avoidance coping strategies as illustrated in the table below.
Conclusion: Avoidance coping may be an important psychosocial variable among CR participants and future study is warranted to further understand the relationship between coping strategies and depressive symptoms, as well as medical and behavioral outcomes.