Abstract

FORTES-BURGOS, Andréa Cristina Garofe; NERI, Anita Liberalesso  and  CUPERTINO, Ana Paula Fabrino Bretas. Stressful events, coping strategies, self-efficacy and depressive symptoms among the elderly residing in the community. Psicol. Reflex. Crit. [online]. 2008, vol.21, n.1, pp. 74-82. ISSN 0102-7972.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S0102-79722008000100010.

The relationship among stressful life events, coping strategies, self-efficacy in coping and depression in 544 participants of a study on successful aging involving elderly who reside in the community was assessed (74,6% women; age = 72.11; + 8.29; 42,1% age 60-69; 39% 70-79 and 18,9% 80-99). Stressful life events were classified into categories related to: finitude, problems concerning offspring, care, crisis and psychological well-being. Coping strategies generated five factors: negative emotions, environment control, religiosity, avoidance behaviors, and emotional inhibition. Self-efficacy of coping was evaluated between appropriate versus inappropriate. Mean score of depression assessed through CES-D was 10.24, + 8,66); prevalence was 32% to a cut-off score >11. Major risk for depression was associated with negative emotions, uncontrollable events, age 60-69 and inappropiate self-efficacy of coping. The stressful life events seemed less predictive of depression than the cognitive assessment and the coping did.

Keywords : Stressful life events; coping; self-efficacy; depression; elderly.