An examination of the relationship among depression, anger, coping style, and gender in adolescents.

Abstract

Even though depression has been a topic of research for many years, as society changes, updates need to made on the knowledge of depression and what contributes to this illness. Depression can be caused in part by anger directed inward or anger that is suppressed (Kashani, Dahlmeier, Bourduin, Soltys, & Reid, 1995; Riley, Treiber, & Woods, 1989). Other factors which may also contribute to depression include stressful life events, how the individual copes with those stressful events, and the gender of the individual. Despite the many studies done in this area, little is known about the relationship of anger, coping styles, and depression. The current study found a significant difference on coping styles most often used by depressed and non-depressed adolescents. Depressed adolescents tend to use an emotion-oriented coping style while the non-depressed adolescents tend to use a task-oriented coping style. Depressed adolescents also showed a significant difference in the way they expressed their anger, reporting a higher rate of internalized anger. Adolescent girls showed a significant difference in the ability they have to control over their anger when compared with adolescent boys. Adolescent girls also reported experiencing internalized anger more than adolescent boys. The current research did not support gender differences on the acknowledgement of depression symptoms or on the coping style used in stressful situations. Societal changes may explain these discrepancies. The present study supports the idea that anger expression and coping style are related to depression. This information can help mental health professionals in assessing and treating individuals with depression as well as teaching more effective, healthy ways to cope with stress and to express anger.