Age Differences in the Use of Coping Mechanisms

Two cross-sectional studies are reported, which attempt to assess the influence of age on the use of 28 coping mechanisms. In the first study 255 men and women, aged 24 to 91 years, completed a questionnaire describing their coping efforts in response to a recent life event categorized by the investigator as either a loss, a threat, or a challenge. In the second study 150 persons, aged 21 to 90 years, completed a shortened version of the questionnaire in response to three separate stresses that they selected. Results showed that the older people in this sample coped in much the same way as younger people and that, where they employed different mechanisms, it appeared to be largely because of the different types of stress they face. However, middle-aged and older persons were consistently less inclined than younger persons to rely on hostile reaction and escapist fantasy, regardless of type of stress.