Strategies for Coping with a Depressed Mood in Low Income and Ethnic Minority Mothers at Risk

Written by Rahshida Atkins, Shanda Johnson, Tami L. Jakubowski, Tracy Perron, Helene Lewis, Daniella Gadaleta, Arta Qosja, Dana Finkelstein, Tiffany Stellmacher, & Janet A. Deatrick

doi: https://doi.org/10.13178/jnparr.2021.11.01.1003

Abstract

Background: Low-income and ethnic minority mothers report high levels of depressive symptoms, yet rarely seek professional treatment. Few studies have ex-amined strategies for coping with depression among these mothers.

Objective: This study identified the most commonly used strategies for coping with a depressed mood in an underrepresented sample of low-income or ethnic minority mothers at-risk for clinical depression.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional design was employed. A convenience sample of 117 low-income or ethnic minority mothers were recruited from community sites. Participants responded to an open-ended question that asked about ways of coping with a depressed mood. Content and Pearson Chi-Square analysis was used to analyze the data. Percentages were used to categorize the responses according to the theorized sub-scales of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire.

Results: The majority of responses fell into the Escape-Avoidance category (n = 108; 62.8%), followed by the Seeking Social Support (n = 31, 18.0%), Positive Reappraisal (n = 18; 10.5%), Planful Problem Solving (n = 7; 4.1%, Distancing (n = 3; 1.7%), Self-Controlling (n = 3; 1.7%), and Confrontive Coping (n = 2, .5%). Exactly 59.1% (n = 52) of mothers provided only emotion-focused coping responses. No responses fit the “Accepting responsibility” category nor indicated an intention to seek professional help. Neither race, age, or income levels were related to coping styles.

Conclusions: Emotion-Focused coping strategies are used most often and problem-focused least often. Healthcare providers can encourage adaptive coping mechanisms as assets to prevent the onset of clinical depression. Researchers can examine the effectiveness of currently used strategies.

Keywords: depression, mental health, health disparities, mood disorders, women’s health