GENDER SPECIFICITY OF COPING STRATEGIES IN MEN AND WOMEN

Abstract

The effectiveness of stress coping depends not only on the success of the chosen strategy but also on individual characteristics of the person. Age, sex, social status, and gender identity influence coping ability and psychological resilience. To study gender-specific coping strategies in men and women, 181 participants were recruited (groups: masculine, androgynous, and feminine). The study was conducted using the BSRI and WCQ questionnaires within a cross-sectional design. Differences between groups were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis test, Mann–Whitney U-test, and Student’s t-test. The results showed that coping behavior is determined by the participants’ gender identity.Objective: To identify gender- specific coping strategies in middle-aged men and women and to evaluate the potential of a new scientific approach to analyzing the coping methods they use. Materials and Methods: The study included 181 patients aged 44–59 years undergoing treatment at the private clinic “Kahramon- Rahimjon,” of whom 91 (50.3%) were men and 90 (49.7%) were women (mean age = 47 years; SD = 7.10). Results and Conclusions: The main differences between men and women were found in the strategies of “positive reappraisal” and “planful problem solving.” Gender identity (masculine, androgynous, feminine) had the greatest influence on strategy choice: masculine participants more often used “distancing,” “self- controlling,” and “planful problem solving”; among androgynous individuals, women preferred “positive reappraisal” while men favored “self- controlling”; feminine women more frequently used “seeking social support,” and feminine men used “distancing” and “planful problem solving.” Thus, coping strategies depend more on gender identity than on biological sex: women prefer emotion-focused strategies, whereas men and masculine individuals prefer active problem-solving strategies.