Researchers analyzed how individuals coped with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying three coping styles (adjusted, upset, and detached), with veterans more likely to have adaptable and detached styles; findings suggest stable coping styles may benefit mental health.

The following is a summary of “Veterans and Nonveterans Coping With Stress During 4 Months of COVID-19,” published in the November 2023 issue of Primary Care by Butler, et al.

By looking at how people dealt with stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers guessed how the population will act when faced with similar stresses in the future. For a study, they looked at how soldiers and nonveterans dealt with stress and how these tactics stayed the same or changed over three points in time during the pandemic. They sent out a questionnaire through an online poll tool three times during the time that COVID-19 vaccines were generally available: December 2–27, 2020; January 21–February 6, 2021; and March 8–23, 2022. The poll asked people how often They used 11 different ways to deal with stress and problems, as well as how often They had signs of worry and sadness.

A total of 2,085 people (50.8% of the participants were veterans) filled out the form at least once, and 930 people (62.8% of the participants were veterans) filled it out at all three times. Cluster analysis showed that there are three different ways of coping: adjusted, upset, and detached. Veterans were more likely than nonveterans to have adaptable and detached coping styles and less likely to have a disturbed coping style. Seventy-one percent of the group changed how They dealt with stress at least once during the study time. People who used the same way of coping at all three-time points said They were less anxious and depressed.

The findings showed that they need to learn more about how people deal with pandemic-level stresses as time goes on. While they didn’t find any trends of change in coping styles, the results did suggest that having a stable coping style might be helpful. Less flexible and more stable styles could be good for mental health. The study had implications for how family doctors can help people who are stressed.

Source: annfammed.org/content/21/6/508