Table III.
Self-Reported Coping Strategies When ‘‘Feeling Sad, Depressed, or Down in the Dumps’’.
| Senior center participants | Homebound respondents | Nondepressed respondents | Depressed respondents | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pray frequently | 73.8† | 61.7 | 71.3 | 62.7 |
| Watch TV/listen to music | 60.8 | 63.0 | 58.8 | 70.6 |
| Talk to spouse/family members | 57.7★ | 39.5 | 53.8 | 41.2 |
| Talk to friends/co-workers | 51.5† | 37.0 | 46.9 | 43.1 |
| Wait and hope the problem goes away | 28.5 | 32.1 | 28.8 | 33.3 |
| Go on a long walk | 36.2★★★ | 9.9 | 28.1 | 19.6 |
| Have crying spells | 25.4† | 13.6 | 16.3★★★ | 35.3 |
| Brood and continue worrying | 9.2★★ | 24.7 | 6.9★★★ | 41.2 |
| Eat more than usual | 19.2 | 13.6 | 16.3 | 19.3 |
| Withdraw from others | 10.0† | 18.5 | 8.8★★★ | 27.5 |
| Sleep a lot | 8.5 | 14.8 | 7.5★★★ | 21.6 |
| Get going | 10.8★ | 2.5 | 8.8 | 3.9 |
| Go shopping | 9.2 | 3.7 | 8.1 | 3.9 |
| Think positively | 2.4★ | 8.9 | 2.5★ | 11.8 |
| Read a book | 7.7 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 5.9 |
| Do exercise | 3.8 | 2.5 | 4.4 | 0 |
| Work crossword puzzles | 3.9 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 0 |
| Sew/Quilt | 4.7 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 2.0 |
| Play with great (grand) children/neighbors | 3.1 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 2.0 |
| Drink beer, wine, or liquor more than usual | 2.3 | 2.5 | 1.3† | 5.9 |
| Talk to clergy | 17.7★★ | 3.7 | 14.4 | 5.9 |
| Read the Bible | 5.4 | 2.5 | 3.8 | 5.9 |
| Consult regular physician | 12.3 | 13.6 | 9.4★★ | 23.5 |
| Get prescription from doctor and take medicine | 10.0 | 12.3 | 8.1★ | 19.6 |
| Talk to a social worker | 3.1★★ | 12.3 | 4.4★ | 13.7 |
| Talk to a psychiatrist/psychologist | 4.6 | 4.9 | 3.8 | 7.8 |
| Buy over-the-counter drugs to soothe the nerves | 2.3 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 2.0 |
| Visit faith healer, medicine man, other folk healer | 0.8 | 0 | 0.6 | 0 |
Notes: Other coping strategies mentioned by a few respondents: call the crisis hotline; clean house; go for a drive; go fishing; mow/plant; draw; raise pets; and play with the computer.
★★★
p<0.001
★★
p<0.01
★
p<0.05
†
p<0.10:
Denote statistically significant difference between senior center and homebound participants and between those who were not depressed (GDS<4) and those who were depressed (GDS = >5).