The applicability of the multiaxial model of coping to a greek population

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the applicability of the Multiaxial Model of Coping, a model based on the communal perspective, to a Greek population, using the Strategic Approach to Coping Scale (SACS). The model was thought to be appropriate to study the coping process among Greeks because of the country's communal orientation. Participants were 93 university students and 54 adults. The nine scales measured by the SACS were found to have adequate internal reliability and their relationships with coping instruments already adapted to the Greek population provided support for the construct validity of the scale. Furthermore, second order factor analysis, sex differences in coping, and the relationship between coping and distress provided support for the model. Finally, problem-focused copers, as defined by instruments using the individualistic perspective, formed two groups, one relying on assertive action and another on antisocial action, with the first experiencing less psychological distress than the second.

Key Words:

• Coping
• Stress
• Gender
• Communal