Coping as a moderator of self-discrepancies and psychological distress

ABSTRACT

The current study examined the moderating effects of different types of coping styles between self-discrepancy and psychological distress (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms). Participants consisted of 143 university students who completed measures of self-discrepancy, coping styles, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. The present research partially replicated previous findings of the unique relations between different types of self-discrepancies and specific psychological distress. Actual-ideal discrepancy uniquely and positively related to depressive symptoms, and actual-ought discrepancy positively related to both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Regarding the moderating role of coping, task-oriented coping buffered the relation between actual-ideal self-discrepancy and depressive symptoms. Avoidance-oriented coping buffered the relation between actual-ideal self-discrepancy and depressive symptoms, while it amplified the relation between actual-ought self-discrepancy and anxiety. The findings extend the literature on self-discrepancy theory by informing how coping styles play a role in the relation between self-discrepancy and psychological distress. Clinicians can use the findings by targeting coping styles for clients who suffer from anxiety or depressive symptoms caused by self-discrepancy.

KEYWORDS:

• Self-discrepancy
• coping style
• depression
• anxiety

Disclosure statement

There was no funding support for conducting this study.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.