Coping Strategies Among Undergraduates: Spanish Adaptation and Validation of the Brief-COPE Inventory

Figures & data

Table 1 Descriptive Statistics and Factor Loading

Factors	Items	M (SD)	SK	KU	S-W	FL	SE
Active coping	2. I have been concentrating my efforts on doing something about the situation I am in	2.82 (0.65)	−0.25	0.18	0.80***	0.40	0.02
	7. I have been taking action to try to make the situation better	3.11 (0.64)	−0.37	0.38	0.78***	0.49	0.02
	Total	2.97 (0.55)	−0.35	0.40	0.91***	–	–
Planning	14. I have been trying to come up with a strategy about what to do	3.08 (0.65)	−0.34	0.29	0.79***	0.42	0.02
	25. I have been thinking hard about what steps to take	2.98 (0.64)	−0.42	0.79	0.78***	0.41	0.02
	Total	3.03 (0.54)	−0.48	0.94	0.89***	–	–
Instrumental support	10. I have been getting help and advice from other people	3.03 (0.77)	−0.50	−0.09	0.83***	0.72	0.01
	23. I have been trying to get advice or help from other people about what to do	2.87 (0.82)	−0.39	−0.34	0.85***	0.60	0.02
	Total	2.94 (0.73)	−0.40	−0.18	0.92***	–	–
Emotional support	5. I have been getting emotional support from others	3.02 (0.78)	−0.48	−0.20	0.84***	0.67	0.01
	15. I have been getting comfort and understanding from someone	3.08 (0.76)	−0.60	0.11	0.82***	0.66	0.01
	Total	3.05 (0.72)	−0.60	0.14	0.90***	–	–
Self-distraction	1. I have been turning to work or other activities to take my mind off things	2.78 (0.74)	−0.34	−0.02	0.83***	0.46	0.03
	19. I have been doing something to think about it less, such as going to movies, watching TV, reading, daydreaming, sleeping, or shopping	2.80 (0.86)	−0.47	−0.33	0.85***	0.41	0.03
	Total	2.79 (0.63)	−0.47	0.33	0.93***	–	–
Venting	9. I have been saying things to let my unpleasant feelings escape	2.30 (0.78)	−0.14	−0.67	0.84***	0.69	0.02
	21. I have been expressing my negative feelings	2.17 (0.79)	0.16	−0.54	0.85***	0.74	0.02
	Total	2.24 (0.75)	0.04	−0.40	0.87***	–	–
Behavioral disengagement	6. I have been giving up trying to deal with it	2.32 (0.79)	−0.91	0.07	0.77***	0.60	0.02
	16. I have been giving up the attempt to cope	2.35 (0.73)	−0.83	−0.07	0.77***	0.56	0.02
	Total	2.33 (0.67)	−0.82	0.10	0.85***	–	–
Positive reframing	12. I have been trying to see it in a different light, to make it seem more positive	3.02 (0.72)	−0.55	0.54	0.80***	0.54	0.01
	17. I have been looking for something good in what is happening	2.92 (0.75)	−0.55	0.28	0.82***	0.63	0.01
	Total	2.98 (0.66)	−0.59	0.65	0.89***	–	–
Denial	3. I have been saying to myself “this isn’t real”	2.52 (1.03)	0.02	−1.14	0.87***	0.40	0.03
	8. I have been refusing to believe that it has happened	3.09 (0.83)	−0.36	−0.98	0.82***	0.80	0.05
	Total	2.80 (0.75)	−0.00	−0.74	0.94***	–	–
Acceptance	20. I have been accepting the reality of the fact that it has happened	3.13 (0.67)	−0.60	0.51	0.79***	0.56	0.02
	24. I have been learning to live with it	3.04 (0.65)	−0.44	0.51	0.79***	0.40	0.02
	Total	3.10 (0.58)	−0.57	0.77	0.90***	–	–
Religion	22. I have been trying to find comfort in my religion or spiritual beliefs	1.61 (0.90)	1.30	0.55	0.69***	0.61	0.03
	27. I have been praying or meditating	1.80 (0.95)	0.89	−0.36	0.78***	0.92	0.04
	Total	1.70 (0.84)	1.06	0.16	0.80***	–	–
Substance use	4. I have been using alcohol or other drugs to make myself feel better	1.29 (0.66)	2.35	4.79	0.50***	0.49	0.02
	11. I have been using alcohol or other drugs to help me get through it	1.39 (0.73)	1.75	2.06	0.59***	0.62	0.03
	Total	1.34 (0.63)	2.04	3.98	0.61***	–	–
Humor	18. I have been making jokes about it	2.66 (0.90)	−0.21	−0.92	0.88***	0.85	0.02
	28. I have been making fun of the situation	2.41 (0.94)	0.05	−0.92	0.88***	0.79	0.02
	Total	2.53 (0.89)	−0.10	−0.90	0.94***	–	–
Self-blaming	13. I have been criticizing myself	2.65 (0.98)	−0.18	−1.03	0.88***	0.97	0.02
	26. I’ been blaming myself for things that happened	2.70 (1.01)	−0.28	−1.04	0.87***	0.97	0.02
	Total	2.68 (0.99)	−0.25	−0.98	0.88***	–	–

Note: ***p < 0.001.

Abbreviations: M, mean; SD, standard deviation; SK, skewness; KU, kurtosis; S-W, Shapiro–Wilk statistic; FL, factor loading; SE, standard error.

Table 2 Fit Indexes of the Models of the Spanish Adaptations of the Brief-COPE

Studies	Samples	EFA/CFA	N Factors/Items	KMO	S-Bχ^2	df	CFI	GFI	SRMR	RMSEA (90% CI)
Morán et al^Citation29	260 Spanish undergraduates	EFA	11/26	0.66	2290.05***	378	NE	NE	NE	NE
Ornelas et al^Citation30	203 Mexican women	EFA	7/17	0.69	749.49***	378	NE	NE	NE	NE
Reich et al^Citation13	203 Uruguayan women	EFA	12/24	0.70	506.25***	66	NE	0.96	NE	NE
García et al^Citation17	1847 Chilean adults	CFA	14/28	NE	1079.42***	259	0.94	NE	NE	0.04 (0.04–0.05)
Pilot test of current research	403 Spanish undergraduates	CFA	14/28	NE	454.97***	259	0.92	0.96	0.04	0.06 (0.06–0.06)
Current research	2135 Spanish undergraduates	CFA	14/28	NE	1198.57***	259	0.96	0.98	0.04	0.04 (0.04–0.05)

Note: ***p < 0.001.

Abbreviations: EFA, exploratory factor analysis; CFA, confirmatory factor analysis; KMO, Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin; S-Bχ², Satorra–Bentler Chi-squared; df, degree of freedom; CFI, comparative fit index; GFI, goodness-of-fit index; RMSEA, root mean squared error of approximation; CI, confidence interval; SRMR, standardized root mean squared residual; NE, not estimated.

Table 3 Correlations and Reliabilities

Factor/Variable	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
1. Active coping	–
2. Planning	0.44***	–
3. Instrumental support	0.27***	0.27***	–
4. Emotional support	0.30***	0.26***	0.78***	–
5. Self-distraction	0.12***	0.13***	0.21***	0.19***	–
6. Venting	−0.15***	−0.34***	−0.31***	−0.26***	0.02*	–
7. Behavioral disengagement	−0.17***	−0.18***	−0.15***	−0.11***	0.02*	0.01*	–
8. Positive reframing	0.56***	0.44***	0.23***	0.25***	0.12***	−0.08***	−0.19***	–
9. Denial	−0.09***	−0.07*	−0.03*	−0.01*	−0.07**	0.06**	0.29***	−0.18***	–
10. Acceptance	0.30***	0.32***	0.29***	0.23***	0.03*	−0.18***	0.32***	0.45***	−0.21***	–
11. Religion	0.05*	0.07***	0.09***	0.07**	−0.01*	−0.05*	−0.01*	0.11***	−0.15***	−0.01*	–
12. Substance use	−0.02*	−0.06*	−0.03*	−0.09***	0.01*	0.08***	−0.19***	−0.08***	−0.12***	−0.01*	−0.07***	–
13. Humor	0.11***	0.20***	0.04*	0.03*	−0.02*	−0.12***	0.10***	0.27***	0.01*	0.25***	−0.08***	0.05*	–
14. Self-blaming	0.04*	0.05*	0.14***	0.20***	0.01*	−0.02*	0.32***	0.17***	0.08***	0.07**	−0.01*	−0.12***	0.06**	–
15. Perceived stress	0.38***	0.26***	0.26***	0.20***	0.12***	0.02*	0.20***	0.50***	0.06***	0.32***	0.01*	−0.11***	0.08***	0.09***	–
16. Satisfaction with life	0.42***	0.41***	0.32***	0.40***	−0.16***	−0.15***	−0.13***	0.41***	−0.07***	0.22***	−0.11***	−0.08***	0.09***	−0.06***	0.46***	–
17. GPA	0.16***	0.19***	0.13*	0.14*	−0,13***	−0.02*	−0.06**	0.11*	−0.01*	0.10*	−0.04*	−0.10***	0.01	−0.01*	0.17**	0.25*	–
18. Brief-COPE	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
M	2.97	3.03	2.94	3.05	2.79	2.24	2.33	2.98	2.80	3.10	1.70	1.34	2.53	2.68	1.88	5.56	7.78	–
SD	0.55	0.54	0.73	0.72	0.63	0.75	0.67	0.66	0.75	0.58	0.84	0.63	0.89	0.99	0.46	0.19	0.83	–
α	0.73	0.70	0.81	0.84	0.72	0.91	0.73	0.78	0.65	0.76	0.79	0.77	0.84	0.86	0.88	0.81	–	0.75
ω	0.73	0.70	0.81	0.84	0.72	0.91	0.73	0.78	0.65	0.76	0.79	0.77	0.84	0.86	0.89	0.82	–	0.77
CRI	0.75	0.72	0.73	0.73	0.72	0.88	0.73	0.73	0.61	0.71	0.77	0.71	0.81	0.88	0.87	0.85	–	0.85
AVE	0.53	0.51	0.77	0.77	0.51	0.83	0.67	0.68	0.68	0.57	0.67	0.55	0.68	0.76	0.57	0.80	–	0.64
α^Citation29	NE	NE	NE	NE	0.59	0.58	0.63	0.59	0.64	NE	0.80	0.93	0.79	0.58	–	–	–	NE
α^Citation30	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	NE	–	–	–	0.72
α^Citation13	0.73	0.58	NE	0.81	0.51	0.47	0.71	0.69	0.65	0.66	0.86	0.50	0.76	NE	–	–	–	0.78
α^Citation17	0.65	0.62	0.73	0.75	0.58	0.66	0.54	0.54	0.66	0.53	0.79	0.82	0.80	0.61	–	–	–	NE

Notes: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.

Abbreviations: M, mean; SD, standard deviation; α, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient; ω, McDonald’s omega coefficient; CRI, composite reliability index; AVE, average variance extracted; NE, not estimated.

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