title: Gender differences in coping responses and bulimic symptoms among undergraduate students.
abstract: This prospective study examined the predictive role of three types of coping responses (i.e., voluntary disengagement, involuntary engagement, and involuntary disengagement) in response to social stress on bulimic symptoms among undergraduate women and men. A total of 883 (308 men; 35%) participants completed the Response to Stress Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) at baseline assessment and the EDI at follow-up assessment 8-12 weeks later. After controlling for baseline bulimic symptoms, depression, and body dissatisfaction, involuntary disengagement predicted bulimic symptoms at follow-up among men (b=.21, p<.001), but not among women (b=.06, p>.05). Results indicated that men who responded to social stress through involuntary disengagement (e.g., emotional numbing, inaction) had higher risk for increased bulimic symptoms. Future studies are needed to replicate these findings and to further understand the role of these coping responses on bulimic symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Minard 232, Fargo, ND 58108, USA. Electronic address: munyee.kwan@my.ndsu.edu.
authors.forename: Mun Yee
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Minard 232, Fargo, ND 58108, USA; Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, 120 8th Street S., Fargo, ND 58102, USA.
authors.forename: Kathryn H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2 Longfellow Place, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Kamryn T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Eddy
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2 Longfellow Place, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 401 Park Drive, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Eating Disorders Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2 Longfellow Place, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Counseling and Applied Educational Psychology, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Debra L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Franko
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Minard 232, Fargo, ND 58108, USA.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Troop-Gordon
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bulimic symptoms; Coping; Involuntary disengagement; Social stress