Strategies for coping with stress. In total, 15 possible coping strategies were listed and respondents were asked to select how frequently they used them to cope with stress (always, often, sometimes, rarely, never, n/a). Strategies always or often employed are tabulated.
| Coping strategies* | Total respondents, % (n) | Male respondents, % (n) | Female respondents, % (n) |
|---|---|---|---|
| I watch a movie/TV programme (n = 632; m = 243, f = 389) | 38.6 (241) | 41.6 (101) | 36.0 (140) |
| I talk it out (n = 629; m = 242, f = 387) | 37.7 (237) | 26.9 (65) | 44.4 (172) |
| I watch a movie/TV programme (n = 632; m = 243, f = 389) | 38.6 (241) | 41.6 (101) | 36.0 (140) |
| I talk it out (n = 629; m = 242, f = 387) | 37.7 (237) | 26.9 (65) | 44.4 (172) |
| I go for a run/walk/other form of exercise (n = 634; m = 246, f = 388) | 36.9 (234) | 33.7 (83) | 38.9 (151) |
| I listen to or play music (n = 627; m = 243, f = 383) | 34.6 (217) | 34.4 (84) | 34.7 (133) |
| I binge eat (n = 630; m = 243, f = 387) | 21.0 (132) | 11.9 (29) | 26.6 (103) |
| I am not aware of feeling stressed (n = 622; m = 243, f = 379) | 18.3 (114) | 23.0 (56) | 15.3 (58) |
| I withdraw into myself (n = 626; m = 242, f = 384) | 17.1 (107) | 17.8 (43) | 16.7 (64) |
| I take it out on others (n = 632; m = 243, f = 389) | 13.9 (88) | 7.8 (19) | 17.7 (69) |
| I pray, practise mindfulness or meditation (n = 628; m = 243, f = 385) | 13.4 (84) | 15.6 (38) | 11.9 (46) |
| I drink more alcohol than usual (n = 627; m = 242, f = 385) | 12.0 (75) | 15.7 (38) | 9.6 (37) |
| I smoke more than usual (n = 626; m = 243, f = 383) | 7.3 (46) | 10.7 (26) | 5.2 (20) |
| I take prescription medications (n = 626; m = 241, f = 384) | 2.7 (17) | 3.3 (8) | 2.3% (9) |
| I take herbal remedies or over-the-counter medications (n = 627; m = 243, f = 384) | 1.8 (11) | 0.4 (n=1) | 2.6 (10) |
| I write in my diary (n = 626; m = 242, f = 384) | 1.3 (8) | 1.2 (3) | 1.3 (5) |
| I take non-legal drugs (n = 624; m = 241, f = 383) | 0.5 (3) | 0.8 (2) | 0.3 (1) |
| *total number of respondents varied per coping strategy due to sample drop out. m = male; f = female. | |||