본 연구는 우울에 대한 스트레스-취약성 모델에 입각하여, 중년 여성의 우울에 영향을 미치는 심리사회적 특성과 대처 방식의 역할을 밝히는 것을 주요 목적으로 129명의 지역사회 여성들을 3개월간 추적 연구하였다. 우울에 대한 개인내 취약성 변인으로 완벽주의적 성향을, 개인간 취약성 변인으로 사회적 지지를 가정하고, 이러한 취약성 변인들이 일상생활 속에서의 사소한 스트레스와 이에 대한 대처방식과 상호작용하여 3개월 후의 우울을 얼마나 예측하여 주는지를 알아보았다. 우울에 대한 중다회귀분석 결과, 인구통계학적 변인과 과거 우울력, 1차 시기에서의 우울을 통제한 후에도 타인 지향적 완벽주의 성향과 불쾌한 생활경험, 회피적 대처 방식이 3개월 후의 우울에 대한 강력한 예측 변인임이 밝혀졌다. 이와 같은 결과는 중요한 타인에게 완벽성을 요구하는 중년 여성이 일상생활 속에서의 사소한 스트레스에 회피적으로 대처할 때 우울에 이르게 된다는 것을 시사해준다.

The present study investigated the effects of psychosocial characteristics and the role of coping style on depression in the middle aged woman, based on the stress-vulnerability model. 129 community women completed measures of past history, depression, and perfectionism at Time 1 and depression, stress, coping style, and social support 3 months later. In the present study, the psychosocial variables, which were defined as depressive vulnerability variables, consisted of intrapersonal and interpersonal variables. The intrapersonal variables included perfectionistic characteristics, and the interpersonal variables included social support and social conflict. There are three kinds of coping styles; that is, active-cognitive, active-behavior and avoidance coping. The present study examined the effects of these coping styles on depression. Initially, factor analysis of Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale(MPS) was done to analyze the perfectionism in the middle-aged woman. In the results, there were 3 dimensions: socially-prescribed perfectionism, other-oriented perfectionism, and self-oriented perfectionism. To examine the difference between the depressed group and the non-depressed group, difference tests were done. The two groups did not differ in demographic variables but differed in past history and depression at Time 1. Of the interpersonal and intrapersonal variables, only social conflict was significant. And the results revealed that depressed women tended to choose more avoidance and less active-behavioral coping styles against stress. Finally, hierarchical regression analysis was done to find out the depressive vunerability factors. After controlling demographic variables, past history and depression at Time 1, other-oriented perfectionism characteristics, stress and avoidance coping style turned out as strongly predicted variables on depression at Time 2. The results indicate that a woman who requests others to be perfect is depressed when she copes with stress using an avoidance coping style.