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Marital Conflict and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Depression Among Married Nurses

Barabara, Timiebi Chidinma

Abstract

This study examined the predictive influence of marital conflict and coping strategies on depression among married nurses in Enugu State, Nigeria. The study was motivated by the increasing prevalence of work-related stress and emotional challenges among nurses who must balance professional and domestic responsibilities. A total of 87 married nurses (Mean age = 31.20, SD=6.32) were sampled using purposive sampling across four hospitals. Instruments included Zung's Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Braiker and Kelley Marital Conflict Scale, and Carver et al.'s (1989) Brief COPE Scale. A correlational design was adopted, and multiple hierarchical regression analyses were employed. Findings revealed that problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies significantly predicted depression (p<.001, p<.01 respectively), while marital conflict also significantly predicted depression (p<.01). The study concludes that marital conflict and coping strategies jointly predict depression among married nurses. It recommends stress man...

Keywords

Marital conflictCoping strategiesDepressionNursesEnugu State

References

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