This dissertation, "The Moderating Effect of Coping on Depression in the Elderly: a Hong Kong Study" by Bonny, Wong, 黃寶兒, was obtained from The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong) and is being sold pursuant to Creative Commons: Attribution 3.0 Hong Kong License. The content of this dissertation has not been altered in any way. We have altered the formatting in order to facilitate the ease of printing and reading of the dissertation. All rights not granted by the above license are retained by the author. Abstract: Abstract of thesis entitled "The moderating effect of coping on depression in the elderly: A Hong Kong study" Submitted by Bonny Wong for the degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong 2003 This study explores the interacting effect of coping on the relationship between certain precipitant variables and the outcome variable of depression in a representative elderly sample in Hong Kong. The present study uses data obtained in a survey study conducted in Hong Kong in 2000. The respondents were 917 elderly people, living in Hong Kong aged sixty years or over, being a sub-sample of elderly persons identified in the General Household Survey. The results of that study showed that certain risk factors, including poor physical conditions or physical health, stressful life events and poor social support contributed to a feeling that life was meaningless, and were good predictors of depression and suicidal ideation in the local elderly age group. Twenty questions in the survey related to the coping methods of the elderly, which included active as well as passive coping strategies. Literature review shows that although there are voluminous research studies carried out in the past two decades on coping and mental health outcome, very few local studies have been undertaken that investigate the effect of coping as it interacts with external factors affecting the individuals, in particular in the elderly group. Regression analyses were carried out using coping as a moderator variable, against the risk factors of poor physical health, lack of social support and stressful life events on the one hand and the outcome variable of depression on the other. The findings show that active coping strategies have a differential effect in ameliorating depressive symptoms in the Chinese elderly with certain risk factors, such as living arrangement, long term pain and poor perceived health; passive coping strategies have a similar differential effect in exacerbating negative emotions in the Chinese elderly in the case of unemployment. Implications of the findings include the need to investigate further the role of coping strategies, not only as free standing skills, but as they interact with an individual's internal and external resources, including their environment. Further research will need to be carried out, taking into account research designs and methodological problems highlighted in the literature review. The ageing society of Hong Kong will benefit from implementation of policies aimed at educating not only the elderly population on coping and mental health, but also the younger age groups. Coping is not a standalone skill, but is learned through the life course as one encounters life's myriad facets and problems. DOI: 10.5353/th_b2664660 Subjects: Depression in old age - China - Hong Kong Older people - Mental health - China - Hong Kong Adjustment (Psychology)