Table 5 Most effective coping strategies with geographic locations
Positive coping strategya | Negative coping strategyb | Study | Country (region) |
|---|---|---|---|
Planned problem solving | Escape, avoidance | [25] | USA (North America) |
Problem-focused activities | Brooding over problems | [38] | Hong Kong (Eastern Asia) |
Active coping strategies (acceptance, planning, self-distraction) | Avoidance (denial, alcohol use, drug use, behavioural disengagement) | [32] | UK (Northern Europe) |
Spending time with friends | Isolation | [35] | Pakistan (South-Central Asia) |
Positive reframing | Taking drugs, alcohol | [13] | Nepal (South-Central Asia) |
Talking to friends | Engaging in physical exercise, consuming tobacco | [28] | India (South-Central Asia) |
Communicating with others | Detached coping | [26] | USA (North America) |
Positive coping, religious coping | Substance use, negative coping, blaming | [29] | India (South-Central Asia) |
Adaptive coping | Maladaptive coping | [30] | India (South-Central Asia) |
Approach-oriented coping | Being avoidance-oriented | [27] | USA (North America) |
Positive religious coping | Negative religious coping | [39] | Iran (South-Central Asia) |
Seeking support (from friends, family and fellow students), engaging in relaxing exercises, engaging in sports | Taking tranquillisers, stimulants, alcohol | [36] | Germany (Western Europe) |
Planned problem solving, seeking social support and engaging in positive reappraisal (e.g. by decreasing overtime) | Emotional escape-avoidance and distancing (e.g. by increasing overtime) | [4] | USA (North America) |
Reflective coping | Suppression and reaction | [37] | Germany (Western Europe) |
Active coping | Substance use | [31] | India (South-Central Asia) |
Positive religious coping | Negative religious coping | [41] | Malaysia (Southeast Asia) |
Positive reappraisal and refocusing on planning and action | Avoidance, rumination and catastrophising | [40] | Romania (Eastern Europe) |
Religion | Substance abuse | [34] | Pakistan (South-Central Asia) |
Internal strategies (reinterpretation, normalisation, staying busy and enduring negative emotions) | – | [33] | UK (Northern Europe) |
External strategies (speaking to someone) | |||
Learning to live in the current COVID-19 situation and accepting it | Refusing to acknowledge the current COVID-19 situation | [44] | Saudi Arabia (Arabian Peninsula, Middle East) |
Problem-solving behaviour | Avoidance behaviours | [43] | Iraq (Middle East, Western Asia) |
Adaptive coping/positive reinterpretation/planning | Maladaptive coping (behavioural disengagement and denial) | [19] | USA (North America) |
Positive thinking and active coping | Substance use | [3] | Austria (Western Europe) |
Planning | Substance use | [42] | Turkey (Southeastern Europe, Western Asia) |