Resilience in response to life stress: the effects of coping style and cognitive hardiness

Direct effects and buffering models were tested in relation to cognitive hardiness and coping for general health and psychological functioning. Mature age university students (N=187) completed measures assessing life event stress and traumatic life experiences (independent variables) cognitive hardiness and coping style (moderator variables), and general health, somatization, anxiety and depression (dependent variables). In general results supported a direct effects model of the relationship between life stress and psychological health. Cognitive hardiness, aspects of coping style and negative life events directly impacted on measures of psychological and somatic distress. In several cases there was also support for a buffering model in which cognitive hardiness moderated the effects of emotional coping or adverse life events on psychological distress. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.