This cross-sectional study examined coping strategies and their relationship with depression among undocumented Hispanic immigrants. A community sample of 122 self-identified undocumented Hispanics filled out questionnaires measuring coping and depression. The authors categorized coping strategies as problem-focused, active-emotional, or avoidant-emotional. Findings indicated that coping through “prayer and meditation” (problem-focused), “get comfort from someone” (active-emotional), and “see bad things positively” (active-emotional) were more frequently used by undocumented Hispanics. Contrary to past research and predictions, problem-focused and active-emotional coping were both positively related to depression. What is more, problem-focused coping accounted for additional variance of depression above and beyond active-emotional coping. The insoluble nature of many of the problems faced by undocumented immigrants may explain the counterintuitive finding that as problem-focused and active-emotional coping increased, so too did depression. © 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Depression Coping Undocumented hispanics Problem-focused Emotion-focused

depression Emotions human middle aged coping behavior Adaptation, Psychological ethnology Hispanic Americans Undocumented Immigrants Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult cross-sectional study undocumented immigrant migrant Hispanic Adolescent psychology male Emigrants and Immigrants Humans female emotion adult