Psychometric evaluation of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire as applied to clinical and nonclinical groups

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to describe coping and evaluate the psychometric properties and the factor structure of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) applied to clinical and nonclinical groups.MethodThe responses of 510 subjects (chronically disabled patients, their next of kin, and students) who completed the Swedish version of the WCQ were the basis for confirmatory factor analyses of the original eight-factor model as well as of the model consistency across samples.ResultsThe coping patterns that emerged in the case of the patients were very similar to those of the next of kin. The exceptions were greater use of Distancing by patients and of Positive Reappraisal by next of kin. The results showed support for the original eight-factor model, but deviation from the equality of factor structures among the subsamples indicated a limited use of the WCQ in between-sample comparisons.ConclusionModifications to the eight-factor model adequately described the subsamples, supporting the use of the WCQ in within-sample settings. This was particularly evident from the evaluation of alternative factor structures based on previously described models derived from clinical samples.