Does a correlation exist between coping skills and economic realities? Xeryus Johnson | Dr. Kim Amer | DePaul University Background and Significance Purpose and Research Questions Results and Findings Coping skills are the physiological and behavioral strategies that one employs to negotiate stressful events. Coping skills of the impoverished have a variance from person to person, however, it can be hypothesized that there is an inverse relationship between adaptive coping skills of and socioeconomic realities. Stress is directly linked to the cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns of people. These behavioral patterns influence the biological systems and thus can potentially contribute to health disorders and diseases such as diabetes, peptic ulcers, bronchi-constriction, and atherosclerosis. Purpose: Factors that contribute to coping skill selection. The cognitive, emotional and behavioral patterns that are unique to environmental adversity. The influence of those patterns on biological systems in the body, and how that eventually leads to mental and physical health disorders and diseases. Research Questions: 1. Does a correlation exist between coping skills and economic realities? 2. Is there a disproportionate number of depressive patients with low socioeconomic statuses? Discussion The literature review revealed an overlapping theme of direct proportionality between maladaptive coping strategies and onset of depression symptoms. This gives merit to the functionality of maladaptive coping strategies in different contexts. Therefore, nurses should see coping skills of the patient not from a position of judgment, but from one rooted in understanding. Methods Integrative review of literature governed by the Whittmore and Knafl (2005) framework. Using sources from PubMed, ProQuest, ResearchGate and Academic Search Complete. Search included keywords, “Coping strategies”, “poverty”, “mental health” and “socioeconomic status”. The literature review will be helpful in understanding causality factors of patient morbidities as well as improve the development of nursing care plans and patient education. Theoretical Framework The Neuman Systems Theory was developed by community nurse Betty Neuman. The theory is based on personal connections to stress, the coping strategies use for it, and rebounding dynamics to the stressor. Neuman's theory views the client as an open system that reacts and adapts to both internal and external stressors. Implications Maladaptive coping is directly proportional to depressive symptoms according to the literature review. This highlights the fact that maladaptive coping among the impoverished has not been studied extensively. There is a need for further research on the topic.