Mental health among young adults is receiving increasing attention because of its significant influence on overall well-being, including physical health, interpersonal relationships, and daily functioning. Among the key concerns within this age group are depression and hypersexuality. This study investigated the moderating role of coping strategies in the relationship between depressive symptoms and hypersexuality. We hypothesize that adaptive coping strategies—such as problem- and emotion-focused coping—would attenuate the negative effects of depressive symptoms on hypersexual behavior, whereas avoidant coping would intensify this relationship. To test these assumptions, a cross-sectional explanatory study was conducted involving 407 Filipino young adults aged 18 to 24 years. Moderation analysis results indicated that only emotion-focused and avoidant coping strategies significantly moderated the relationship between depressive symptoms and hypersexuality. However, these effects were only modest. Interestingly, the findings challenge the conventional view that problem-focused coping is universally protective and that avoidant coping is inherently maladaptive. These results highlight the complexity of coping mechanisms and indicates that a given strategy’s effectiveness may vary across contexts. Therefore, the use of certain coping strategies should be considered with caution, as they may be both beneficial and harmful depending on the circumstances.
Copyrights © 2027