OBJECTIVES: To assess the use and knowledge of coping strategies in Hungarian society. To assess coping mechanisms by gender, the most common reasons for relationship breakdown and relationship satisfaction.

METHODS: Descriptive, cross-sectional, and quantitative type of online questionnaire survey. After data recording and cleaning, 191 questionnaires were evaluated. Descriptive statistical tests were used to characterise the sample, and mathematical statistical methods (calculation of means, analysis of confidence intervals, chi-square test, T-test) were used to examine the relationships between variables.

RESULTS: The most common reasons for relationship breakdown are infidelity, emotional and sexual neglect. The majority of respondents prefer problem-analysis coping to passive coping when resolving a conflict (p <0.001). The problem-analytical coping mode is more common among both women and men than the emotion-focused one. The idea of divorce is significantly more frequent in trusting relationships (p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of coping is independent of educational level. The majority of people choose the problem-analysing coping method most often. Passive coping was the coping used by few people and rarely. In terms of gender, the coping styles used are converging, but still more women use emotion-focused coping than men. No significant difference is confirmed, but married people feel happier in their relationship, but the presence of mistrust often raises the idea of divorce.