This study on stressful life events and coping methods of hypertensive and nonhypertensive patients was applied to people who was divided into two groups from April 5 to March 10, 19 83. One is hospitalized patients in medical wards of three university hospital in Seoul. The other is inhibitants in two Dongs of Seoul. This study compared the number and seversity of stressful life events reported by hypertensive and nonhypertensive patients, indentified coping methods used by the two groups and explored the relationship between stressful life events and coping methods. Two Instruments are used in this study. The first one to measure stressful life events, is Holmes & Rahe (1967)'s S.R.R.S. (Social Readjustment Rating Scale). Which is translated & amended. So that it consists of 46 items. The second one is for evaluating coping method. It consists of 3f items amended through preliminary test after consideration of related literature review and survey on the basis of Bell (1977)'s '18-item-Questionnaire.' The materials were analized by S.P.S.S. (Statistical Package for the Social Science) program. The results of analysis were as follows: . There were no significant difference in the number and severity of stressful life events reported by hypertensive and nonhypertensive patients (p>.05). 2. There were significant difference in use of short-term coping methods (p<. 01) and long-term coping methods (p<.05).