This study on stressful life events and coping methods of medical patints and community people was applied to people who was divided into two groups from July 19 to Aug. 7, 1982. One is hospitalized patients in medical wards of two university hospitals in Seoul. The other is inhibitants in eight Dongs of Seoul. This study compared the number and seversity of stressful life events reported by medical patients and community people within last six months, identified 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.(Soual Readjustment Rating Scale), which is translated & amended, So that it consists of 51 items. The second one is for evaluating coping method. It consists of 36 items amended through preliminary test after consideration of related literature review and survey on the basis of Bell(1877)'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: 1. There were no signiflcant difference in the number and severity of stressful life events reported by medical patients and community people (p>. 05). 2. There were no significant difference in use of coping methods (p>. 05). 3. Stressful life events showed a positive correlation with coping methods (r=.363).