Coping strategies of counselors and school-age mothers.

61 13–21 yr old mothers and 28 26–60 yr old counselors rated the helpfulness of 6 coping strategies for each of 18 vignettes representing 4 types of stressful situations: criticism from others, offensive behavior of others, requests by others, and personal upset. Analysis revealed that school-age mothers preferred indirect coping strategies of avoiding the situation, changing the meaning of the event, and calming via distraction (strategies more highly associated with distress). Counselors perceived the direct coping strategies of assertion, negotiation, and demanding as more helpful. Differences in choice of coping strategy occurred within types of situation, between counselors and White and non-White mothers, and between counselors and high-distress mothers. Findings indicate that counselors must take careful assessments to determine the coping strategies appropriate for each client group. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)