Adjustment to the stress of simulated captivity: Effects of emotion-focused versus problem-focused preparation on hostages differing in locus of control.

Instructed 57 Ss about to be exposed to a simulated abduction and 4 days of captivity in either problem- or emotion-focused coping techniques, or gave them a control orientation presentation. Retrospective self-report data obtained on the Ways of Coping Checklist indicated that Ss tended to use coping processes consistent with the type of prestress preparation they had received. Dramatic fluctuations in State Anxiety scores over the course of captivity indicated that the simulation was perceived to be highly stressful. Ss given emotion-focused preparation reported the lowest anxiety and emotional distress levels and were rated as exhibiting the lowest levels of behavioral disturbance during captivity. Externals engaged in more emotion-focused coping than internals, but externals given problem-focused preparation responded the most poorly of all subgroups on all response measures. Overall, locus of control differences were of secondary impact in influencing anxiety and adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sickle cell disease pain: Relation of coping strategies to adjustment.

This study examines pain coping strategies in a relatively neglected pain population, sickle cell disease (SCD) patients. Seventy-nine patients diagnosed with SCD were given a structured interview to assess pain, activity level, and health care use during painful episodes. Patients also completed the SCL-90—R as an index of psychological distress and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire. Regression analyses controlled for age, sex, and disease severity measures. Results indicated that the coping strategies factors were important predictors of pain and adjustment. Individuals high on Negative Thinking and Passive Adherence had more severe pain, were less active and more distressed, and used more health care services. Individuals high on Coping Attempts were more active during painful episodes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Locus of control, cognitive appraisal, and coping in stressful episodes.

Investigated locus of control and coping processes in relation to specific stressful episodes reported by 171 female student nurses. Scores of each of 3 measures (General Coping, Direct Coping, and Suppression) that were derived from the Ways of Coping Questionnaire were analyzed to examine the role of appraisal (in terms of the extent to which the situation was perceived as amenable to control) and the perceived importance of the episode as mediators of the relation between locus of control and coping. Ss were also administered Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale, the Defensiveness scale of the Adjective Check List, and the Lie scale of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Results show significant interactions between locus of control and appraisal for each of the measures. Further examination of the interactions showed that the patterns of coping reported by internals were potentially more adaptive in relation to types of appraisal than those of externals. The perceived importance of the episode was significantly related, negatively, to suppression, but the interaction with locus of control was not significant. (59 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Chinese Ways of Coping Questionnaire: Assessing coping in secondary school teachers and students in Hong Kong.

657 Chinese secondary school students and teachers responded to the Chinese version of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). Factor analysis revealed that their coping activities could be adequately described by 4 relatively independent dimensions: Rational Problem-Solving, Resigned Distancing, Seeking Support and Ventilation, and Passive Wishful Thinking. The 4 scales derived from this emergent 4-factor structure compared favorably with the original 8 WCQ coping scales in internal consistency, interscale associations, and prediction of adaptational outcomes of global and specific psychological distress, suggesting that they are a viable alternative to the 8 original scales for assessing coping in the Chinese population. Gender differences in using a self- vs other-reliant approach in coping, student–teacher differences in using a passive vs active approach in coping, and implications of findings relating coping and adaptational outcomes are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Active and passive coping strategies in chronic pain patients

This study assessed the validity of active and passive coping dimensions in chronic pain patients (n = 76) using the Coping Strategies Questionnaire and the Vanderbilt Pain Management Inventory. The validity of active and passive coping dimensions was supported; passive coping was strongly related to general psychological distress and depression, and active coping was associated with activity level and was inversely related to psychological distress. In addition, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire was found to be a more psychometrically sound measure of active and passive coping than the Vanderbilt Pain Management Inventory.     

Pain coping strategies in osteoarthritis patients.

The present study investigated the relation of pain coping strategies to pain, health status, and psychological distress in a group of osteoarthritis patients with chronic knee pain. Fifty-one patients completed the Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ), the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale (AIMS), and the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90R). Medical status variables included roentgenograph (x-ray) findings, obesity measures, disability status, and chronicity of pain. Factor analysis of the CSQ revealed two factors (Coping Attempts, Pain Control and Rational Thinking) that accounted for 60% of the variance in CSQ responses. Regression analyses controlling for demographic and medical variables identified the Pain Control and Rational Thinking factor as a significant predictor of the outcome measures. Patients scoring high on this factor had lower pain levels, better health status, and lower levels of psychological distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multidimensional assessment of coping: A critical evaluation.

Several existing self-report measures of coping and the relevant research using these instruments are reviewed. Many of these coping measures suffer from a variety of psychometric weaknesses. A self-report instrument, the Multidimensional Coping Inventory (MCI), was constructed that identifies 3 types of coping styles: task-oriented, emotion-oriented, and avoidance-oriented coping. Support for the multidimensional nature of the MCI is presented, along with support for the reliability of the MCI coping scales. Two studies are presented that assessed the validity of the MCI. The 1st study assessed the construct validity of the MCI by comparing it with the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. The 2nd study also assessed the criterion validity of the MCI by comparing it with measures of depression, anxiety, Type A behavior, neuroticism, and extraversion. Overall, the results suggest that the MCI is a valid and highly reliable multidimensional measure of coping styles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of the construct validity of coping dispositions for a sample of recently divorced mothers.

This study examined the construct validity of the assessment of coping dispositions. Recently divorced mothers (ns?=?169–203) were assessed on 11 dimensions of coping, the number of major and small life stressors, and psychological distress on 2 occasions, 5.5 months apart. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the presence of 4 related dimensions of coping: Active Coping, Cognitive Restructuring, Social Support Seeking, and Avoidance. Active Coping was associated with less distress, but this relationship was modest in size and did not hold over time. Avoidance was consistently associated with greater distress in the cross-sectional analyses, but there was also evidence that psychological distress and small stressful events were "causes" of increased avoidance. In summary, the results failed to provide uniform support for coping dispositions as currently assessed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping style, perceived uncertainty in illness, and distress in individuals with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers.

Examined the relationship of coping style and illness uncertainty to psychological distress in individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) and their primary caregivers. Design: Correlational methods, within-group theory-driven hierarchical regression analyses, and transactional analyses. Ss were 44 dyads composed of individuals with PD and their caregivers. Main Outcome Measures: Hoehn and Yahr Clinical Disability Rating Scale, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, Symptom Distress Checklist-90—Revised, Mischel Uncertainty in Illness Scale-Community Form, and Revised Ways of Coping Checklist. Results: Emotion-focused coping was associated with higher levels of distress for persons with PD, whereas both emotion-focused coping and perceived uncertainty were associated with distress for the caregivers. Transactional analyses between patients and caregivers indicated that higher levels of patient problem-focused coping and perceived uncertainty in illness were associated with increased problems in caregiver distress. Adjustment to PD is influenced by several patient and caregiver variables. The results warrant consideration of a variety of clinical interventions involving patient and caregiver education about the disease and methods for managing the associated symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive validity of coping strategies on marital satisfaction: Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence.

The present study investigated the contribution of coping strategies, when facing marital difficulties, to marital satisfaction, using both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. For the cross-sectional design, both members of 506 couples individually completed the Ways of Coping Questionnaire and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. Results revealed that self-reported coping strategies were significant—linear and curvilinear—predictors of both self- and partner-reported marital satisfaction. Results of the longitudinal analyses were based on 2 distinct samples: 95 couples who completed the same questionnaires 4 months later (short-term cohort) and 108 couples who again completed the same questionnaires 1.5 years later (long-term cohort). Significant, but weak, curvilinear relations between coping strategies and subsequent marital satisfaction were observed for women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Does coping help? A reexamination of the relation between coping and mental health.

In a longitudinal community survey of 291 adults, we explored the relation between coping strategies and psychological symptoms. Respondents completed the revised Ways of Coping Scale (Folkman & Lazarus, 1985) for a self-named stressful episode. Factor analysis produced eight coping factors: three problem focused, four emotion focused, and one (support mobilization) that contained elements of both. Multiple regression analyses indicated bidirectionality in the relation between coping and psychological symptoms. Those in poorer mental health and under greater stress used less adaptive coping strategies, such as escapism, but coping efforts still affected mental health independent of prior symptom levels and degree of stress. We compared main versus interactive effects models of stress buffering. Main effects were confined primarily to the emotion-focused coping scales and showed little or negative impacts of coping on mental health; interactive effects, though small, were found with the problem-focused scales. The direction of the relation between problem-focused scales and symptoms may depend in part on perceived efficacy, or how the respondent thought he or she handled the problem. Implications for the measurement of adaptive coping mechanisms and their contextual appropriateness are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Can people remember how they coped? Factors associated with discordance between same-day and retrospective reports.

Using alternate forms derived from 6 scales from the Revised Ways of Coping Checklist (P. P. Vitaliano, 1993), the authors obtained daily coping scores from students as they prepared for a demanding test, then obtained a 7-day retrospective measure of their coping. On average, only 25% shared variance was found between the daily and retrospective accounts. A consistent pattern of retrospective overestimation of daily coping occurred, and large individual differences in degree of correspondence were observed. Among students who reported the highest level of exam-related stress, less than 10% of the retrospective coping score variance was predicted by the daily measures. The results indicate that retrospective coping reports cannot be considered equivalent to measures obtained in closer proximity to the event. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of preparatory information prior to elective total hip replacement on post-operative physical coping outcomes

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of preparatory information on a patient's post-operative physical coping outcomes following a Total Hip Replacement (THR). The research design was quasi-experimental. Eighty-two healthy individuals, scheduled for an elective THR were used and selected using non-random techniques, and placed into one of two groups on an alternating basis. The subjects in the experimental group were given procedural, sensory and coping information relating to the whole surgical procedure of a THR. In addition, written information was provided for each experimental subject to support the verbal information. Subjects in the control group only received the advice and support that would routinely be given to THR patients by ward, medical and nursing staff. The study measured a number of physical outcomes using a "Physical Indicators of Coping Questionnaire" developed to measure physiological and physical outcomes post-operatively. In addition, a Linear Analogue Coping Scale was developed to assess a patient's personal perception of their overall coping ability with the THR. The study demonstrated that preparatory information, given pre-operatively, post-operatively and pre-discharge had positive effects on the physical recovery and coping outcomes measured. Subjects in the experimental group had significantly less post-operative intramuscular analgesia, mobilized sooner with a Zimmer frame and walking sticks and lastly, their length of stay was on average, 2 days less than the control group. The Linear Analogue Coping Scale demonstrated that patients in the experimental group did perceive they were coping more effectively post-operatively. Preparatory information of various types and in different forms appear to have positive effects on the ability of patients to cope with and recover physically from a THR in the immediate post-operative period.     

Adjustment following spinal cord injury.

Investigated specific coping strategies associated with psychological adjustment following spinal cord injury with a battery of assessments administered to 57 patients (median age 26.5 yrs) participating in a spinal cord injury rehabilitation program. Ss were divided into 3 groups based on degree of psychological distress. High-distress Ss reported using more Wish-Fulfilling Fantasy, Emotional Expression, Self-Blame, and Threat Minimization Coping strategies relative to the low and moderate distress groups. The Self-Blame Coping strategy was significantly correlated with psychological distress over and above age, time since injury, or level of injury. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping Style as a Predictor of Health and Well-Being Across the First Year of Medical School.

Medical students in their 1st year (N=71) were assessed prior to starting training and at year's end. Coping styles reported at baseline were strongly related to coping styles at the end of the year. Students' physical health and psychological well-being declined over the course of the year. The greater the students' use of both problem-focused coping and approach emotion-focused coping, the less their physical health deteriorated. Psychological well-being at year's end was more strongly related to baseline functioning, and coping style did not predict change. This study demonstrated the utility of measuring coping style and the predictive ability of coping on physical health in a healthy sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

If it changes, it might be unstable: Examining the factor structure of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire.

The Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) is the most widely used measure of basic coping responses. In Study 1, 6 different theoretical models corresponding to the various dimensions of coping as assessed by the WCQ were tested for goodness of fit using confirmatory factor analysis. 530 college students completed the WCQ before a midterm exam, and their responses were the basis of the analysis. None of the coping models were good representations of the data. Study 2 aimed to derive a replicable set of coping dimensions using a series of exploratory factor analyses with the data collected in Study 1. A 4-factor model was derived and subsequently tested for its goodness of fit with another sample of 392 college students who were also preparing for a midterm exam. This 4-factor model also proved to be a poor representation of the data. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping in stressful episodes: The role of individual differences, environmental factors, and situational characteristics.

This article examines individual differences (extraversion and neuroticism), environmental factors (social support and work demand), and situational characteristics (type of stressful episode and its perceived importance) as predictors of three self-report measures of coping (general coping, direct coping, and suppression) derived from the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. The data analyzed were collected from 135 first-year female student nurses. Individual differences were assessed prior to exposure to the ward environment, and information about stressful episodes was obtained during the initial period of nursing practice. Multiple regression analyses showed that individual differences and environmental and situational factors were significant predictors of the coping scores and that patterns of main and interactive effects were different for each type of coping. For direct coping and suppression, predicted interactions across person, environmental, and situational variables contributed significantly to the explained variance. Curvilinear interactions between work demand and neuroticism were significant for both direct coping and suppression; interactions of social support and extraversion with perceived importance predicted direct coping; and interactions between neuroticism and extraversion and between work demand and importance predicted suppression. (70 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotionally expressive coping predicts psychological and physical adjustment to breast cancer.

This study tested the hypothesis that coping through emotional approach, which involves actively processing and expressing emotions, enhances adjustment and health status for breast cancer patients. Patients (n ?=?92) completed measures within 20 weeks following medical treatment and 3 months later. Women who, at study entry, coped through expressing emotions surrounding cancer had fewer medical appointments for cancer-related morbidities, enhanced physical health and vigor, and decreased distress during the next 3 months compared with those low in emotional expression, with age, other coping strategy scores, and initial levels on dependent variables (except medical visits) controlled statistically. Expressive coping also was related to improved quality of life for those who perceived their social contexts as highly receptive. Coping through emotional processing was related to one index of greater distress over time. Analyses including dispositional hope suggested that expressive coping may serve as a successful vehicle for goal pursuit. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prayer as a coping strategy for chronic pain patients.

Prayer as a coping mechanism was examined in a group of 105 persons (average age 45 yrs) experiencing chronic pain for an average of 4.3 yrs. Previous research suggested that prayer may actually be associated with increased disability among individuals who develop a permanent, painful condition of 6 mo duration or longer. Assessment instruments included the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire and 2 subscales of the West Haven-Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory; prayer was measured by the Diverting Attention/Praying-Hoping Subscale of the Coping Strategies Questionnaire. Consistent with previous research, individuals who endorsed a greater use of prayer to cope with their pain also reported a greater degree of disability. Follow-up statistical analyses suggested that prayer was associated with avoidance suggestive of a passive coping response. Additional research is needed to clarify the relationship of prayer to avoidance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Career development, coping, and emotional distress in youth living with HIV.

The career planning and exploration of youth living with HIV (YLH) is explored. A total of 115 YLH completed the Career Decision Scale and the Career Planning subscale of the Career Development Inventory, indexes of emotional distress, physical health, coping techniques used, and demographic information. YLH reported significantly lower scores for career planning than did the normative group. YLH who scored higher on career planning reported less emotional distress, were more likely to use positive coping, and were less likely to use self-destructive or depressed coping. YLH who were more certain of their occupational choice had less emotional distress and used more positive coping. None of the career development scores related to time since HIV diagnosis or T-cell count. As one of the first studies exploring the career development of YLH, the findings suggest the viability of further investigation of the career development of YLH and of interventions for promoting career development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)