Understanding stress and burnout in shelter workers.

Crisis intervention workers and other front-line mental health workers often face excessive stress and seek psychotherapy or supervision and support from professional psychologists. The authors sought information on job-related stressors, coping mechanisms, and burnout levels and found that shelter workers who reported high job-related stress and low social support may be most vulnerable to experiencing burnout symptoms. Psychologists providing clinical or consultation services to domestic violence shelter staff should emphasize the importance of creating a supportive work environment, developing a sense of personal accomplishment related to one's work, and teaching and modeling helpful coping strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Change in depressive symptoms among daughter caregivers: An 18-month longitudinal study.

This longitudinal study investigates, over an 18-month period, the caregiving experience of a probability sample of 115 daughters who provided care to an aging parent. The levels of depressive symptoms manifested by these daughters were relatively low, with only 23.5% scoring in the clinical range during the study. Nevertheless, there was substantive change in depressive symptoms among the daughters during the 18 months. Daughters with higher levels of mastery were more likely to use problem-focused coping strategies, which led to reductions in depression, whereas daughters with lower levels of mastery were more likely to use emotion-focused coping, which led to increased levels of depression. Mastery was higher when the caregiving role was shared with a sibling; it was lower if the daughter had other caregiving responsibilities and if the parent care recipient had elevated levels of behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Influence of Prior Commitment on the Reactions of Layoff Survivors to Organizational Downsizing.

Nurses (N := 179; Study 1) and managers (N = 154; Study 2) participated in 2 panel studies examining the relationship among prior commitment (affective and continuance commitment and perceived organizational support), coping strategies, and survivors' attitudes and perceptions during and following downsizing. In Study 1, perceived organizational support was significantly positively related to control-oriented coping, job satisfaction, and intention to remain and negatively related to perceived job insecurity and burnout 2 years later. In Study 2, coping mediated the relationship between the prior commitment variables and job alienation, health symptoms, and burnout following the downsizing. Control-oriented coping was associated with elevated levels of health symptoms and burnout following the downsizing, suggesting that control-oriented coping may have positive effects in the short term but potentially harmful effects in the long term. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Occupational burnout, tolerance for stress, and coping among nurses in rehabilitation units.

The relation of problem-solving confidence, perceived tolerance of stressors, and situation-specific coping efforts to occupational burnout was examined among 88 nurses in physical rehabilitation units. Participants completed measures of problem solving and burnout, and were administered a questionnaire that required them to list stressors encountered at work and their ability to tolerate this stressor. Participants were also asked to list their typical ways of coping with this stressor. Consistent with predictions, confidence in one's ability to handle problems and perceived tolerance were significantly predictive of lower burnout scores, regardless of time spent on the job. Of the coping variables, emotion-focused coping was significantly associated with higher burnout scores. Post-hoc analyses of self-reported coping activities indicated that some coping efforts (e.g., taking time off from work, confronting a supervisor) could be construed as symptoms of burnout, according to theoretical conceptualizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Repressive adaptation in children with cancer.

The constructs of repressive adaptive style and avoidant coping (blunting) were assessed as possible explanatory factors for previously reported findings of lower self-reported depression in children with cancer. Pediatric oncology patients 7–16 years old (n?=?107) and healthy control participants (n?=?442) completed measures of depressive symptoms, trait anxiety, defensiveness, and approach and avoidant coping. Oncology patients scored significantly lower on measures of depression and trait anxiety, and higher on defensiveness. Applying the adaptive style paradigm, the oncology group showed a significant excess of repressors. Depressive symptoms differed as a function of adaptive style, with repressors demonstrating the lowest levels of self-reported depression. Children with cancer also reported greater use of blunting, but this difference was small and appeared unrelated to depression scores. Within the cancer group, repressive adaptation was unrelated to time elapsed since diagnosis. These findings are discussed with reference to the ongoing controversy regarding cancer–personality style associations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-regulation as a moderator of the relation between coping and symptomatology in children of divorce

Investigated the effects of self-regulation as a moderator of the relations between coping efforts and psychological symptoms of children of divorce. The interactions of two dimensions of self-regulation (task orientation and approach-flexibility) and two dimensions of coping (active and avoidant) predicting children's postdivorce symptoms were tested using a sample of 199 divorced mothers and their children, ages 8 to 12. The approach-flexibility dimension moderated the relations of both active and avoidant coping with children's self-report of anxiety. At higher levels of approach-flexibility, active coping was negatively related to anxiety, while at lower levels of approach-flexibility, active coping was unrelated to anxiety. Avoidant coping was unrelated to anxiety at higher levels of approach-flexibility, whereas at lower levels of approach-flexibility, avoidant coping was positively related to anxiety. The task orientation dimension did not interact with coping, but had direct, independent effects on children's self-report of conduct problems, depression, and parent-report of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The implications for understanding children's coping with divorce and future directions for research are discussed.     

Latent variable analysis of coping, anxiety/depression, and somatic symptoms in adolescents with chronic pain.

Reports of adolescents' coping with recurrent pain, symptoms of anxiety/depression, and somatic complaints were obtained from a sample of 164 adolescents with recurrent abdominal pain and their parents. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that coping consisted of 3 nonorthogonal factors: Primary Control Engagement Coping (problem solving, emotional expression, and emotional regulation), Secondary Control Engagement Coping (positive thinking, cognitive restructuring, acceptance, and distraction), and Disengagement Coping (denial, avoidance, and wishful thinking). Structural equation modeling using latent variables revealed that secondary control engagement coping predicted lower levels of anxiety/depression symptoms and somatic complaints, and disengagement coping was related to higher levels of anxiety/depression and somatic complaints. Implications for understanding child and adolescent coping with pain are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Surviving poverty: stress and coping in the lives of housed and homeless mothers

Stress, coping, and depressed mood were examined in a sample of 64 homeless mothers and a comparison group of 59 housed low-income mothers. Homeless mothers reported significantly higher levels of stress and depression, as well as greater use of avoidant and active-cognitive coping strategies, than did the housed mothers. Within-group analyses revealed an association between greater use of avoidant strategies and higher levels of reported depression for both groups. Implications for research and program development are discussed.     

Stress-related growth, positive reframing, and emotional processing in the prediction of post-trauma functioning among veterans in mental health treatment.

The role of stress related growth (SRG) in posttrauma functioning is currently uncertain and may be obscured by the overlap between SRG and key coping strategies. Utilizing a veteran sample in mental health treatment, the current study examined whether SRG accounts for unique variance in the severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and Disorders of Extreme Stress Not Otherwise Specified (DESNOS) beyond the effects of two general coping strategies, emotional processing and positive reframing. Curvilinear relationships were evident between SRG and outcome measures, such that individuals with moderate SRG reported the greatest distress, and individuals with the lowest and highest SRG scores reported lower distress. In regression analyses, SRG accounted for significant variance in lower PTSD, depression, and DESNOS while accounting for demographics, trauma type, emotional processing, and positive reframing. The results suggest that SRG captures variance in posttrauma functioning that may be distinct from general emotional processing and positive reframing coping and provides further evidence for a curvilinear relationship between SRG and measures of psychological distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping strategies and collective efficacy as mediators between stress appraisal and quality of life among rescue workers.

Fire-fighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians routinely confront potentially traumatic events in the course of their jobs. The mediation role of coping strategies and collective efficacy in the relationship between stress appraisal and quality of life was examined (compassion satisfaction, compassion fatigue, and burnout) in a correlational study. Participants were 463 Italian rescue workers (fire fighters and different categories of emergency health care professionals). Participants filled out measures of stress appraisal, collective efficacy, coping strategies, and quality of life. The results showed that emotion and support coping, self-blame coping, and self-distraction mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and compassion fatigue. Moreover, collective efficacy, self-blame coping, and religious coping mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and burnout. Finally, collective efficacy, self-blame coping, and problem-focused coping mediated the relationship between stress appraisal and compassion satisfaction. Cognitive restructuring and denial did not mediate the relation between stress appraisal and any of the quality of life dimensions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adjustment to occupational stress: The relationship of perceived control to effectiveness of coping strategies.

A sample of 187 medical center nurses described 2 stressful occupational episodes varying in perceived controllability and provided information regarding the coping strategies used. Outcome measures assessed effectiveness of coping across 3 dimensions: perceived coping effectiveness, job affect, and psychological adjustment. Negative affectivity was measured to control for its tendency to inflate stress-adjustment relationships. Use of problem-solving strategies was related to perceived coping effectiveness only for high-control episodes. However, differential use of coping across levels of controllability was not related to job affect or psychological adjustment. Avoidant coping was strongly associated with negative affect at work. In contrast, problem-reappraisal and problem-solving strategies were related to positive affect at work. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping with job stress and burnout in the human services.

Conducted a mail survey of 141 human service workers (aged 25–65 yrs) to investigate the effects of coping on psychological strain and burnout produced by job stress. The survey assessed job stressors and coping strategies with open-ended questions and measured strain using closed-ended alienation, satisfaction, and symptom scales. Because previous research suggested that individual coping responses do not alleviate strain produced by job stress, the survey elicited information on group coping (social support) and on coping strategies initiated by agencies. Job stress was associated with high levels of strain, and group coping with low levels, but individual responses had little effect. Although Ss identified many strategies that agencies could use to reduce stress and strain, actual use of such strategies was slight. Because men and women worked in the same jobs, no sex differences in individual coping were predicted and none were found; women, however, reported more social support than men. There was no evidence for moderating (interaction) effects of stress and coping on strain. Results suggest that social service agencies should take actions to reduce stress among employees. (57 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological adjustment in breast cancer: Processes of emotional distress.

The process of psychological adjustment to breast cancer was examined at diagnosis and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups in a sample of 80 women with Stage I–Stage IV breast cancer. At diagnosis, symptoms of anxiety/depression were predicted by low dispositional optimism, and this path was partially mediated by use of emotion-focused disengagement coping. Younger age also was predictive of anxiety/depression symptoms at time of diagnosis and this relationship was fully mediated by magnitude of intrusive thoughts. At 3 months, changes in anxiety/depression symptoms were predicted only by intrusive thoughts. At 6 months, low dispositional optimism reemerged as a significant predictor of changes in anxiety/depression and again was partially mediated by the use of emotion-focused disengagement coping. Independent effects for problem-focused engagement and disengagement and emotion-focused engagement coping were also found at 6 months. Implications of these data for psychosocial interventions with breast cancer patients are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Latent structure of strategies used to cope with nociceptive stimulation.

Investigated the latent cognitive structure of 32 undergraduates' perceptions of coping strategies used by 50 college students exposed to a cold pressor test or a muscle ischemia task, using multidimensional scaling (MDS). The resulting strategy clusters (e.g., behavioral activity, pleasant imaginings) were grouped into sensation acknowledging, coping relevance, and cognitive/behavioral dimensions. Using different methodology and MDS analysis, 22 undergraduates' perceptions of the 3 coping strategies were examined. There was close correspondence between the resulting dimensions and those of the 1st sample. Results show that Ss preferred strategies that ignored pain sensations and suggest a method for assessing relative efficiency of coping strategies for pain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parental depression and interparental conflict: Children and adolescents’ self-blame and coping responses.

The present study examined the role of children and adolescents’ perceptions of self-blame specific to interparental conflict and children and adolescents’ coping behaviors in the context of parental depression as predictors of internalizing and externalizing symptoms in a sample of 108 youth (age 9–15 years old) of parents with a history of depression. Higher levels of current depressive symptoms in parents were associated with higher levels of interparental conflict and higher levels of internalizing symptoms in children and adolescents, and interparental conflict was positively associated with both internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children/adolescents. Consistent across a series of multiple regression models, children and adolescents’ perceptions of self-blame and use of secondary control coping (acceptance, distraction, cognitive restructuring, positive thinking) were significant, independent predictors of both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anosognosia and denial: Their relationship to coping and depression in acquired brain injury.

Objective: To evaluate relations among denial, anosognosia, coping strategies, and depression in persons with brain injury. Study Design: Correlational. Setting: A Midwest residential, post-acute brain injury rehabilitation center. Participants: Twenty-seven adults with brain injury. Measures: Clinician's Rating Scale for Evaluating Impaired Self-Awareness and Denial of Disability After Brain Injury, COPE, Beck Depression Inventory-I. Results: Denial and anosognosia were related and co-occurred. Use of process coping strategies was associated with greater use of problem-focused coping strategies. Higher levels of denial were associated with greater use of avoidant coping strategies, and greater use of these coping strategies was related to higher levels of depression. Conclusions: Individuals primarily in denial and individuals primarily anosognosic differ in the coping strategies they institute. Avoidant coping strategies are used more frequently by individuals in denial, and use of these strategies is associated with higher levels of clinical depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Frequency and correlates of depression symptoms among long-term adult burn survivors.

Objective: To determine the frequency and correlates of symptoms of depression experienced by long-term burn survivors. Design: An exploratory study of a cross-sectional, self-selected sample. Participants: 311 burn survivors who were at least 3 years postburn (M = 20, SD = 15). Main Outcome Measure: The Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire, which is a self-report measure of symptoms of depression. Results: Depending on the cutoff score used, 20%-30% of the sample reported clinically significant symptoms of depression. A hierarchical multiple regression model accounted for 59% of the variance in symptoms of depression. Variables were entered in 3 blocks--burn characteristics, demographic characteristics, and psychosocial characteristics. Psychosocial characteristics such as social support and social comfort accounted for a majority of the variance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal study of coping and gender in a female-dominated occupation: Predicting teachers’ burnout.

This study investigates the role of gender in the benefits of coping (direct action and social support seeking) on the core dimensions of burnout (exhaustion and cynicism) using a longitudinal design. Specifically, the study examined these relationships on teachers, which is typically a female-dominated occupation. Data were gathered during the first term and again during the last term of the academic year. The Time 2 sample was composed of 141 male and 303 female teachers from 100 Spanish primary and secondary schools. Lagged and concurrent longitudinal designs were tested using random coefficient models. Concurrent interactive effects of gender in the relationship among coping strategies and cynicism as well as exhaustion were found. Direct action coping was beneficial only for men. Social support seeking coping was not beneficial for women; moreover, it was found to be detrimental for men. These results were in accord with previous studies confirming the coping-gender match hypothesis. Implications of these results and their significance for practical interventions in the work stress field are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trauma, Depression, Coping, and Mental Health Service Seeking Among Impoverished Women.

The authors examined the relationship among trauma, coping, depression, and mental health service seeking in a probability sample of sheltered homeless and low-income housed women. Results highlight the diversity of trauma. In a longitudinal analysis, women who lived in shelters or experienced major violence had a twofold increase in their risk of depression over the 6-month follow-up. In a cross-sectional analysis, childhood sexual abuse, living in a shelter, physical violence, childhood physical abuse, and death or injury of a friend or relative predicted avoidant coping and symptoms of depression. Active coping and depression predicted mental health service seeking among traumatized women. Modifying coping strategies may ameliorate some of the negative impact of trauma and potentially enhance mental health service use among at-risk women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress and burnout in Israeli border police.

Despite great interest in police stress, very little research attention focused on border police. The study aimed to map the stressors that effect Israeli border police (MAGAV), assess the outcomes resulting from these stressors and suggest ways to reduce stress and burnout. A representative sample of MAGAV officers (N=497) responded to a questionnaire at the height of the Palestinian violent uprising and a time of unusually high stress; 18% were interviewed. At the top of the list of stressors reported by the officers were: low salary, lack of resources and overload. This is significant in light of the finding that 74% reported a traumatic experience (such as a terrorist attack), 52% reported high or very high levels of stress (as compared to 32% reported by blue police officers) their burnout level was high (4.15 as compared to the national burnout level of 2.8 and 3.05 found during the same period of time among blue police officers). Despite the high stress of their work, the officers evaluation of their work was high and they expressed satisfaction from their work. These findings can be explained by the officers' feeling that their work is important. Coping strategies offered by MAGAV officers are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)