State and trait anxiety, coping styles and depression among psychiatric inpatients.

Examined relationships among state and trait anxiety, coping styles, and depression in 17 male and 26 female adult psychiatric inpatients. Ss completed measures of state and trait anxiety, situation perception, depression and coping styles (Multidimensional Anxiety Scales, Multidimensional Coping Inventory, and Beck Depression Inventory) at 2 times (approximately 2 days after admission to the hospital and approximately 4 days after the 1st test administration). Results reveal significant positive correlations between level of depressive symptomatology and both state and trait anxiety. Emotion-oriented coping was positively correlated with depression, whereas task-oriented coping was negatively correlated with depression. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression history and coping with chronic pain: A daily process analysis.

This study examined how a previous episode of depression is related to daily pain and reactions to pain among individuals with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome. Seventy-one women with fibromyalgia (including 30 who were previously depressed) rated their pain and mood 3 times daily for 30 days. Each night, participants rated the extent to which they responded to pain by catastrophizing, how much control they had over that day's pain, their ways of coping with pain that day, and the effectiveness of their coping efforts. Multivariate multilevel regression models revealed that after controlling for neuroticism and current depressive symptoms, formerly depressed and never-depressed individuals differed in how they coped with increased pain and in how they appraised the efficacy of their coping efforts. Formerly depressed participants who also reported more current depressive symptoms showed a greater decline in pleasant mood on more painful days than did formerly depressed participants who were experiencing fewer current depressive symptoms. These findings illustrate how a history of depression can be captured in the dynamics of daily life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Math anxiety: Relation with situational test anxiety, performance, physiological arousal, and math avoidance behavior.

Investigated the relation of mathematics anxiety to situationally assessed test anxiety, mathematics performance, physiological arousal, and mathematics avoidance behavior in 23 male and 40 female undergraduates. Ss completed the Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale, the Mathematics Anxiety Scale, the Anxiety Toward Mathematics Scale, and the Test Anxiety Inventory prior to completing 3 mathematics tasks. During the tasks, heart rate, skin conductance level, skin fluctuations, and avoidance behavior were monitored. Ss also completed the Post-Task Questionnaire, a situational measure of test anxiety, worry, and emotionality. Results indicate that mathematics anxiety measures were more highly rated to each other than to test anxiety. Mathematics anxiety accounted for 14–23% of the variance in 2 tasks, whereas, ability accounted for 30–42%. Rarely, did anxiety add to the variance accounted for by ability. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress, anxiety and coping: The multidimensional interaction model.

Discusses and tests the multidimensional interaction model of stress, anxiety and coping processes. The aim is to advance understanding of the systematic nature of coping processes in relation to psychological variables such as anxiety, as well as to determine how coping is related to other personality and situational variables, and to physical and mental well being. Coping styles and strategies mediate between antecedent stressful events, and such consequences as anxiety, psychological distress, and somatic complaints. Task-oriented coping is most efficacious in a controllable situation, while emotion-oriented coping is most efficacious in an uncontrollable situation. While avoidance-oriented coping may be initially appropriate as a reaction to stress, in the long run task-oriented coping is most efficacious. A number of laboratory studies assessing the multidimensional interaction model are reviewed. These studies have both theoretical and practical implications, and contribute to empirical knowledge about stress, coping processes, and personality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subject, experimenter, and situational variables in research on anxiety.

3 organismic variables, test anxiety of Ss and of Es, and sex of S were manipulated in a verbal-learning situation. 2 siuational variables, preliminary differential-motivating instructions, and success-failure reports were also studied. High test anxious Ss performed at lower level than did low test anxious Ss, and females were superior to males. Female Ss performed best when run by low test anxious Es. Many significant interactions involving both organismic and situational variables were obtained. The results strongly indicate the need for investigations which simultaneously manipulate these variables in psychological experiments. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determinants of coping: The role of stable and situational factors.

A longitudinal study of 243 students was conducted to examine the stable and situational influences on coping. At Time 1, measures of coping in response to a recent event (initial coping) and coping resources were obtained. At Time 2 (4 wks later), Ss described an event (coded for event type) they were currently experiencing. Situational appraisals were also assessed. At Time 3 (2 wks later), Ss' coping responses to the event were assessed. There was evidence that stable factors did influence coping behavior. Coping resources accounted for a significant proportion of variance in each of the measures of coping (except cautiousness), as did initial coping. There was evidence that the latter effects were dependent on cross-situational consistency in event type and levels of stress. After controlling for the stable influences, situational factors (situation type and situational appraisals) influenced the type of coping used. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital disruption as a stressor: A review and analysis.

Describes some of the major demographic trends in the field of marital disruption and provides an analysis of the evidence linking separation and divorce with a wide variety of physical and emotional disorders. Separation and divorce appear to be profoundly stressful life events. Hypotheses that have been advanced to account for the strong associations between marital disruption and emotional disorder are critically examined. Studies of problems faced by persons undergoing marital disruption and studies of remedial programs are evaluated, and major unresolved issues are discussed. (4? p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relapse following smoking cessation: A situational analysis.

Data on the antecedents of relapse crises (actual or near lapses in abstinence) were collected from 183 former smokers who called a relapse-counseling hotline. Most relapse crises were associated with anxiety, anger, and depression. One-third of relapse crises were associated with positive feeling states and were frequently precipitated by other smokers, eating, and alcohol consumption. Withdrawal symptoms played a part in only half of the episodes. Ss' coping responses rather than situational antecedents distinguished relapse crises resulting in smoking from those in which abstinence was maintained. A combination of cognitive and behavioral responses was most successful. Behavioral coping was subject to situational influences; Ss who had been drinking alcohol were less likely to engage in behavioral coping, and depression diminished its effectiveness. Cognitive coping responses, which were less affected by these variables, may be critical components of former smokers' coping repertoires. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Vocationally mature coping strategies and progress in the decision-making process: A canonical analysis.

It has been suggested that variation in the extent to which individuals possess vocationally mature coping strategies will differentially influence their progress in the process of completing specific decision-making tasks. Measures of vocationally mature coping strategies and progress on decision-making tasks were administered to 174 undergraduates. A canonical analysis was employed to identify the primary independent dimensions that relate the 2 sets of variables measured. Two significant canonical roots were extracted from this analysis. Results suggest that (a) the extent to which an S employed a planning orientation appeared to hinder or facilitate movement beyond the exploratory phase of making a decision about an occupation and (b) Ss who engaged in making decisions about college major or occupation and who did so without the benefit of decision-making skills and available resources were likely to devote excess effort in the prechoice portion of the decision-making process. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Adjustment to a dyadic stressor: A longitudinal study of coping and depressive symptoms in infertile couples over an insemination attempt.

In a study designed to examine how intimate partners' coping processes with regard to infertility predicted depressive symptoms across the course of a treatment cycle, 43 couples completed assessments in the week prior to and the week after receiving a negative pregnancy result from an alternate insemination attempt by the partner. Depressive symptoms in both partners increased significantly after the pregnancy result receipt. As hypothesized, avoidant coping predicted increased distress over time, and approach-oriented coping (e.g., problem-focused coping, emotional processing, and expression) predicted decreased distress. Coping strategies engaged in by both individuals and partners predicted depressive symptoms, and for women, interactions also emerged between their own and their partners' coping. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A daily process approach to coping: Linking theory, research, and practice.

For decades, coping researchers have used between-person designs to address inherently within-person questions derived from theory and clinical practice. The authors describe recent developments in the use of within-person, process-oriented methods that examine individuals intensively over time. Ongoing studies of stress and alcohol consumption, the effects of depression on adaptational processes, and the temporal dynamics of coping with chronic pain demonstrate that by tracking rapidly fluctuating processes such as mood and coping close to their real-time occurrence, daily process designs offer unique insights into conceptually and clinically challenging questions. Such designs also provide new opportunities to examine the purported mechanisms of therapeutic interventions. Despite its demands on participants and investigators, daily process research offers fresh opportunities to link psychological theory, research, and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The trait anxiety-perception score: A composite predictor for state anxiety.

This article describes the development and initial evaluation of the A-Trait–Perception (ATP) score, a composite predictor for state anxiety. The ATP score is constructed from trait anxiety and situation perception data derived from the Endler Multidimensional Anxiety Scale by N. S. Endler et al (1989). ATP mathematically combines the individual's trait anxiety and situation perception profiles and adjusts these with a multiplier that reflects the individual's sensitivity to particular types of situational elements in terms of state anxiety inducement. The utility of the resulting composite variable as a predictor of state anxiety was examined in the context of two field studies. Results of both studies indicated that the ATP variable offered a superior prediction of state anxiety, as compared to four individual trait anxiety facets (social evaluation, physical danger, ambiguous and daily routines). The theoretical import of these results is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Treatment of nonphobic anxiety disorders: A comparison of nondirective, cognitive, and coping desensitization therapy.

The present study compared the efficacy of nondirective therapy, coping desensitization, and cognitive therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. All clients received 12 sessions of progressive relaxation training in addition to one of these three treatments. Pretherapy and posttherapy assessments, as well as 6-month and 12-month follow-up measurements, indicated that the group as a whole showed significant and continued improvement on a variety of self-report questionnaire, daily diary, and psychiatric assessor instruments. No differences were found between the three conditions. As was found in a previous investigation, the degree to which clients experienced relaxation-induced anxiety during relaxation training sessions predicted poorer outcome. The outcome results are compared with those of previous investigations of these anxiety disorders, and directions for further research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of situational factors, sex, and attitude on affective self-disclosure and anxiety.

Examined the effects of sex of S and the situational factors of S role, type of feeling, and sex of best friend in relation to affective self-disclosure and self-reported anxiety of 20 male and 20 female undergraduates in simulated dyadic interactions. The relationship between attitude toward expressing feelings and affective self-disclosure behavior was also explored. The 2–4 repeated measures ANOVA for affective self-disclosure revealed significant main effects for all factors except S role. Significant interactions revealed that affective self-disclosure is sex-linked and situation specific, with females initiating positive feelings to their same-sex best friend being the most facilitative context for disclosure. Self-report anxiety results indicated that more anxiety was experienced when negative feelings were expressed. A significant correlation between Ss' attitude and performance scores was obtained, indicating that favorable attitudes toward expressing feelings are positively related to the expression of feelings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-critical perfectionism and daily affect: Dispositional and situational influences on stress and coping.

This study of university students (64 men and 99 women) examined both dispositional and situational influences of self-critical (SC) perfectionism on stress and coping, which explain its association with high negative affect and low positive affect. Participants completed questionnaires at the end of the day for 7 consecutive days. Structural equation modeling indicated that the relation between SC perfectionism and daily affect could be explained by several maladaptive tendencies associated with SC perfectionism (e.g., hassles, avoidant coping, low perceived social support). Multilevel modeling indicated that SC perfectionists were emotionally reactive to stressors that imply possible failure, loss of control, and criticism from others. As well, certain coping strategies (e.g., problem-focused coping) were ineffective for high-SC perfectionists relative to low-SC perfectionists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A preliminary analysis of the perceived risks of misusing multiple substances, trait anxiety, and approval motivation

In a sample of college undergraduates, perceptions of the risks associated with the misuse of substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana were evaluated, and the correlations of risk ratings with trait anxiety and approval motivation were examined. The results indicated (a) a temporally stable, hierarchical ordering of risk means that ranged from illicit to licit substance pairs; (b) a string negative correlation between perceived risk means and corresponding standard deviations, suggesting that greater variability was associated with lower perceived risk; (c) small to small/moderate correlations between high risk ratings and trait anxiety; and (d) small to small/moderate correlations between risk ratings and approval motivation. These findings provide a first approximation of young adults' perceptions of the possible risks involved in the misuse of multiple substances and suggest that such perceptions are not confounded by dispositional anxiety of by social desirability response bias. The results discussed in light of their implications for alcohol and drug education.     

Cognitive processing and trait anxiety in typically developing children: Evidence for an interpretation bias.

In this study the authors examined whether increases in children's levels of self-reported trait anxiety would be related to their interpretation of ambiguous stimuli. By using the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (C. R. Reynolds & B. O. Richmond, 1985), the authors obtained measurements of anxiety for 40 children ages 7 and 9 years. Interpretation of ambiguous stimuli was measured by using a pictorial homophone task, where homophones could be interpreted as either threatening or neutral. Results showed that children's interpretations of homophones was significantly predicted by level of anxiety. Increases in levels of trait anxiety were positively associated with threatening interpretations of homophones. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Personality, coping, and family resources in stress resistance: A longitudinal analysis.

A longitudinal analysis was conducted in which stress-resistance factors in the areas of personality, coping, and family support assessed at an initial testing were used to predict psychological and physical adjustment 1 yr later, controlling for initial adjustment. 245 men (mean age 46.8 yrs) and 248 women (mean age 44 yrs) in randomly selected families in the San Francisco Bay area were surveyed on psychosomatic symptoms and depression, negative life changes, personality characteristics, avoidance coping, and family support. Findings show that feelings of self-confidence, an easy-going disposition, a disinclination to use avoidance coping, and the availability of family support operated jointly to protect Ss from negative psychological consequences of life stress. For women, stress resistance was related to emotional and physical distress; for men, resistance was associated with emotional distress. Negative life changes predicted depression and psychosomatic complaints in both sexes even when initial distress was considered. Results support previous research on the causal role of stress resistance in emotional and physical health. (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress and alcohol use: A daily process examination of the stressor–vulnerability model.

The authors used a daily diary methodology to examine over 60 days how the within-person associations among event stress, alcohol consumption, and desire to drink varied as a function of gender, positive and negative alcohol-outcome expectancies,' and avoidant coping in a sample of 88 regular drinkers. Multilevel regression analyses indicated that men who more strongly anticipated positive outcomes or a sense of carelessness from drinking drank relatively more on stressful days compared with low-stress days. Similar results were found predicting desire to drink. Men who anticipated greater impairment from drinking drank relatively less on stressful days. In general, these effects did not hold for women. Little evidence was found for the predicted effects for avoidant coping style, and some results showed that avoidant coping style buffered the exacerbating effects of careless unconcern expectancies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)