Perceived coping as a mediator between attachment and psychological distress: A structural equation modeling approach.

This study examined perceived coping (perceived problem-solving ability and progress in coping with problems) as a mediator between adult attachment (anxiety and avoidance) and psychological distress (depression, hopelessness, anxiety, anger, and interpersonal problems). Survey data from 515 undergraduate students were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results indicated that perceived coping fully mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and psychological distress and partially mediated the relationship between attachment avoidance and psychological distress. These findings suggest not only that it is important to consider attachment anxiety or avoidance in understanding distress but also that perceived coping plays an important role in these relationships. Implications for these more complex relations are discussed for both counseling interventions and further research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relation between perfectionism and distress: Hassles, coping, and perceived social support as mediators and moderators.

This study of university students (136 men and 307 women) examined the roles of hassles, avoidant and active coping, and perceived available social support in the relation between evaluative concerns and personal standards perfectionism and distress symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement model used in this study. Structural equation modeling results indicated that hassles, avoidant coping, and perceived social support are each unique mediators that can fully explain the strong relation between evaluative concerns perfectionism and distress. Personal standards perfectionism had a unique association with active coping only. Hassles and social support also moderated the relation between both dimensions of perfectionism and distress. Clinical implications of distinguishing between evaluative concerns and personal standards perfectionism are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Marital conflict, gender, and children's appraisals and coping efficacy as mediators of child adjustment.

The role of children's perceptions and appraisals in the impact of marital conflict was examined for 51 9- to 12-yr-olds from intact families. Gender differences were found in the cognitions and coping processes related to marital conflict and child adjustment. Appraisals of coping efficacy and the threat posed by marital conflict predicted adjustment in boys, whereas self-blame was linked with internalizing problems for girls. The appraised destructiveness of conflict was significantly related to perceived threat in boys and self-blame in girls. Boys appeared more attuned or, alternatively, less shielded from marital conflict, as reflected by the higher correlations with mothers' reports of marital conflict for boys than for girls. The significance of boys' appraisals to adjustment was suggested by the fact that boys' perceptions were better predictors of adjustment outcomes than were mothers' reports. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maladaptive perfectionism, hassles, coping, and psychological distress in university professors.

This study examined the roles of hassles, avoidant and problem-focused coping, and perceived social support as mediating the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and psychological distress in a sample of university professors. Hassles and avoidant coping both partially mediated a strong association between maladaptive perfectionism and psychological distress. These results are discussed in terms of the need to better understand how coping styles and social support are associated with the negative impact of perfectionism on the lives of university professors. The implications of these findings for counseling practice are also explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived income inadequacy as a predictor of psychological distress in Alzheimer's caregivers.

The authors examined perceived income inadequacy as a predictor of self-reported depressive symptomatology and anxiety in the original sites of the Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer's Caregiver Health I project. Perceived income inadequacy, self-reported household income, and control factors (e.g., subjective health) were entered into hierarchical regression analyses predicting psychological distress. Findings suggest that perceived income inadequacy and not household income significantly predicted more self-reported depressive symptomatology and greater self-reported anxiety. This supports previous findings that objective income measures alone are not adequate indicators of socioeconomic status in older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social control in personal relationships: Impact on health behaviors and psychological distress.

This study examines associations among social control, health behavior change, and psychological distress. Social control refers to interactions between social network members that entail regulation, influence, and constraint. Social control is predicted to have dual effects leading to better health practices while also arousing psychological distress. A random sample of 242 individuals answered questions about health practices, overall exposure to social control in their networks, and social control attempts made by a specific network member. Analyses yielded mixed support for the hypotheses, but analyses of responses to the social control attempts of a specific network member did reveal that social control predicted less health-compromising behavior and more health-enhancing behavior as well as more distress. The results suggest that social control warrants greater attention in efforts to understand how personal relationships influence health. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Partner unsupportive responses, avoidant coping, and distress among women with early stage breast cancer: Patient and partner perspectives.

This 18-month longitudinal study examined the associations among partner unsupportive behavior, avoidant coping, and distress experienced by 219 women with early stage breast cancer. The role of patient and partner ratings of unsupportive behavior were evaluated. Results indicated that patient and partner ratings of unsupportive behavior were highly correlated. Growth curve modeling suggested that unsupportive behavior, from both patient and partner perspectives, predicted more avoidant coping and distress. When partner and patient perceptions were placed in the same model, patient perceptions mediated the association between partners' ratings of their unsupportive behavior and patient distress. Avoidance also mediated the association between unsupportive behavior and distress, extending prior cross-sectional findings. Results highlight the long-term detrimental effects of partners' unsupportive behavior on the quality of life of women with early stage breast cancer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sleeping problems and health behaviors as mediators between organizational justice and health.

The aim of this longitudinal cohort study was to investigate whether sleeping problems and health behaviors (smoking, alcohol consumption, and sedentary lifestyle) mediate the association between organizational justice and employee health. Health indicators were minor psychiatric morbidity, as assessed by the General Health Questionnaire (U. Werneke, D. P. Goldberg, 1. Yalcin, & B. T. Ustun, 2000), and poor self-rated health status. The results of logistic regression analysis of data for 416 male and 3,357 female hospital employees working during the 1998-2000 period in 10 Finnish hospitals suggest that sleeping problems are one of the underlying factors causing the adverse health effects of low organizational justice at work. No support for a mediating role of health behaviors between low organizational justice and health problems was obtained. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predicting hopelessness and psychological distress: The role of perfectionism and coping.

This study investigated an integrative model involving the relationship between perfectionism (P. L. Hewitt & G. L. Flett, 1991) and coping (C. S. Carver, A F. Scheier. & J. K. Weintraub, 1989) to predict changes in hopelessness and general psychological distress among college students. Results indicated that changes in psychological well-being (4-5 weeks later) were predicted by socially prescribed perfectionism, and, as theorized, avoidance coping moderated the link between perfectionism and psychological well-being beyond initial levels of distress. Support was also found for the adaptive effects of cognitive reconstruction coping and other-oriented perfectionism, whereas, under certain conditions, self-oriented perfectionism was shown to be maladaptive. These findings offer support for the proposed model. Implications for intervention and suggestions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional impairment, marital quality, and patient psychological distress as predictors of psychological distress among cancer patients' spouses.

This study investigated contextual determinants of psychological distress among 197 spouses of cancer patients. women, 30–82 years old). It was hypothesized that higher levels of patient functional impairment would lead to greater patient distress. Patient distress, in turn, would lead to lower spouse marital satisfaction and ultimately to higher spouse distress. Spouses completed measures of distress and marital quality at three time points. Cancer patients rated their functional impairment and psychological distress at the same time points. Results indicated that at all time points, greater patient impairment was associated with higher levels of patient distress which, in turn, was related to lower marital satisfaction. However, marital quality was related to spouse distress at only 1 time point, but spouse distress was directly associated with patient distress at each time point. Implications for cancer patients and spouses are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Approach, avoidance, and coping with stress.

Notes that the study of stress and coping points to 2 concepts central to an understanding of the response to trauma: approach and avoidance. This pair of concepts refers to 2 basic modes of coping with stress. Approach and avoidance are simply metaphors for cognitive and emotional activity that is oriented either toward or away from threat. Formulations of the approach–avoidance dimension are reviewed along with coping effectiveness literature. A general approach–avoidance model of coping is presented in the context of contemporary theoretical approaches to coping. The potential costs and benefits of approach and avoidance are outlined, and an ideal case of coping with stress, in which both modes would be operative, is presented. It is suggested that research focus on studying one stress or trauma at a time and following the coping processes over time. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social connectedness, dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors, and psychological distress: Testing a mediator model.

The study examined the relationship among social connectedness, dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors, and psychological distress. The authors specifically hypothesized that the direct negative effect of social connectedness on psychological distress would be mediated by dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors. Prior to testing the hypothesis, the authors revised the original Social Connectedness Scale (SCS; R. A Lee and S. B. Robbins, 1995). Studies 1 and 2 describe the revision and validation of the SCS on separate samples of college students. In Study 3, the authors surveyed 194 college students and found support for the mediation hypothesis on general psychological distress. The importance of assessing social connectedness and tailoring counseling interventions for people with low connectedness and dysfunctional interpersonal behaviors is addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stressful life events, psychological distress, coping, and parenting of divorced mothers: A longitudinal study.

This was a prospective longitudinal study of the relationships among life stress, psychological distress, coping, and parenting behaviors in a sample of divorced custodial mothers. First, the differential effects of major events and daily stressors on psychological distress and parenting were explored. Second, the mediational links among stress, distress, and 3 dimensions of parenting behaviors were studied. Third, 3 coping strategies were studied as moderators of the relationship between distress and parenting. The results showed that both major and small events had significant effects on parental distress, with the effects of daily negative events being greater than those of major events. Parental distress mediated the relationships between stressful life events and parental acceptance of their children's behaviors. Parental coping strategies moderated the relationship between mothers' psychological distress and mothers' discipline practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social control, health risk taking, and psychological distress among the elderly.

Most research on older adults' social networks has focused on the support-providing function of social relationships. Little gerontological research has addressed social control, or the role of social bonds in regulating deviant or risky behavior. Drawing on sociological theory, this study examined the hypothesis that social control discourages risky health practices while provoking psychological distress. Structured interviews conducted with 162 community-residing older adults assessed social control (direct attempts by others to influence participants' health practices and the existence of significant role obligations to others), health risk taking (medication misuse, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, and the overall level of unsound health practices), psychological functioning (depression, loneliness, and self-esteem), and interpersonal satisfaction (satisfaction with friends and family members). Analyses revealed little support for the hypothesis. Social control was only weakly related to participants' health practices and, contrary to expectation, was generally related to less psychological distress and to greater interpersonal satisfaction. Implications for social control theory and for further research are addressed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotion regulation, coping, and psychological symptoms.

The question of whether emotion control and coping are separate independent concepts or overlapping constructs was explored with a sample of 422 university students using the Emotional Control Questionnaire and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations. In addition, the relationship between emotion control, coping, and psychological symptoms was explored using the Brief Symptom Inventory. Evidence was found for both independence and overlap between emotion control and coping. Emotion focused coping was a strong predictor of psychopathology. Rehearsal and benign control were associated with the set of psychological symptoms. Aggression control was related to hostility and interpersonal sensitivity. Coping-emotion control combinations and gender differences were also examined in terms of the psychological symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived discrimination and women's psychological distress: The roles of collective and personal self-esteem.

In the spirit of counseling psychology's social justice mission (e.g., L. A. Goodman, B. Liang, J. E. Helms, R. E. Latta, E. Sparks, & S. R. Weintraub, 2004), the authors examined perceptions of discrimination against women as related to women's views of the group women, their views of themselves as individuals, and their psychological distress. Path analysis was used to test an extended chain of mediation from perceptions of discrimination to public collective self-esteem, private collective self-esteem, personal self-esteem, and finally to psychological distress. Data (N = 235) were consistent with hypotheses and indicated a good fit for the model. Results were in accord with feminist theorists' assertions of the harmful nature of sexist discrimination, as the model accounted for substantial proportions of variance in depression and anxiety. Furthermore, these findings on mechanisms by which harm may be induced offer important clues for prevention and intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relation between coping strategies and distress, stress, and marital adjustment of multiple-role women.

This study examined time-management and self-care coping techinques that multiple-role women use and their relation to self-reported levels of distress, stress, and marital adjustment. The subjects (N?=?69) were married, had at least one child under the age of 12, and were employed outside the home for more than 20 hr per week. Subjects completed a demographic questionnaire, the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Derogatis Stress Profile, and the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test. In addition, subjects participated in a 15-min structured interview designed to assess number, type, and frequency of use of time-management and self-care coping strategies. Results of the study indicated that the number, type, and frequency of use of coping strategies were significantly related to self-reported levels of distress, stress, and particularly marital adjustment. Further analysis of high and low scorers on the marital-adjustment test revealed significant differences between the groups on measures of distress and coping. Subjects in the high-marital-adjustment group had significantly lower levels of distress, employed a greater number of coping strategies, and reported greater frequency of use of coping strategies than subjects in the low-marital-adjustment group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Couples coping with congestive heart failure: Role and gender differences in psychological distress.

Psychological distress and marital quality were assessed with male (n=128) and female (n=49) congestive-heart-failure (CHF) patients and their spouses. Hopkins Symptom Check List-25 scores were in the distressed range for 57% of patients and 40% of spouses. This role difference was greater for men than for women, and a gender difference (more distress in women than men) was greater for spouses than for patients. The patient's distress, but not the spouse's, reflected the severity of the patient's illness, and distress for both partners correlated negatively with ratings of marital quality. Female-patient couples reported better relationship quality than male-patient couples, however, and a mediation analysis indicated that the gender difference in spouse distress could be explained by marital quality. Results highlight the contextual nature of CHF distress and suggest that role differences in distress vary by gender. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perceived arousal, focus of attention, and avoidance behavior.

Attribution theory holds that perceived arousal may cause a person to draw an inference about his emotions and base his subsequent behavior on that inference. Recent research suggests, however, that this account does not entirely explain the influence of false arousal feedback on simultaneously occurring avoidance behavior. The following model, based on self-awareness theory, is proposed. Autonomic arousal feedback may cause heightened self-focus, followed by 1 of 2 possibilities: (a) If the person believes he can cope with his fear, he will redirect his attention to a behavior–goal comparison in order to match the one with the other. (b) If the person doubts his ability to match his behavior with the goal, such a comparison will be aversive and he will avoid focusing on it. These possibilities should lead to 2 different behavioral reactions as well: Doubtful Ss should avoid the aversive stimulus more quickly when presented with arousal feedback, but confident Ss should not. To test the model, a study was conducted in which 57 undergraduates who had self-rated moderate fear of nonpoisonous snakes and who also had indicated either confidence or doubt about their abilities to do the approach task approached a live boa constrictor in the presence of an accelerating or a constant heartbeat. Both behavioral and self-reported focus of attention results were consistent with the proposed attentional model. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depleted parental psychological resources as mediators of the association of income with adherence and metabolic control.

For adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, lower family income may be associated with poorer diabetes management through depleted parental psychological resources (i.e., higher parental depressive symptoms, lower parental acceptance). Adolescents (N = 252; 46% male) aged 10–14 years with Type 1 diabetes assessed the acceptance of their mother and father (e.g., “gives me the feeling that she likes me as I am”; “she doesn't feel she has to make me over into someone else”). Mothers provided information on family income and demographics. Both mothers and fathers reported their depressive symptoms. HbA1c scores were indexed via medical records. Lower family income was associated with higher (i.e., worse) HbA1c, more mother and father depressive symptoms, and less acceptance from both parents. Mediation analyses revealed that the relationship of lower family income with metabolic control occurred indirectly through lower maternal and paternal acceptance and lower adherence. Lower family income may impair the quality of parent—adolescent relationships that are beneficial for good diabetes management. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)