A meta-analytic examination of hardiness.

Hardiness, which is a multidimensional personality trait that is hypothesized to protect people from the effects of stress, has attracted considerable research attention during the last 30 years. The current study provides a meta-analytic review of hardiness. Specifically, we examined the relationships between the hardiness facets, the relationship between hardiness and other personality variables, as well as the relationships between hardiness and several hypothesized criteria, including stressors, strains, social support, coping, and performance. Our analyses generally suggest that hardiness is: (a) positively related to other personality traits that are expected to protect people from stress, (b) negatively related to personality traits that are expected to exacerbate the effects of stress, (c) negatively related to stressors, strains, and regressive coping, and (d) positively related to social support, active coping, and performance. Regression analyses suggest that hardiness is significantly related to important criteria after the effects of other personality traits (e.g., the Five Factor Model traits) are controlled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is! Explaining Collective Action Tendencies Through Group-Based Anger and Group Efficacy.

Insights from appraisal theories of emotion are used to integrate elements of theories on collective action. Three experiments with disadvantaged groups systematically manipulated procedural fairness (Study 1), emotional social support (Study 2), and instrumental social support (Study 3) to examine their effects on collective action tendencies through group-based anger and group efficacy. Results of structural equation modeling showed that procedural fairness and emotional social support affected the group-based anger pathway (reflecting emotion-focused coping), whereas instrumental social support affected the group efficacy pathway (reflecting problem-focused coping), constituting 2 distinct pathways to collective action tendencies. Analyses of the means suggest that collective action tendencies become stronger the more fellow group members "put their money where their mouth is." The authors discuss how their dual pathway model integrates and extends elements of current approaches to collective action. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

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)     

Protective and exacerbating factors in children and adolescents with fibromyalgia.

Objective: To investigate protective and exacerbating factors in the adjustment of youth with juvenile primary fibromyalgia syndrome (JPFS), we examined the relationship of stress, coping strategies, social support, and self-efficacy to quality of life, pain, and depression. Method: Participants were 57 youths (ages 10 to 18 years) and their parents from rheumatology clinics at 2 children's hospitals. The youths self-reported daily hassles, coping strategies, social support, self-efficacy, quality of life, pain, and depression. Parents reported on the youths' major life events and quality of life. Results: In regression analyses, daily hassles, catastrophizing (a coping strategies scale), and self-efficacy predicted child-rated quality of life; self-efficacy predicted pain; and daily hassles predicted depression. Self-efficacy and familial social support moderated the relationship between daily hassles and depression. Conclusions: Daily hassles may be associated with health outcomes for youth with JPFS more than major life events are, and catastrophic thinking and self-efficacy beliefs could be appropriate intervention targets. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intrinsic religiousness and religious coping as life stress moderators for Catholics versus Protestants.

Two prospective studies were conducted to test the stress-moderating effects of intrinsic religiousness and overall religious coping on the depression and trait anxiety of Catholic and Protestant college students. Both studies found a significant cross-sectional interaction between controllable life stress and religious coping in the prediction of Catholics' depression, with religious coping serving a protective function at a high level of controllable negative events. Both studies also found a significant prospective interaction between uncontrollable life stress and intrinsic religiousness in the prediction of Protestants' depression; the relationship between uncontrollable stress and depression was positive for low intrinsic Protestants, flat for medium intrinsic Protestants, but negative for high intrinsic Protestants. The findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the role of religion in life stress adjustment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differential Associations of Dispositional Optimism and Pessimism With Coping, Goal Attainment, and Emotional Adjustment During Sport Competition.

This study examined the associations of dispositional optimism and pessimism with athletes' coping, goal attainment, and affective states during a sport competition. Results of path analyses showed that dispositional optimism and pessimism correlated differently with coping and affective variables. Mediating analyses indicated that task-oriented coping partially mediated the relationship of optimism with postcompetition positive affective state, whereas disengagement-oriented coping fully mediated the relationship of pessimism with postcompetition anger/dejection. Ancillary hierarchical regressions also indicated that distraction-oriented coping may lead to positive outcomes when used in concordance with task-oriented coping. Overall, these results lent credence to the utility of a bidimensional model of optimism and pessimism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A longitudinal analysis of cognitive dysfunction, coping, and depression in multiple sclerosis.

Using a longitudinal design, the authors examined coping and cognitive functioning in the development of depression in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Coping style was evaluated in 2 conceptually distinct roles: as moderator and mediator of the impact of cognitive dysfunction on depression. Using indices derived from the COPE (C. S. Carver, M. F. Scheier, & J. K. Weintraub, 1989), the authors operationalized coping in 3 ways—as active, avoidant, and an index accounting for relative levels of both. Coping both moderated and partially mediated the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and depression. Moderation results suggest that the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and depression is dependent on coping style—adaptive coping protects individuals from experiencing depression related to their cognitive deficits; however, when individuals use maladaptive coping, cognitive dysfunction puts them at risk for depression. Mediational results suggest that cognitive dysfunction leads to depression partially due to cognitive dysfunction’s effects on coping. That is, cognitive deficits may impair individuals’ ability to use adaptive coping strategies, leaving them more likely to use maladaptive strategies. Clinical and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining potential moderators of the link between heterosexist events and gay and bisexual men's psychological distress.

The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the relationship between heterosexist events and psychological distress and (b) the potential moderating roles of social support, avoidant coping, and self-esteem in the relationship between heterosexist events and psychological distress among 210 gay and bisexual men. Findings from the Web-based Internet survey revealed that many gay and bisexual men experienced heterosexist harassment, rejection, and discrimination at least once in a while during the past year and that these experiences were positively related to psychological distress. Results also indicated that self-esteem moderated the relationship between heterosexist events and psychological distress, with significant risk being associated with low self-esteem. No support was found for the moderating roles of social support and avoidant coping in the link between heterosexist events and psychological distress. (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)     

Psychosocial factors in heart surgery: Presurgical vulnerability and postsurgical recovery.

Objective: Distress and low perceived social support were examined as indicators of psychosocial vulnerability in patients about to undergo heart surgery. Design: A total of 550 study patients underwent heart surgeries, including bypass grafting and valve procedures. Psychosocial interviews were conducted about five days before surgery, and biomedical data were obtained from hospital records. Main Outcome Measures: Sociodemographic, personality, religious, and biomedical factors were evaluated as predictors of psychosocial vulnerability, and all five sets of variables were evaluated as contributors to hospital length of stay (LOS). Results: Patients scoring higher on one or more indicator of presurgical psychosocial vulnerability were younger, more likely to be female, less likely to be married, less well educated, lower in dispositional optimism, higher in trait anger, and lower in religiousness. Older age, depression, low support, and low trait anger each showed an independent, prospective association with greater LOS, and several other predictors had prospective relationships with LOS that were statistically mediated by depression or perceived support. Conclusion: Evidence that multiple psychosocial factors may influence adaptation to heart surgery has implications for understanding and ameliorating presurgical distress and for improving postsurgical recovery. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological impact of an economic crisis: A Conservation of Resources approach.

This study examined the psychological effects of an economic crisis based on Conservation of Resources (COR) stress theory. It investigated how the loss of economic resources had a psychological influence on well-being and identified which of 3 variables (the loss of economic resources, demographic characteristics, or coping strategies) had the greatest psychological influence. Psychological well-being was assessed via levels of anxiety and anger. The study provided clear support for COR theory. The loss of economic resources had a strong and mostly positive relationship to anxiety and anger. The coping strategies were the most important of several predictors. Similar studies were proposed to increase confidence in generalizing to other populations and to identify the causal links between loss of economic resources, coping, and psychological well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of religion in medical rehabilitation outcomes: A longitudinal study.

ABSTRACT. Objective: To investigate the protective and consolation models of the relationship between religion and health outcomes in medical rehabilitation patients. Design: Longitudinal study, data collected at admission, discharge, and 4 months postadmission. Measures: Religion measures were public and private religiosity, acceptance, positive and negative religious coping, and spiritual injury. Outcomes were self-report of activities of daily living (ADL), mobility, general health, depression, and life satisfaction. Participants: 96 medical rehabilitation inpatients; diagnoses included joint replacement, amputation, stroke, and other conditions. Results: The protective model of the relationship between religion and health was not supported; only limited support was found for the consolation model. In regression analyses, negative religious coping accounted for significant variance in follow-up ADL (5%) over and above that accounted for by admission ADL, depression, social support, and demographic variables. Subsequent item analysis indicated that anger with God explained more variance (9%) than the full negative religious coping scale. Conclusions: Religion did not promote better recovery or adjustment… (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping and distress in organizations: The role of gender in work stress.

This article investigates the positive value of women's interpersonal way of coping by examining coping benefits on distress depending on gender socialization in the Spanish cultural context. The participants were 332 men and 129 women employed by financial companies. Preliminary results showed that women used social support coping more frequently than men, whereas there were no gender differences in the use of direct action coping. Interactive effects of gender in the relationship between coping strategies and distress and psychosomatic complaints were found; social support coping was only beneficial for women, whereas direct action coping was more beneficial for men than for women. Implications of these results and their significance within the framework of national and sector cultures are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Daily stress, coping, and well-being in parents of children with autism: A multilevel modeling approach.

This study used a repeated daily measurement design to examine the direct and moderating effects of coping on daily psychological distress and well-being in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Twice weekly over a 12-week period, 93 parents provided reports of their daily stress, coping responses, and end-of-day mood. Multilevel modeling analyses identified 5 coping responses (e.g., seeking support, positive reframing) that predicted increased daily positive mood and 4 (e.g., escape, withdrawal) that were associated with decreased positive mood. Similarly, 2 coping responses were associated with decreased daily negative mood and 5 predicted increased negative mood. The moderating effects of gender and the 11 coping responses were also examined. Gender did not moderate the daily coping?mood relationship, however 3 coping responses (emotional regulation, social support, and worrying) were found to moderate the daily stress?mood relationship. Additionally, ASD symptomatology, and time since an ASD diagnosis were not found to predict daily parental mood. This study is perhaps the first to identify coping responses that enhance daily well-being and mitigate daily distress in parents of children with ASD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness, attachment, and the perception and use of social support in university students.

This study examined factors related to family, social, and romantic loneliness in 173 undergraduate students (66 males, 107 females). Participants completed measures of attachment style, perceived availability of social support, use of social support coping, and loneliness. Results indicated that participants with greater attachment security reported lower levels of all types of loneliness compared to those with less attachment security, and this was partially mediated by perceived social support but not the use of social support coping. When examining underlying attachment constructs, a more positive model of others was related to less family and social loneliness, and these associations were mediated by greater perceived social support. Model of others also was associated with less romantic loneliness and model of self was associated with less loneliness in all domains, and these relations were partially mediated by perceived social support. Findings are discussed with respect to possible interventions to increase students' perceptions of available social support and to decrease overall loneliness levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Direct and crossover effects of prosocial and antisocial coping behaviors.

The relationship of antisocial and prosocial coping behaviors to individual and relationship well-being was prospectively examined in a sample of fire-emergency workers (FEWs) and their marital or romantic partners (69 couples). Results of hierarchical multiple regression equations indicated that FEW's antisocial coping was related to higher levels of depressive symptoms. Prosocial coping was related to decreased anger expression and increased relationship adjustment. Partners' prosocial coping was a significant predictor of FEW's reports of better relationship adjustment. For partners, prosocial coping was positively related to their relationship adjustment. FEW coping was unrelated to partners' outcome. Results for the FEWs support the notion that coping has direct and crossover effects. Moreover, results indicate that prosocial and antisocial coping behaviors have differential effects on well-being. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

En las Manos de Dios [in God's Hands]: Religious and Other Forms of Coping Among Latinos With Arthritis.

This study tested a theoretical model concerning religious, passive, and active coping; pain; and psychological adjustment among a sample of 200 Latinos with arthritis. Respondents reported using high levels of religious coping. A path analysis indicated that religious coping was correlated with active but not with passive coping. Religious coping was directly related to psychological well-being. Passive coping was associated with greater pain and worse adjustment. The effects of active coping on pain, depression, and psychological well-being were entirely indirect, mediated by acceptance of illness and self-efficacy. These findings warrant more research on the mechanisms that mediate the relationship between coping and health. This study contributes to a growing literature on religious coping among people with chronic illness, as well as contributing to a historically under-studied ethnic group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Repressive and defensive coping during fear and anger.

In this study, the relationship between repressive and defensive coping styles and somatovisceral responses as well as emotion self-reports were investigated in 2 situational contexts conceived to induce fear and anger. Anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; L. Laux, P. Glanzmann, P. Schaffner, and C. D. Spielberger, 1981) x Defensiveness (Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale; D. P. Crowne and D. Marlowe, 1960) x Emotion (fear, anger) moderated regression analyses revealed that compared with baseline during fear, defensiveness was related to a decrease in heart rate variability. Also during fear, repressive-defensive copers had lower self-reports of negative affect but showed higher behavioral negative affect (m. corrugator reactivity) than other participants. During anger, defensiveness was positively related to both diastolic blood pressure reactivity and m. zygomaticus reactivity. Additional analyses showed that emotional responses of repressive-defensive copers were strongly moderated by the situational context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)