Resource loss, resource gain, and emotional outcomes among inner city women.

The authors examined a dynamic conceptualization of stress by investigating how economic stress, measured in terms of material loss, alters women's personal and social resources and how these changed resources impact anger and depressive mood. Resource change in women's mastery and social support over 9 months was significantly associated with changes in depressive mood and anger among 714 inner city women. Greater loss of mastery and social support was associated with increased depressive mood and anger. Loss of mastery and social support also mediated the impact of material loss on depressive mood and anger. Resource loss and worsening economic circumstances had more negative impact than resource gain and improving economic circumstances had positive impact, suggesting the greater saliency of loss than gain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology following bone marrow transplantation for cancer.

This study examined the prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in 70 men and women treated with bone marrow transplantation for cancer. Findings indicated that number of symptoms present ranged from 0 to a possible high of 17 (M = 3.0, SD = 3.9). As predicted lower social support and higher avoidance coping I month pretransplant predicted greater PTS symptom severity an average of 7 months posttransplant. These variables remained significant predictors of symptom severity even after accounting for pretransplant levels of psychological distress. Addition analyses indicated the presence of a significant interaction between social support and avoidance coping with patients high in avoidance coping and low in social support reporting the most severe symptoms. These findings identify patients at risk for psychological disturbance posttransplant and can serve guide future intervention efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Differences in distress among adult children of alcoholics.

Investigated within-group differences in psychological distress, social support, and hardiness among adult children of alcoholics (ACAs). Members of ACA support groups (21 men, 58 women) were compared to ACA college students (27 men, 40 women) not involved in such support groups. Support group members reported higher levels of psychological distress, lower levels of hardiness, and less satisfaction with perceived social support than did the college student ACAs. Support group members also reported more negative feelings, attitudes, and behaviors with regard to parental alcoholism than did the college students. For both groups, hardiness and social support were negatively correlated with psychological distress. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Resource loss, resource gain, and psychological resilience and dysfunction following cancer diagnosis: A growth mixture modeling approach.

Objective: This study investigated trajectories of psychological distress and their relationships with change in psychosocial resources in the year following cancer diagnosis. Design: Chinese colorectal cancer (CRC) patients (n = 234) were assessed within 12 weeks of diagnosis (T1) and again at 3-month (T2) and 12-month (T3) follow-ups. Growth mixture modeling was used to analyze the longitudinal data. Main Outcome Measures: Psychological distress was measured at the three time-points using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Results: Growth mixture models identified four classes: chronic distress (7–9%), delayed distress (10–13%), recovery (13–16%), and resilient (65–67%). People in chronic distress were more likely to demonstrate loss in physical functioning and social relational quality than those in delayed distress, and loss in physical functioning, optimism, and hope than those in recovery, but more likely to demonstrate stability/gain in optimistic personalities than those in delayed distress and resilient. People in resilient were more likely to report stability/gain in optimistic personalities than those in delayed distress but not those in recovery. Conclusion: Understanding differential outcome trajectories and associated change in coping resources has implications for developing ongoing psychological services for cancer patients during the diagnosis and treatment process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social conflict, social support, and psychological distress: Evidence of cross-domain buffering effects.

A longitudinal study examined the relative and joint effects of perceived social support and social conflict on psychological distress in 228 college students. Women had higher perceived social support from roommates and friends and less conflict with roommates than did men; there were no gender differences in level of conflict with friends or psychological distress. Roommate conflict predicted increases in psychological distress over time; this effect was attenuated by high levels of perceived social support from friends. Friend conflict also predicted increases in psychological distress over time; this effect was attenuated by high levels of perceived social support from roommates. These results show the importance of negative and positive aspects of social experiences to emotional functioning and the importance of compensatory social support for individuals facing social conflicts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A prospective study of risk and resilience factors associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms and depression symptoms among Jews and Arabs exposed to repeated acts of terrorism in Israel.

In the first prospective study, to our knowledge, of the impact of ongoing terrorism and political violence, we analyzed nationally representative data from 560 Jews and 182 Arabs in Israel over a 6-month period. Based on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 1998), we predicted that exposure to terrorism and political violence would result in psychosocial and economic resource loss and resource lack, which in turn, would be primary predictors of increases in symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression. We also predicted that trauma exposure and PTS symptoms, in particular, would be related to ethnocentrism and support for political violence. Furthermore, based on theory and prior research, we predicted that posttraumatic growth (PTG) would be related to a worsening of symptoms of distress and that distress would be related to increased ethnocentrism and support for extreme political violence for their “cause.” Women, older individuals, and Arabs (compared with Jews) were more likely to have continued psychological distress over time. In addition, using simultaneous equation modeling, we found good fit for a structural model that partially supported our hypotheses. Psychosocial resource loss, PTG, and social support had direct and indirect effects on psychological distress. Political attitudes tended to harden over time but were not prospectively related to PTS or depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Hobfoll et al. (2003).

Reports errors in the original article by S. E. Hobfoll et al (Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 2003[Mar], Vol 84[3], 632-643). On page 643, in the tables for Appendixes B and C, the variables labeled with "T3" should all read "T2." In Appendix C, the column headings "Nonlinear model" should read "Nonlinear model T1"; the column headings "Linear model" should read "Nonlinear model T2." These changes do not affect the findings, interpretations, or conclusions. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2003-01588-018): The authors examined a dynamic conceptualization of stress by investigating how economic stress, measured in terms of material loss, alters women's personal and social resources and how these changed resources impact anger and depressive mood. Resource change in women's mastery and social support over 9 months was significantly associated with changes in depressive mood and anger among 714 inner city women. Greater loss of mastery and social support was associated with increased depressive mood and anger. Loss of mastery and social support also mediated the impact of material loss on depressive mood and anger. Resource loss and worsening economic circumstances had more negative impact than resource gain... (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Intergenerational Family Conflict and Coping Among Hmong American College Students.

Problem solving and social support, as different styles of coping with intergenerational family conflict, were examined among 86 Hmong American college students. Problem solving and social support were hypothesized to differentially moderate the effects of family conflict on psychological adjustment. Furthermore, the effects of attributions of blame on the adjustment of Hmong American college students were examined. Results indicate that social support buffered and problem solving enhanced the negative effects of family conflict on symptoms of distress but not on affect. Additionally, there were significant interaction effects between family conflict and self-blame on distress. Specifically, students who were more likely to blame themselves reported higher levels of distress. (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)     

Filipino Americans and racism: A multiple mediation model of coping.

Although the literature on Asian Americans and racism has been emerging, few studies have examined how coping influences one’s encounters with racism. To advance the literature, the present study focused on the psychological impact of Filipino Americans’ experiences with racism and the role of coping as a mediator using a community-based sample of adults (N = 199). Two multiple mediation models were used to examine the mediating effects of active, avoidance, support-seeking, and forbearance coping on the relationship between perceived racism and psychological distress and self-esteem, respectively. Separate analyses were also conducted for men and women given differences in coping utilization. For men, a bootstrap procedure indicated that active, support-seeking, and avoidance coping were mediators of the relationship between perceived racism and psychological distress. Active coping was negatively associated with psychological distress, whereas both support seeking and avoidance were positively associated with psychological distress. A second bootstrap procedure for men indicated that active and avoidance coping mediated the relationship between perceived racism and self-esteem such that active coping was positively associated with self-esteem, and avoidance was negatively associated with self-esteem. For women, only avoidance coping had a significant mediating effect that was associated with elevations in psychological distress and decreases in self-esteem. The results highlight the importance of examining the efficacy of specific coping responses to racism and the need to differentiate between the experiences of men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between adjustment to HIV and both social support and coping.

This study examined the relationships between HIV stage, social support, coping strategies, and adjustment to HIV. Ninety-six HIV-infected gay men and 33 seronegative comparison group participants participated in the study. In general, coping strategies and social support did not differ according to HIV stage. As predicted, adjustment was related to social support and coping strategies. Coping strategies were linked to psychosocial adjustment, whereas social support was more strongly associated with health-related variables. There was little evidence of buffering effects of either coping strategies or social support. Four coping strategies were related to low levels of psychological distress. Contrary to expectation, the relationships between coping strategies and adjustment did not vary as a function of HIV stage. However, the relationship between adjustment and some elements of social support varied as a function of HIV stage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Risk and protective factors for suicidal behavior in abused African American women.

This study examined risk and protective factors that differentiate low-income, abused African American women (N=200) who attempted suicide from those who had never made a suicide attempt. Results from multivariate analyses revealed that numerous and/or severe negative life events, a history of child maltreatment, high levels of psychological distress and depression, hopelessness about the future, and alcohol and drug problems were factors associated with attempter status. Protective factors associated with nonattempter status included hopefulness, self-efficacy, coping skills, social support, and effectiveness in obtaining material resources. Culturally competent intervention approaches for abused women should target increasing their protective factors and reducing their risk factors to decrease the likelihood that these women engage in suicidal behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cultural, sociofamilial, and psychological resources that inhibit psychological distress in African Americans exposed to stressful life events and race-related stress.

This study tested a sociocultural model of stress and coping in a sample of 215 African Americans. Psychological resources (optimism, ego resilience) were modeled as a "nested self" (S. E. Hobfoll, 2001), supported by social resources (family adaptability and cohesion) and cultural resources (racial pride, religiosity). Race-related stress was a significantly more powerful risk factor than stressful life events for psychological distress. Structural equation modeling results confirmed the hypotheses that psychological resources had a significant direct effect in minimizing psychological distress, and social resources had a significant stress-suppressing effect on race-related stress. Theoretical and practical implications for counseling psychologists are discussed. (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)     

United We Stand? The Effects of a Couple-Coping Intervention on Adjustment to Early Stage Breast or Gynecological Cancer.

Cancer diagnosis affects the psychological well-being of both patients and their partners, and effective coping has been suggested to be a conjoint process of mutual support. Ninety-four married women with early stage cancer and their partners were randomly assigned to couples-based coping training (CanCOPE), individual coping training for the woman, or a medical education control. Couples' observed support communication and self-reported psychological distress, coping effort, and sexual adjustment were assessed at diagnosis, after cancer surgery, and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. CanCOPE produced significant improvements in couples' supportive communication, reduced psychological distress and coping effort, and improved sexual adjustment. Training in couples rather than individual coping was more effective in facilitating adaptation to cancer. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of psychosocial and situational variables on substance abuse among homeless adults.

Finding direct and indirect influences of salient psychosocial and situational variables on problem substance use among homeless people is important in designing evidence-based, effective, and relevant interventions for this special population. A stress-coping paradigm in conjunction with situational items specialized for homeless people was used to explore predictive relationships in a sample of homeless adults (N = 664) among (a) psychosocial variables of self-esteem, social support, positive and negative coping, and emotional distress, (b) situational variables of homelessness history and quality of recent housing, and (c) outcomes of alcohol use, injection drug use (IDU), and non-IDU. Lower self-esteem predicted greater emotional distress, lower positive coping, greater negative coping, and more alcohol use. Social support predicted less emotional distress and more positive coping. Chronic homelessness predicted more emotional distress, less positive coping, greater alcohol use, and IDU. Poor housing was associated with more alcohol use and IDU. Substance abuse interventions among the homeless should have a dual focus that includes attention to psychological issues and negative coping patterns while also addressing situational, environmental factors, including encouraging provision of permanent supportive housing. (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)     

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)     

Test of a model of coping with involuntary job loss following a company closing.

This study presented and tested a model of response to involuntary job loss based on R. S. Lazarus and S. Folkman's (1984) theory of stress, appraisal, and coping. The sample included 202 individuals who provided self-report survey data at approximately 6 and 12 months following a company closing. Structural equation modeling provided support for the fit of the overall model and partial support for the hypotheses. Specifically, results indicated that coping resources are related both to the cognitive appraisal of job loss and the coping strategies developed in response to job loss, cognitive appraisal is related to the use of coping strategies, and coping strategies are related both to the level of distress felt by the individual and to the level of reemployment attained. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Risk, resistance, and psychological distress: A longitudinal analysis with adults and children.

The link between risk and resistance factors and psychological and physical distress was examined cross-sectionally and longitudinally over a 1-year period. Risk factors are negative life events and avoidance coping strategies and, for children, parental emotional and physical distress. Resistance factors include self-confidence, an easygoing disposition, and family support. We studied a community sample of over 400 adults and their children. Each of the predictor variables was significantly associated with concurrent and future psychological and physical distress among adults. Moreover, the sets of risk and resistance variables predicted both current and subsequent distress among adults even when the stable component in distress was controlled. Parental risk and resistance—especially family support and maternal dysfunction—also predicted concurrent psychological and, less strongly, physical distress among the children. The associations involving family support and maternal distress and avoidance coping held in cross-sectional analyses even when the stable component in children's distress was controlled. Although family support was associated with children's future psychological and physical distress in zero-order correlations, the relation did not hold when children's initial distress was controlled. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)