Coping styles as predictors of college adjustment among freshmen

Based on Tyler's model of psychosocial competence, the present study tested the hypothesis that students' differential coping styles could impact their adjustment to college. A college adjustment measure and a coping styles instrument were administered to 161 freshmen at a small eastern college. First-year students were chosen because college adjustment is particularly salient in the freshmen year. The results indicated that academic adjustment and personal/emotional adjustment were related to the coping strategies, while social adjustment and attachment/goal commitment were not related to coping strategies. Active coping, which focuses on doing something positive to solve the problem, was predictive of academic adjustment. Academic adjustment was negatively predicted by suppression of competing activities which consists of attending to one problem at a time to the exclusion of other things. Personal/emotional adjustment was negatively related to the focus on emotion/venting of emotions dimension which is coping by emotional catharsis. Personal/emotional adjustment was also positively predicted by active-coping. Gender differences were also examined and discussed. These findings were interpreted as supportive of Tyler's model and their counselling implications were discussed.     

Coping with body image changes following a disfiguring burn injury.

The influence of emotion-focused coping on distress following disfiguring injury was examined. Two types of emotion-focused coping (i.e., venting emotions vs. mental disengagement) were assessed in 78 patients with burn injury at baseline during acute hospitalization. Body image dissatisfaction (BID) was assessed 1 week and 2 months following discharge. Use at baseline of both venting emotions and mental disengagement, compared with use of only one or neither of these coping methods, was associated at the 2-month postdischarge follow-up with significantly higher BID related to nonfacial aspects of appearance and with a greater negative social impact of disfigurement. D. M. Wegner's (1994) theoretical model of mental control and a proposed motivational analysis are used to interpret these findings.     

Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach

We developed a multidimensional coping inventory to assess the different ways in which people respond to stress. Five scales (of four items each) measure conceptually distinct aspects of problem-focused coping (active coping, planning, suppression of competing activities, restraint coping, seeking of instrumental social support); five scales measure aspects of what might be viewed as emotional-focused coping (seeking of emotional social support, positive reinterpretation, acceptance, denial, turning to religion); and three scales measure coping responses that arguably are less useful (focus on and venting of emotions, behavioral disengagement, mental disengagement). Study 1 reports the development of scale items. Study 2 reports correlations between the various coping scales and several theoretically relevant personality measures in an effort to provide preliminary information about the inventory's convergent and discriminant validity. Study 3 uses the inventory to assess coping responses among a group of undergraduates who were attempting to cope with a specific stressful episode. This study also allowed an initial examination of associations between dispositional and situational coping tendencies.     

Exploring relations between teacher emotions,coping strategies,and intentions to quit: A longitudinal analysis

Although previous research has indicated that emotions have a substantial impact on teacher well-being, research is lacking concerning the relationships between teachers' emotions, coping strategies, and quitting intentions. This current five-month, two-wave longitudinal study investigated the relations between these variables in a sample of 1086 Canadian teachers (female: 81.3%; M_age = 42). Results from cross-lagged analyses revealed that teachers' trait emotions corresponded with coping strategies and that trait emotions and coping strategies both corresponded with intentions to quit the teaching profession. Mediational latent change analyses further showed that baseline levels of teachers' anxiety corresponded with greater emotion-focused disengagement coping that, in turn, led to stronger intentions to quit the teaching profession. Finally, decreases in teachers' anxiety over time additionally corresponded with decreases in disengagement coping. Limitations and practical implications concerning the importance of providing meaningful support to teachers for reducing anxiety, improving coping, and reducing quitting intentions are discussed.     

压力对大学生网络成瘾的影响机制

为考察焦虑、消极应对方式和积极应对方式在压力与网络成瘾关系中的链式中介效应,使用压力量表、焦虑量表、应对方式量表和网络成瘾量对随机抽取的341名大学生表进行调查。研究显示：（1）焦虑中介了压力与大学生网络成瘾之间的的关系;（2）消极应对方式中介了焦虑与大学生网络成瘾之间的关系,而积极应对方式并未中介焦虑与大学生网络成瘾之间的关系。所以,焦虑和消极应对方式在压力与大学生网络成瘾之间起链式中介作用。     

Psychological resilience: the impact of affectivity and coping on state anxiety and positive emotions during and after the Washington,DC sniper killings

This research examined the impact of affectivity and coping on state anxiety and positive emotions among young adults living in the Washington, DC metro area both during and after the Washington, DC sniper killings. Participants completed questionnaires during three waves of data collection: (1) during the sniper attacks (n=92); (2) within two weeks after the snipers were captured (n=45); and (3) six months later (n=43). Affectivity (measured by neuroticism) was significantly associated with state anxiety and positive emotions during all three time periods. Coping (measured by constructive thinking) predicted state anxiety and positive emotions during the shootings, but was unrelated to either outcome immediately after the attacks, and marginally related to them six months later. Consistent with the Dynamic Model of Affect, state anxiety and positive emotions were more strongly (and negatively) correlated with each other during the killings than they were after the snipers were apprehended. Taken together, these results support transactional models of stress that emphasize the interaction between dispositional and situational influences, and they suggest that affectivity reflects a fundamental set of reactions to one's environment, while coping dispositions result in more stress-specific responses. Additional theoretical and practical implications of these findings are also discussed.     

Neuroticism,coping and change in MCMI-II clinical syndromes: test of a mediator model

The aim of the study was to examine prospectively whether coping mediated the relation between Neuroticism and change in different clinical mental syndromes. Assessments were conducted with 154 former psychiatric outpatients six and seven years after their initial contact with an outpatient clinic. Dispositional coping mediated the relation between Neuroticism and change in four of the nine clinical scales of the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-II) (Millon, 1987). High Neuroticism led to coping strategies of disengagement and the venting of emotions and to a lack of problem-focused coping, which in turn translated into a relative increase on the MCMI-II scales. The mediator model of coping was found to apply to the MCMI-II scales "somatoform disorder’, ‘dysthymia’, ‘alcohol dependence’ and ‘thought disorder’. Results are discussed under the perspective of an integration of the positions of the transactional theory of stress and personality psychology. .     

What good are positive emotions in crises? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001

Extrapolating from B. L. Fredrickson's (1998, 2001) broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the authors hypothesized that positive emotions are active ingredients within trait resilience. U.S. college students (18 men and 28 women) were tested in early 2001 and again in the weeks following the September 11th terrorist attacks. Mediational analyses showed that positive emotions experienced in the wake of the attacks--gratitude, interest, love, and so forth--fully accounted for the relations between (a) precrisis resilience and later development of depressive symptoms and (b) precrisis resilience and postcrisis growth in psychological resources. Findings suggest that positive emotions in the aftermath of crises buffer resilient people against depression and fuel thriving, consistent with the broaden-and-build theory. Discussion touches on implications for coping.     

Israeli adolescents' coping strategies in relation to terrorist attacks

Exposure to terrorism seriously threatens the well-being of children and adolescents. Israeli citizens have witnessed massive ongoing terrorist attacks during the last few years. The present research, conducted among 330 Israeli adolescents, examined coping strategies in relation to terrorist attacks. We found that adolescents utilize more productive than non-productive coping strategies when dealing with terrorist attacks. Moreover, they rarely seek professional help. Male adolescents use more non-productive coping strategies and female adolescents seek more social support as a coping strategy. The impact of exposure to media reports and life satisfaction on adolescents' use of coping strategies is discussed, and potentially effective approaches to coping with terrorist attacks are proposed.     

Forgiving the September 11th terrorists: associations with coping, psychological distress, and religiosity

Two studies examined how non-interpersonal forgiveness (when there is no social relationship between the transgressor and forgiver) related to coping and involuntary responses to stress, psychological distress, and religiosity. Three to six weeks after September 11th, 2001, forgiveness had non-linear associations with other responses to the terrorist attacks. Among college students (N=488), those who were trying or had forgiven (pro-forgiveness) the terrorists reported less involuntary engagement, more primary and secondary control coping, and more meaning finding than those who were unsure about forgiveness (ambivalent) and those who did not believe the perpetrators should be forgiven (anti-forgiveness). Ambivalent students reported the most distress, even after controlling for religion. Anti-forgiveness students reported less religiosity than ambivalent and pro-forgiveness students. Most findings were consistent among middle schoolers (N=154), particularly regarding psychological distress and responses to stress. Also, forgiveness of strangers for acts against one's community functioned separately from religion.     

Parents' emotion‐related beliefs and behaviours in relation to children's coping with the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks

To assess relationships between parental socialization of emotion and children's coping following an intensely emotional event, parents' beliefs and behaviours regarding emotion and children's coping strategies were investigated after a set of terrorist attacks. Parents (n=51) filled out the Parents' Beliefs about Negative Emotions questionnaire and were interviewed within two weeks of the attacks. Their elementary and middle school‐aged children were interviewed eight weeks later. First, parents' beliefs were related to two kinds of parental behaviours. Parents' beliefs about both the value of and the danger of children's emotions were positively related to their discussion with their children. Parents' belief about children's emotions as dangerous was also negatively related to parents' expressiveness with their children. Second, parents' beliefs were related to five kinds of coping strategies reported by their children. Parents' belief about children's emotions as valuable predicted children's problem‐solving, emotion‐oriented, and support‐seeking coping following the terrorist attacks. Parents' belief about children's emotions as dangerous predicted children's avoidance and distraction coping following the attacks. Parents' beliefs about the importance of children's emotions may foster a family atmosphere that facilitates children's coping with intensely emotional events. Results support differentiated, multi‐faceted analysis of the broader construct of parental beliefs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of pretrauma analogue GAD and posttraumatic emotional reactivity following exposure to the September 11 terrorist attacks: a longitudinal study

The relation between analogue generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) assessed the day before the events of September 11, 2001 (9/11) and long-term outcome was examined in 44 young adults who were directly exposed the following day to the terrorist attacks in New York City. After controlling for high exposure to the attacks, preattack analogue GAD was associated with greater social and work disability, loss of psychosocial resources, anxiety and mood symptoms, and worry, but not symptoms of posttraumatic stress, assessed 12 months after 9/11. Fear and avoidance of emotions assessed 4 months after 9/11 statistically mediated the relation between preattack analogue GAD and social and work disability, loss of psychosocial support, mood and anxiety symptoms, and worry at 12-month follow-up. Avoidance of emotions 4 months after 9/11 also mediated the relation between preattack analogue GAD and posttraumatic stress symptoms 12 months after 9/11.     

Acculturative stress, social support, and coping: relations to psychological adjustment among Mexican American college students

This study examined the relations between acculturative stress and psychological functioning, as well as the protective role of social support and coping style, in a sample of 148 Mexican American college students (67% female, 33% male; mean age = 23.05 years, SD = 3.33). In bivariate analyses, acculturative stress was associated with higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Moreover, active coping was associated with better adjustment (lower depression), whereas avoidant coping predicted poorer adjustment (higher levels of depression and anxiety). Tests of interaction effects indicated that parental support and active coping buffered the effects of high acculturative stress on anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms. In addition, peer support moderated the relation between acculturative stress and anxiety symptoms. Implications for reducing the effects of acculturative stress among Mexican American college students are discussed.     

Worry and rumination: differential associations with anxious and depressive symptoms and coping behavior

Worry and rumination are closely allied cognitive processes that impact on the experience of anxious and depressive symptoms. Using a prospective design, this study examined overlapping and distinct features of worry and rumination in relation to symptoms and coping behavior in a nonclinical sample of Singaporean college students. Worry and rumination were highly correlated, but they retained distinct components that predicted anxious and depressive symptoms differentially within and across time. Specifically, worry was uniquely associated with anxious and depressive symptoms whereas rumination was uniquely related to depression. In comparison to rumination, worry emerged as the dominant cognitive vulnerability factor that predicted increments in symptoms over time. With regards to coping behavior, low perceived coping effectiveness partially mediated the relation between worry and increases in anxiety and depression. Conversely, rumination uniquely predicted higher disengagement from problems, which resulted in further exacerbation of depressive mood. These results demonstrated not only the distinct features of worry and rumination on coping behavior, but also the different coping pathways by which they differentially impact on subsequent symptoms.     

应对量表(COPE)测评维度结构研究

该文旨在对应对量表(COPE)的测评维度结构进行进一步的鉴别分析和验证研究。研究一对736名大学生的应对量表中文修订本(C-COPE)测评数据进行探索性二阶因素分析;研究二根据已有研究关于应对量表测评维度组构模式的不同结论,以及研究一的结果,提出十个假设模型,采用验证性因素分析测试这些模型与另一大学生样本(N：465)测评数据的拟合度。研究结果支持C-COPE八因子斜交模型。该量表如何进一步修订也在文中予以讨论。     

应对的多测评维度的鉴别分析

本文对ＣＯＰＥ中文版（Ｃ－ＣＯＰＥ）的应对测评维度进行鉴别分析,７３６名大学生的测试数据的探索性因素分析结果表明,Ｃ－ＣＯＰＥ的应对维度为八个：心理资源积聚、主动控制与筹划、寻求社会支持、正面认识、情绪专注与渲泄、失助性反应、否认与心理摆脱、求助宗教。此量表结构效度良好,并且其信度也符合心理测量学要求。各应对维度测评的样本描述统计学结果反映现今大学生使用各种应对方式的程度有所不同,从群体平均水平而     

How college students' physical health relates to coping

The relationship between coping and physical health status was examined for 100 undergraduate students using the COPE scale and the Medical Index (formerly identified as the Cornell Medical Index). Using stepwise multiple regression, scores for COPE scales--alcohol or drug use, and focus on and venting of emotions accounted for significant amounts of variance (but only 10% and 5%, respectively) in the scores for physical health symptoms reported.     

Emerging adult romantic relationship narratives during COVID-19: Understanding relational challenges and opportunities

This cross-sectional study sought to understand how emerging adult college students currently in relationships experienced and dealt with COVID-19 stress during a key time for romantic relationship development. Using a relational turbulence theory (RTT) framework, we examined romantic relationship narratives in three different groups of students for indicators of uncertainty (break-up anxiety [BUA]), interference (conflict and negative emotion), facilitation (support), and coping strategies. Of particular interest was whether these indicators would vary as a function of when the stress of the pandemic was assumed to be more compared to less disruptive to relationships (Group 1 Fall 2020 and Group 2 Spring 2021, off campus/unvaccinated; Group 3 Fall 2021, on campus/vaccinated). As expected, students interviewed during periods when pandemic stress was assumed to be higher showed more break-up anxiety, increased conflict, and angry word use to describe conflict events. However, contrary to expectations, sad emotions and support did not vary as a function of when students were interviewed. Regardless of when students were interviewed, there were several strategies they used to cope with the stresses of COVID-19. The most frequent strategies students described were using technology/media to stay connected and taking steps to keep themselves and their families healthy.     

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.     

Anxiety, depressed mood, self-esteem, and traumatic stress symptoms among distant witnesses of the 9/11 terrorist attacks: transitory responses and psychological resilience

Posttraumatic stress related to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and general psychological distress were examined in six cohorts of college students (N=5412) enrolled at an American public university between Spring 2000 and Fall 2002 some 2,500 miles from New York. Consistent with data from Schuster et al.'s (2001) national survey, which used a very low threshold criterion, our findings revealed that 44% of women and 32% of men experienced at least one symptom of posttraumatic stress 6-17 days after the attacks. In contrast to these results, depression levels showed only small differences, and self-esteem and trait anxiety showed no changes. Findings indicate that 9/11-related stress responses among distant witnesses were very mild, transitory and focused in scope, suggesting resilience with respect to broader psychological and psychopathological reactions. Findings are discussed with respect to the role of physical and psychological proximity on the reactions to traumatic events in the general population.