The mediating role of cultural coping behaviours on the relationships between academic stress and positive psychosocial well‐being outcomes

While culture's effect on the coping process has long been acknowledged in the stress‐coping literature conceptually, empirical evidence and attempts to discern the specific relationship between culture and coping remain very scarce. Against this backdrop, the present study applied the Cultural Transactional Theory (Chun, Moos, & Cronkite, 2006) to examine the mediating role of cultural coping behaviours (Collective, Engagement and Avoidance Coping) on the relationship between academic stress (AS) and two positive psychosocial well‐being outcome measures: Collective Self‐esteem (CSE) and Subjective Well‐being (SWB). Responses from a sample of undergraduate students in Canada (N = 328) were analysed to test a theory‐driven, hypothesised model of coping using structural equation modelling (SEM). As hypothesised, the SEM results showed that: (a) the proposed cultural coping model fit the data well; (b) Engagement Coping and Collective Coping partially mediated the association between AS and the outcomes and (c) the path relationships among the constructs were in the hypothesised directions. A set of preliminary exploratory analyses indicated that Collective Coping was most strongly endorsed by the African/Black and the Middle Eastern cultural groups as compared to other ethnic groups. Implications of the study's findings for future research and practice concerning culture, stress, and coping are discussed.     

Coping and financial strain as predictors of mental illness in over‐ indebted individuals in Sweden

This cross‐sectional study examined psychological mechanisms in order to increase knowledge regarding mental illness amongst 561 over‐indebted individuals in Sweden. Differences were explored between individuals with probable clinical depression and/or anxiety and individuals without probable clinical depression and/or anxiety, considering objective measures of the debt, financial strain, coping strategies as well as sociodemographic variables. Furthermore, binary logistic regression analyses were performed in order to construct a model of predictors of mental illness. In order to collect the data, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE_, as well as questions formulated by the research team, were used as measures. Prominent results showed that over‐indebted individuals with probable clinical depression and/or anxiety were younger, showed greater levels of financial strain, used adaptive coping strategies to a lesser extent, and maladaptive coping strategies to a greater extent. Additionally, financial strain, use of maladaptive and emotion‐focused coping, age and employment status were significant predictors of mental illness. These results put emphasis on the importance of adaptive coping as well as the psychological exposure of over‐indebted individuals.     

Perception of Social Change and Psychological Well‐Being: A Study Focusing on Social Change in Korea Between 1997 and 20001

Focusing on the subjective perception of scope, pace, and evaluation of social change, this study investigated how social change is related to psychological well‐being. A theoretical model based on the transactional model of stress was built and tested with the data drawn from Korea using structural equation modeling. The results illustrate that the perceived scope and pace of social change were negatively related to psychological well‐being through the mediation of the evaluation of social change, which also mediated the relationship between coping resources and psychological well‐being. Coping resources also buffered the influence of perceived social change on psychological well‐being. The findings suggest that the subjective perception of social change is a crucial stress factor in understanding psychological well‐being.     

Relationships Between Treatment Attitudes,Psychological Symptoms,Emotional Competence,and Help‐Seeking Intentions

The authors examined whether emotional competence (i.e., awareness, coping strategies) predicted help‐seeking intentions above and beyond previously identified factors (i.e., attitudes and perceived stigma toward professional help, psychological symptom severity) in an undergraduate sample (N = 531). Emotional awareness predicted help‐seeking intentions for personal/emotional problems and suicidal thoughts. Emotional coping strategies predicted help‐seeking intentions for suicidal thoughts and moderated the relationship between symptom severity and help‐seeking intentions for suicidal thoughts. Efforts to increase help‐seeking should address students' emotional competence.     

The development of a Peer Aggression Coping Self‐Efficacy Scale for Adolescents

This study presents findings regarding the reliability and validity of a newly developed measure designed to assess children's self‐efficacy for coping with peer aggression. The sample consisted of 2,161 participants (1,071 females and 1,090 males, who ranged in age from 10 to 15 years; 63% White, 17% Middle‐Eastern, 10% Asian, and 10% from other ethnic groups). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported the four conceptualized coping self‐efficacy domains: self‐efficacy for proactive behaviour, self‐efficacy for avoiding aggressive behaviour, self‐efficacy for avoiding self‐blame, and self‐efficacy for victim‐role disengagement. Internal consistencies for the coping domains were between .87 and .90. Validity was examined by correlations between the coping self‐efficacy domains and psychological adjustment variables. Greater coping self‐efficacy was associated with less social anxiety, cognitive depression, and externalizing symptoms. The Peer Aggression Coping Self‐Efficacy Scale provides a useful measure for examining children's self‐efficacy for using a range of strategies to deal with peer aggression.     

Coping strategies: A prospective study of patterns,stability, and relationships with psychological distress

The aims of this article are: (1) to explore patterns (clusters) of coping strategies; (2) to examine the stability of individual coping strategies and patterns of coping over time; and (3) to establish long term associations between coping and psychological distress. Coping strategies were assessed with the Brief Cope questionnaire, whereas psychological distress was measured with the ten‐item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist, in a two‐year prospective sample comprising 3,738 employees. Based on TwoStep cluster analysis of the Brief Cope, three different coping patterns were identified: low coping, engagement coping, and disengagement coping. Analyses of long‐term stability indicated malleable properties for the individual coping strategies as well as the three clusters. Disengagement coping strategies in the form of self‐blame and self‐distraction were most strongly associated with distress at follow‐up, whereas baseline distress was related to increased use of these strategies two years later. Coping patterns at baseline had no main effects on later levels of distress, but levels of distress at baseline predicted subsequent use of engagement and disengagement coping patterns. The finding that specific coping strategies are malleable suggests that it is possible to modify and develop dysfunctional strategies. The associations between disengagement coping strategies and distress indicate that this kind of coping is especially problematic with regard to mental health problems. A main contribution of this study is that it establishes cluster analytic techniques as beneficial in the assessment of coping.     

Adolescents' self‐attributed moral emotions following a moral transgression: Relations with delinquency,confidence in moral judgment and age

The study investigates adolescents' self‐attributed moral emotions following a moral transgression by expanding research with children on the happy‐victimizer phenomenon. In a sample of 200 German adolescents from Grades 7, 9, 11, and 13 (M = 16.18 years, SD = 2.41), participants were confronted with various scenarios describing different moral rule violations and asked to judge the behaviour from a moral point of view. Subsequently, participants' strength of self‐evaluative emotional reactions was assessed as they were asked to imagine that they had committed the moral transgression by themselves. Results indicate that the intensity of self‐attributed moral emotions predicted adolescents' self‐reported delinquent behaviour even when social desirability response bias was controlled. Further, as adolescents' metacognitive understanding of moral beliefs developed, self‐attributed moral emotions and confidence in moral judgment became more closely associated. No general age‐related change in adolescents' self‐attributed moral emotions was found. Overall, the study provides evidence for a coordination process of moral judgment and moral emotion attributions that continues well beyond childhood and that corresponds with the more general notion of the formation of a moral self in adolescence.     

Avoidant coping as a mediator between appearance‐related victimization and self‐esteem in young Australian adolescents

Peer victimization, especially appearance‐related bullying, is a highly stressful experience for a young person and is associated with significant negative outcomes. Perhaps, the most common consequence of peer victimization in adolescence is lowered self‐esteem. Evidence supports the role of low self‐esteem as a non‐specific risk factor and high self‐esteem as a protective factor in the development of mental disorders and social problems in adolescence. Moreover, the literature indicates a robust negative relationship between avoidant coping (i.e. distracting oneself, wishing the situation would go away) and psychological well‐being. In this paper, we test a mediational model of the associations between appearance‐related victimization, avoidance coping and self‐esteem in young Australian adolescents. Boys (N = 194) and girls (N = 185) with a mean age of 11 years completed measures assessing self‐esteem, appearance‐related victimization and styles of coping. The results showed that avoidant coping partially mediates the association between appearance‐related bullying problems and self‐esteem among young adolescents. This finding provides a specific target for psychosocial interventions in schools.     

Coping flexibility and eudaimonic well‐being in university students

Despite the growing interest in the relationship between coping strategies and eudaimonic well‐being, few studies have examined this issue from the perspective of coping flexibility. Therefore, the present study aimed to: (1) identify approach coping profiles in the university context and (2) analyze the differences between these profiles in terms of eudaimonic well‐being. A prospective ex post facto design was used and 1,402 university students were selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using validated self‐reported instruments. A latent profile analysis was conducted to identify the participants’ coping profiles. The relationship between profiles and eudaimonic well‐being was determined using a multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA ), with gender, age, and university degree as covariates. Six student profiles were identified based on the degree to which they combined positive reappraisal, support seeking, and planning strategies. The profiles that involved the use of these three strategies to a greater extent experienced more eudaimonic well‐being, and vice versa. To analyze the impact of coping on eudaimonic well‐being, it is necessary to consider students’ ability to combine different approach coping strategies.     

Stress and coping strategies among Zimbabwean adolescents

Background. Stress and social support influence adolescents' coping strategies. Adolescents need to acquire a large repertoire of coping strategies in light of a rapidly changing socio‐economic and political situation. Aim. This study reports on the coping strategies of Zimbabwean adolescents and highlights some major stressors they face. The interplay among stress, social support and the coping strategies of Zimbabwean adolescents are also reported. Sample. A sample of 101 Zimbabwean students (ages 17–19) participated in this study. Method. Participants completed three instruments: the Perceived Stress Scale, the Social Provision Scale and the Ways of Coping Scale. Results. Zimbabwean adolescents experienced slight stress as measured by the Perceived Stress Scale. Major stressors included schoolwork, relationships, social life and financial hardship. Females reported a higher level of perceived stress than males. Zimbabwean adolescents reported having fewer social provisions than the norm group. Results from the Ways of Coping Scale indicated that Zimbabwean adolescents use emotion‐focused strategies more frequently than problem‐solving strategies. Conclusion. The implications of the study are that Zimbabwean adolescents may need to acquire a larger repertoire of coping skills adding to what they may already have. Problem‐solving skills need to be employed in face of today's challenging situations.     

Effects of an experimental social stressor on resources loss,negative affect,and coping strategies

This experimental study, grounded in Hobfoll's conservation of resources (COR) theory, assessed the effects of manipulating a social stressor on loss of psychological resources, negative affect, and coping strategies. Israeli student volunteers were randomly allocated to one of two conditions: (1) social stressor (n = 66) and (2.) nonstressor (n = 59). The social stressor, aimed at reducing participant's personal resources, was experimentally induced via the Trier Social Stress Test protocol. The protocol consisted of a mock job interview administered under evaluative conditions, followed by performing a difficult arithmetic calculation task. The nonstressor condition involved a neutral interaction with an experimenter, followed by performing a relatively easy mental calculation task. Consistent with our hypotheses, the social stressor, compared to the nonstressor condition, resulted in statistically significant lower mean levels of psychological resources, higher levels of negative affect, and increased emotion-oriented and avoidance-oriented coping. Furthermore, under the social stressor condition, compared with the nonstressor condition, negative affect was more strongly related to loss of psychological resources and various coping strategies. Overall, the data provide experimental support for key tenets of COR theory     

Dyadic coping and marital adjustment during pregnancy: A cross‐sectional study of Italian couples expecting their first child

Although the transition to parenthood is currently defined as a normative event, it can be potentially stressful for the couple relationship as it may contribute to psychological distress and reduced marital satisfaction. Using the systemic‐transactional conceptualisation of stress and coping as a theoretical framework, we claimed that the ability of the parents‐to‐be to adjust to their new roles and identity is influenced by dyadic coping strategies. This study examined the effects of dyadic coping on marital adjustment in a sample of 78 primiparous couples. Women and partners completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale and the Dyadic Coping Questionnaire during late pregnancy. Data were analysed using the Actor‐Partner Interdependence Model. Results revealed that both women and partners' scores on positive dyadic coping behaviours contributed to higher marital adjustment, suggesting that risks for marital dissatisfaction may exist for couples not able to implement adaptive dyadic coping strategies, or for those unsatisfied with the implemented coping behaviours.     

College Adjustment and Subjective Well‐Being When Coping With a Family Member's Illness

Individuals coping with the chronic or terminal illness of a family member are presented with a unique challenge that may influence their adjustment and overall well‐being. This study investigated variables that relate to college adjustment and subjective well‐being, including attachment, social support, coping, and illness‐related constructs, in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 171) faced with this family crisis. The findings and counseling implications for this group are discussed.     

Coping use versus effectiveness as moderating the stress—strain relationship

This paper takes another look at coping as a moderator of the stress—strain relationship by assessing the extent of correspondence between subjects' use of various coping behaviours and their perception of their helpfulness (coping effectiveness). The use of four coping strategies and the perception of their helpfulness, as well as the stress and psychological distress of 79 subjects whose spouses were hospitalized, were assessed by questionnaires. The results show that when applying coping effectiveness scores, problem-focused coping and avoidance coping moderate the stress—strain relationship. Coping use scales revealed that only positiveappraisal coping reduced psychological distress.     

The Benefits of Benevolence: Basic Psychological Needs,Beneficence, and the Enhancement of Well‐Being

Pro‐social behaviors have been associated with enhanced well‐being, but what psychological mechanisms explain this connection? Some theories suggest that beneficence—the sense of being able to give—inherently improves well‐being, whereas evidence from self‐determination theory (Weinstein & Ryan, 2010) shows that increases in well‐being are mediated by satisfaction of innate psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Here we simultaneously assess these two explanations. Study 1 (N = 335) used a cross‐sectional survey with an Internet sample to develop a measure to assess beneficence satisfaction. The next two cross‐sectional Internet‐sample studies tested mediators between pro‐social behavior and general well‐being (Study 2, N = 332) and situational peak moment well‐being (Study 3, N = 180). A fourth study (N = 85) used a diary method with university students to assess daily fluctuations in well‐being associated with needs and beneficence. It was shown across all studies that both the three psychological needs and beneficence satisfaction mediate the relations between pro‐social actions and well‐being, with all four factors emerging as independent predictors. Together, these studies underscore the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in explaining the well‐being benefits of benevolence, and they also point to the independent role of beneficence as a source of human wellness.     

A comparison of coping strategies in patients with fibromyalgia,chronic neuropathic pain,and pain‐free controls

Patients suffering from chronic pain may benefit from learning adaptive coping strategies. Consensus on efficient strategies for this group of patients is, however, lacking, and previous studies have shown inconsistent results. The present study has examined coping strategies in two distinctly different groups of chronic pain patients and a group of healthy controls. Thirty neuropathic pain (NP) patients, 28 fibromyalgia (FM) patients, and 26 pain‐free healthy controls completed the Coping Strategy Questionnaire (CSQ‐48/27) and rated their daily pain. The results showed that FM and NP patients did not cope differently with pain. The only difference between the groups was that FM patients felt more in control of their pain than NP patients. Both patient groups used more maladaptive/passive coping strategies, but surprisingly also more adaptive/active coping strategies than healthy controls. However, FM patients with high levels of passive strategies felt less in control than FM patients with low levels of passive strategies. This was not seen in NP patients. An important implication for clinical practice is therefore that passive coping strategies should be restructured into active ones, especially for FM patients. Otherwise, the same psychological treatment model can be applied to both groups since they use similar coping styles.     

Efficacy and well‐being in rural north India: The role of social identification with a large‐scale community identity

Identifying with a group can contribute to a sense of well‐being. The mechanisms involved are diverse: social identification with a group can impact individuals' beliefs about issues such as their connections with others, the availability of social support, the meaningfulness of existence, and the continuity of their identity. Yet, there seems to be a common theme to these mechanisms: identification with a group encourages the belief that one can cope with the stressors one faces (which is associated with better well‐being). Our research investigated the relationship between identification, beliefs about coping, and well‐being in a survey (N = 792) administered in rural North India. Using structural equation modelling, we found that social identification as a Hindu had positive and indirect associations with three measures of well‐being through the belief that one can cope with everyday stressors. We also found residual associations between participants' social identification as a Hindu and two measures of well‐being in which higher identification was associated with poorer well‐being. We discuss these findings and their implication for understanding the relationship between social identification (especially with large‐scale group memberships) and well‐being. We also discuss the application of social psychological theory developed in the urban West to rural north India. © 2014 The Authors. European Journal of Social Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Racial Discrimination,Coping, Life Satisfaction,and Self‐Esteem Among African Americans

This article reports the results of a study that examined the coping strategies used by African Americans in managing the stressful effects of racism. A total of 213 participants (women, n = 137; men, n = 76) completed the Index of Race‐Related Stress (S. O. Utsey & J. G. Ponterotto, 1996), the Coping Strategy Indicator (J. H. Amirkhan, 1990), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (E. Diener, R. A. Emmons, R. J. Larsen, & S. Griffin, 1985), and the Rosenberg Self‐Esteem Scale (M. Rosenberg, 1965). Results indicated that women preferred avoidance coping for racism experienced on a personal level. For African Americans in general, seeking social support and racism condition were the best predictors of racism‐related stress. Life satisfaction and self‐esteem were best predicted by avoidance coping. Implications for the provision of counseling services to African Americans are discussed.     

The Ways in Which Adolescents Cope and their Relationship to Age,Gender and Specific Religious Variables

This study investigated the roles of age, gender, the importance of religion/spirituality, attending church activities and frequency of prayer on the types of adolescents’ coping strategies. Participants were drawn from ten public high schools. Data on coping strategies, personal variables and religiosity and spirituality were collected using the Adolescent Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences (A-COPE) coping inventory. Scheffé posthoc tests were used to evaluate associations between the coping strategies used by adolescents and the identified personal and faith-oriented variables. Gender and age explained some differences in types of coping strategies preferred. Specifically, females used the developing social support coping strategy more than males; older adolescents used the avoiding problems coping strategy more than younger adolescents. Adolescents for whom religion/spirituality is of lesser importance, obtained a significantly higher mean score for the avoiding problems subscale. Both personal variables (age and gender) as well as one of the faith-oriented variables (importance of religion) were identified as important role players in using developing social support and avoiding problems as coping strategies by adolescents.     

Coping Self‐Efficacy and Psychological Distress Following the Oklahoma City Bombing1

Findings from a study of 27 victims of the Oklahoma City bombing are reported. This research focused on the importance of subjective appraisals of coping self‐efficacy in predicting psychological distress following this tragedy. Results supported the hypothesis that judgments of coping self‐eficacy taken 2 months after the bombing added significantly to the explanation of general and trauma‐related distress after controlling for income, social support, threat of death, and loss of resources. Coping self‐eficacy judgments taken I year later were also important in explaining psychological distress after controlling for loss of resources and social‐support perceptions. Although coping self‐efficacy perceptions taken at 2 months were related to distress levels 1 year later, they did not remain significant in a regression analysis controlling for loss of resources and income. Implications of these findings for post‐terrorist bombing interventions are discussed.