The Influence of Income Level and Ethnicity on Coping Strategies

The Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) by S. Folkman and R. S. Lazarus (1988) has been used widely; however, few studies have evaluated this assessment tool in research concerning populations from different income levels and ethnic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to compare the endorsement of the 8 coping strategies as outlined by Folkman and Lazarus's original research with Caucasian, middle class participants to the endorsement of coping approaches in a low income, primary care sample. Results suggest that low income individuals report utilizing greater rates of coping strategies overall and specifically employ emotion-focused coping strategies more than Folkman and Lazarus's original sample. Ethnic differences within the present study's low income sample were also examined and suggest that even within this low income sample, African Americans use certain emotion-focused coping strategies significantly more than Caucasian participants.     

The Satir Model: Yesterday and Today

This article represents an attempt to update the reader by bringing into focus some of the more important components of the Satir model. The intrapsychic aspect of therapy is explained in the form if an iceberg metaphor. The use of the Satir family map, or genogram, is illustrated for use in individual and family therapy. Also, the various steps of a Satir model therapy session are listed. The Satir model has developed into a brief, transformational change model while keeping the earlier theoretical base intact.     

Spirituality and Health Outcomes in the Elderly

The purpose of this mail survey was to examine the relationship of attitudinal and behavioral measures of spirituality to physical and mental health outcomes in a sample of elderly community residents. Frequency of prayer, importance of faith, and reliance on religion for their coping were compared for their association with eight categories of physical and mental health. All three measures, prayer, faith and religious coping, correlated strongly with positive mental health, but not with the other seven physical health categories. Multiple regression analyses indicated importance of one's faith had the strongest association with positive mental health, even after controlling for the effect of other significant variables, age and education. The behavioral measure of prayer was a component of importance of faith to mental health, with no independent impact. This study highlights attitudes rather than practices, as the stronger spiritual variables related to mental health in the elderly.     

处于不支持行为压力下的下岗人员的心理中介研究

本研究以 3 2 4名下岗人员为被试 ,考察不支持行为、应付方式、控制感与心理健康之间的关系。结果表明 ,情感不支持 ( β =0 .46)可以直接影响心理健康 ,同时情感不支持 ( β=0 .2 6)又通过自责 ( β =0 .3 1 )和发泄 ( β =0 .1 4 )两种应付方式和人际关系控制感 ( β=-0 .1 0 )而间接影响心理健康 ,下岗人员的应付方式和控制感在不支持行为和心理健康之间起重要中介作用。     

Caregivers's Stress Secondary to Raising Young Children with HIV Infection: A Preliminary Investigation

This study examined the impact of caring for a child with HIV infection on biological mothers (also infected with HIV), familial caregivers, and foster mothers. Levels of reported parenting stress, emotional functioning, the impact of the child's illness, and coping strategies utilized were compared. Participants were 35 female caregivers of young children (birth to 5 years) with HIV infection. Demographic variables reflected group differences: biological mothers were younger, foster mothers had greater monthly income, and children who were living with relatives were older. Group differences were noted with regards to parent related stress, anxiety, and depression with foster mothers reporting lower levels. The types of coping strategies utilized were generally similar across groups. Results suggest that young, biological caregivers of children with HIV infection may benefit from careful assessment with regard to their need for psychological intervention.     

Monitoring/Blunting and Social Support: Associations with Coping and Affect

The present study examined the associations of personal factors and social resources with coping and affective reactions to simulated stressful encounters. The study tested coping strategies and assessments of affect in the context of 'health' and 'work' threats described in 2 vignettes in a sample of 147 community residents. They also completed the Monitor-Blunter Style Scale (MBSS) and a perceived social support scale. The results showed positive associations between active coping and positive affect, and negative associations between avoidant coping and negative affect, replicating previous findings. Most interestingly, neither monitoring/blunting nor social support were directly related to either negative or positive affect, but were differentially related to coping strategies. Monitoring and social support were positively correlated with active coping and support-seeking in both vignettes, while blunting was related positively to avoidant coping, and social support was related negatively to this coping strategy. These results suggest that personal factors and social resources affect the use of coping strategies, rather than the affective reactions to threats, and contribute to our understanding of the stress and coping process.     

Coping Resources, Perceived Stress, and Life Satisfaction Among Turkish and American University Students

This study investigated coping resources (Coping Resources Inventory for Stress), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), and life satisfaction (Satisfaction with Life Scale) among American and Turkish university students. Results support the use of transactional stress constructs in studying life satisfaction with students in both countries. American and Turkish students did not differ significantly in regard to perceived stress, life satisfaction, or an overall measure of coping resources; however, they did differ significantly regarding specific coping resources. Variables entering regression models for predicting life satisfaction differed for students in the two countries and for the sexes within countries, and these models accounted for between 30% and 62% of variance. Social support and a sense of financial freedom were particularly useful in predicting life satisfaction. Coping resources accounted for 54% of variance in perceived stress. There were significant sex differences for both countries, generally favoring males, in regard to specific coping resources.     

退休人员的应付方式对其心理健康的调节作用研究

本文对298名退休人员做了问卷研究,其结果表明：1．退休人员的应付方式受文化程度影响,高文化程度的退休人员比中、低文化程度的退休人员更多采用面对与探索的应付方式,更少采用幻想和退避的应付方式;2．退休人员原有社会角色丧失后应付方式对其心理健康的调节作用是,社会联系减少对退休人员的心理健康有直接的影响;而社会联系减少、职务地位丧失、经济收入降低共同通过退避、幻想与淡化三种应付方式间接影响心理健康。     

The characteristics of a potential goal threat predict attention and information-seeking in middle-aged and older adults

The present experiment examined to what extent features of a potential goal threat and personal characteristics affect attention and information-seeking in 124 adults aged 50–70. We manipulated two characteristics of a potential decline in future health: the amount of control people have over preventing the threat (no-control versus control) and the amount of time left before the threat will occur (short-term versus long-term). As expected, a shorter period of time left resulted in more attention being paid to threat signals and also in more information being sought. Control did not influence attention, but did have an effect on information-seeking behavior. More control resulted in more time that was taken to seek information about the potential health threat and possible ways to prevent it. Aging anxiety was a predictor of attention, and age and education predictors of information-seeking. None of the other personal factors were found to be relevant.     

The Effect of Pastoral Care Services on Anxiety,Depression, Hope,Religious Coping,and Religious Problem Solving Styles: A Randomized Controlled Study

This randomized controlled study measured the effect of chaplain interventions on coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients over time. One hundred sixty-six CABG patients, received pre- and post-surgery testing at 1 month and 6 months with four instruments. Five chaplain visits were made to the intervention group, the control group received none. Comparison scores for anxiety, depression, hope, positive and negative religious coping, and religious coping styles were analyzed. Significant difference was found between groups in positive religious coping (PRC) (p = .023) and negative religious coping (NRC) (p = .046) scores over time. PRC increased in intervention group, decreased in the control group while NRC decreased in intervention group and increased in the control group. Demographics were comparable between groups. Moderate chaplain visits (average total visits time, 44 min) may be effective in helping CABG patients increase positive religious coping and decrease negative religious coping.