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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Matching pain coping strategies to the individual: a prospective validation of the cognitive coping strategy inventory.

The validity of the Cognitive Coping Strategy Inventory (CCSI; Butler et al., 1989) was tested in a prospective fashion. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three conditions. Some were "matched" to a strategy for which they received a high CCSI score, some were "mismatched" to a strategy for which they received a low CCSI score, and some were given a choice of strategies. Those subjects using a matched strategy obtained better threshold and tolerance times on the cold pressor than subjects who used a mismatched strategy. Despite clear differences in exposure to the cold pressor these conditions did not differ from each other in self-reported levels of pain. It was concluded that the CCSI appears to be a valid and useful tool for selecting a coping strategy to help particular individuals manage acute pain. Though the CCSI is relatively easy to administer and score, the comparative costs and benefits of using it must be weighed against the somewhat more efficient approach of simply offering the subject a choice of treatments. Subjects given a choice of strategies performed as well as subjects matched to a strategy on the basis of CCSI scores.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship between spontaneous coping strategies and perceived anxiety of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.

Little is known about how patients spontaneously cope with the inherent stressors of the cardiac catheterization procedure. In this study, spontaneous coping strategies were identified and the relationship between coping strategies and anxiety throughout the procedure was examined. Data consisted of 62 patients' subjective ratings of anxiety, reported at 6 points during the procedure, and the coping strategies which were used at those times. The Coping with Invasive Medical Procedures (CIMP) Scoring System was developed and utilized to examine the relationships between coping and anxiety. At various points throughout the procedure, "control" and "hoping" were associated with high anxiety, while "passive coping" and "positive reframing" were associated with low anxiety. Patients who repeatedly changed coping strategies during the procedure experienced slightly less anxiety than those using a more consistent coping approach. The results are discussed with an emphasis on patient teaching.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Identity style and coping strategies.

This study examined the relationship between identity style and strategies used to cope with stressors that potentially threaten one's sense of identity. Identity style refers to differences in the way individuals construct and revise or maintain their sense of identity. An informational style involves actively seeking out, evaluating, and utilizing self-relevant information. A normative style highlights the expectations and standards of significant others. A diffuse/avoidant style is characterized by procrastination and situation-specific reactions. Late-adolescent college subjects were administered measures of identity style, ways of coping with academic stressors, and test anxiety. Within this self-as-student context, subjects with diffuse and normative identity styles employed avoidant-oriented coping strategies (wishful thinking, distancing, and tension reduction). An informational style was associated with deliberate, problem-focused coping. Findings are discussed in terms of a process model of identity development.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perceived stress and coping strategies among families of cardiac transplant candidates during the organ waiting period.

OBJECTIVE: To explore and describe perceived stress and coping strategies among families of candidates for cardiac transplant during the organ waiting period. DESIGN: This descriptive, multiinstitutional study was guided by the T-Double ABCX Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation (McCubbin & Thompson, 1987). SETTING: Five tertiary care centers with transplant programs in three Southeastern cities. SUBJECTS: Thirty-eight family members of patients on the active list for cardiac transplantation, including 35 women and three men with a mean age of 44 years (SD = 13.17). Subjects had a family member on the waiting list for a mean of 6.5 months. INSTRUMENTS: Family members completed the following three instruments: (1) Family Inventory of Life Events and Changes (FILE), (2) Family Crisis Oriented Personal Scale (FCOPES), and (3) Family Perception of the Transplant Experience Scale (FPTES). RESULTS: Stress: 53% and 47% of respondents indicated that they were experiencing moderate and low degrees of stress, respectively. Coping: Family members used more coping mechanisms than normative subjects in the literature. Coping strategies used in order of decreasing frequency: (1) knowing our family has the strength to solve our problems, (2) facing problems head-on, and (3) seeking support from friends. Appraisal: Mean score of 32.13 reflects subjects' positive perception of the pretransplant experience. The three statements with which the subjects most strongly agreed: (1) heart illness has changed roles of family members, (2) family member will survive the transplant operation; and (3) this is an experience that could bring out the family's strengths. CONCLUSIONS: An increase in the number of coping strategies used with low to moderate stress levels suggests the effectiveness of coping strategies in mediating stress. The preference for active rather than passive coping strategies may be reflective of the selection criteria for transplant candidates or nursing interventions during this period to minimize stress and promote family coping.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Relationship of MMPI cluster type, pain coping strategy, and treatment outcome.

The purposes of the present study of chronic pain patients were to (a) assess whether cognitive and behavioral coping style is related to personality factors, (b) assess how coping styles differ across personality types, and (c) assess how outpatient interdisciplinary intervention affects the coping styles of various personality types. Four MMPI clusters (Depression/Pathological, V-type, Marginal Depression, and Marginal V-type) were derived using a hierarchical clustering procedure. Seventy subjects also completed the Coping Strategies Questionnaire before and after a 3-week outpatient pain management program. Pretreatment analyses indicated the Depression/Pathological and Marginal Depression groups used diverting attention less than either V-type group. The V-type group reported using praying/hoping significantly more than either of the marginal groups. At posttreatment the Depression/Pathological group used catastrophizing significantly more than either of the marginal groups. Results of pre-post analyses indicated that the Depression/Pathological group increased their use of diverting attention, reinterpreting pain sensations, and ignoring pain sensations, while decreasing catastrophizing. The V-type group increased their use of reinterpreting pain sensations, while decreasing praying/hoping and catastrophizing. Neither of the Marginal subtypes showed significant pre-post changes in coping strategies. These results suggest that different personality types use different pain coping strategies prior to multidisciplinary treatment. Groups showing more severe psychological distress, perhaps related to an underlying personality disorder, displayed greater changes in coping strategies with treatment, but remained more dysfunctional after treatment. These findings suggest that the alteration of coping strategies may be an important treatment effect needing more individualization to maximize treatment response.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2026

Measuring Coping Strategies in Daily Life: A Systematic Review of Experience Sampling Methodology and Daily Diary Studies.

Advances in daily diary methods and experience sampling method (ESM) have improved the study of coping strategies in daily life and their role in shaping health and well-being. In this review, we examine study designs, measurement approaches, and analytical practices used to investigate coping in natural contexts. We performed a systematic review of studies published before 5 December 2025 that used daily diary or ESM to measure coping strategies over multiple days or moments. Studies were examined with regard to sampling schemes, assessment frequency and duration, measurement of coping strategies, incorporation of stressor appraisals, and analytic techniques used to model coping processes. Fifty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated that 80% employed end-of-day diary designs, generally lasting 1-3 weeks, whereas higher-frequency ESM protocols were less common and ranged 2-14 days. Coping strategies were often assessed using abbreviated or single-item measures, frequently adapted from established questionnaires. Many studies incorporated appraisals such as perceived stressor intensity or controllability, enabling tests of coping flexibility. Multilevel modelling was the dominant analytic approach, allowing researchers to distinguish within-person dynamics from between-person differences. However, analyses were predominantly concurrent, and temporally ordered models remained comparatively rare. Overall, the literature demonstrates substantial progress in capturing coping in everyday contexts, yet heterogeneity in measurement and limited use of temporal modelling constrain cumulative knowledge about the temporal links between coping and psychological and physiological health outcomes. Future research would benefit from greater alignment between theoretical assumptions, assessment strategies, and analytic methods.

Humans↗
PubMed1992

Relationship between optimism and coping strategies in the work environment.

The work environment is often stressful; however, the specific coping strategies used by individuals to deal with such stress have received limited attention. While the benefits associated with optimism have long been touted, little insight has been developed regarding the mechanism(s) that may contribute to optimists' superior job performance. It is possible that optimism is associated with higher performance because it influences the coping strategies used by salespeople. This possibility was addressed in a cross-sectional study of 101 salespeople. Dispositionally optimistic salespersons were observed to rely more on problem-focused coping strategies, while pessimists engaged in emotion-focused coping. But the specific coping tactics that emerged and the extent to which these tactics were used differed substantially from those which research conducted in other, nonsales settings would have predicted.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Coping strategies among police recruits in a high-stress training environment.

The use and impact of coping strategies were explored in a setting of environmental stress. The sample consisted of 180 police recruits subjected to training stress in a U.S. police academy. Measures of coping, personal distress, and life stressors were used. Recruits who scored high on personal distress tended to use more coping strategies than those who had lower distress scores. These findings suggest that the magnitude of personal distress may be an important factor in determining which array of coping techniques is used. In terms of effectiveness, the coping strategies of distancing and planful problem solving significantly reduced distress. Escape/avoidance and self-control coping did not appear to work in the police situation and significantly increased distress.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Coping strategies of family caregivers in hospice homecare.

Although stresses associated with family caregiving during illness have been well-documented, little attention has been focused on how families cope with hospice home care of a relative with advanced cancer. A longitudinal, qualitative study examined the experiences of hospice caregiving families. This article focuses on coping strategies identified by hospice families caring for their dying relative at home. Semistructured interviews and observations were conducted with 14 individuals from 10 families. Fifty-five interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Constant comparative analysis was used to search inductively for recurrent themes. Specific coping strategies were used with each of the three areas of stress identified by families. "Windows of time," social comparison, cognitive reformulation, and avoidance were used to cope with the overall caregiving experience. "Taking one day at a time" helped to manage uncertainty. Acceptance and rationalization helped families to deal with changes in a relative's mental status. Social support was used with all three areas of stress. Identifying effective coping strategies that families are using directs the development, testing, and implementation of nursing interventions that enhance coping of hospice caregiving families.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Representations of health, illness and medicines: coping strategies and health-promoting behaviour.

This study focuses on the different representations of health, illness and medicines that are held by the population of the Basque Country. In addition, relationships between these representations and both coping strategies towards first symptoms of disease and health-promoting actions were studied. Three different representations were found: (a) an active/'against medicines' representation; (b) a 'magical/pro-medicines' representation; and (c) a representation that combines aspects of the previous representations. These representations were anchored in different social groups (defined by age, educational background, etc.) and were related to different coping strategies in the event of first symptoms of illness, and to differences in health-promoting behaviour.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1979

Adjustment and coping strategies among the caretakers of cancer patients.

The problem of emotional "burn-out" among health care professionals who work with cancer patients is a significant clinical issue. An interdisciplinary group of these health care service providers participated in a workshop aimed at identifying the major stresses which contribute to emotional "burn-out." While some of these stresses are unavoidable aspects of cancer treatment programs, participants also identified a set of coping strategies which seem helpful in reducing caretaker vulnerability to severe emotional exhaustion in oncology treatment settings.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Cognitive coping strategies and blood pressure responses to real-life stress in healthy young men.

Coping style is an important feature in the understanding of the relation between real-life stress and associated blood pressure (BP) responses. In this study, 10 high- and 10 low-"self-focused-coping" (SFC) male college students were tested with ambulatory BP monitoring on two typical schooldays, one of which included an examination. It was found that the high-SFC subjects, defined as those who tend to keep to themselves and/or blame themselves in stressful situations, showed higher BP responses than the low-SFC subjects, but only on the exam day. Further, the high-SFC subjects showed higher BP during the exam but also had BP elevations that were sustained during other activities throughout the same day, including evening rest. These results are discussed in terms of the relation between psychological and physiological responding.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1992

Stress factors and coping strategies in the dental profession.

Stress is inherent in dental practice. Identifying stressful factors is the first step toward coping with the insidious nature of stress, as preventive measures can then be efficiently established. While numerous studies have been conducted, none of them has identified a specific stress factor that is common to all practitioners, which demonstrates the multifactorial and multidimensional aspects of dental stress.

Dentists↗
PubMed1992

Self-defeating personality and strategies for coping with stress.

People who scored higher on a measure of self-defeating personality also scored low on ego-strength, showed an external locus of control, and used less adaptive coping strategies than those who scored lower. These strategies (denial, mental disengagement, alcohol and drug use) were viewed as helping to perpetuate their positions as victims.

Adaptation, Psychological↗