Family resource management and family stress theories: Toward a conceptual integration

Abstract

Integration of concepts and models from family resource management and family stress theories can provide a comprehensive view of the crisis and stress management process. This article (a) presents and discusses the ABCD-XYZ Resource Management Model of Crisis/Stress, (b) discusses the concepts of coping, resource management, and adaptation as they pertain to crisis and stress, (c) shows how interpersonal resource exchange theory can be used to conceptualize the concept of social support, and (d) suggests how concepts from family resource management can provide better insight into family crisis/stress. According to the ABCD-XYZ model, crisis/stress management involves (a) perceiving the stressor, the demands of the situation, and the available coping resources to formulate a definition of the crisis/stress situation, (b) cognitive coping and managerial decision-making to create, use, or combine coping resources, and (c) activating those decisions through adaptive coping and management behavior.