Coping Attitudes Research Articles

Relationship between the anxiety levels and coping attitudes of nurses working in a training hospital

Several studies have shown that stress due to workplace is common among nurses. In this study, we aimed to assess coping attitudes of nurses working in a university hospital according to their anxiety levels and to reveal the relationship between them. Eighty nurses working at Gulhane Military Faculty of Medicine Training Hospital and who has no psychiatric complaints were enrolled. All participants completed sociodemographic data form and self-reported Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Coping Attitudes Scale (COPE). Then the study group was divided into two groups according to their BAI scores. The relationship between anxiety levels and COPE subscale scores of the two groups was assessed. In the statistical analyses, for the comparisons of continuous variables between the two groups the Mann-Whitney U test was used. Significance level was set at p < 0.05. It was found that in the group of high level anxiety, active coping subscale scores of problem-focused coping were lower than the group with lower levels of anxiety. Denial and focus on and venting of emotions subscale scores of dysfunctional coping subscale were also found to be higher in the group of high level anxiety. According to the findings of this study, dysfunctional coping attitudes may be associated with anxiety symptoms. We concluded that determination of work-related stresses of nurses and coping with these stress situations by regulating the work conditions with specific intervals might be beneficial in terms of productivity. Further researches with larger sample size would provide more meaningful information on this subject.

EPA-0161 – Qualitative approach to mental health in surgery: insights from a meta-ethnographic study

Epidemiological data about surgeons’ mental health and wellbeing are alarming: burnout was reported in about 40% of surgeons, 19% met criteria for alcohol abuse, and 6% had suicidal ideation. Factors related to the surgical culture may have an influence and impede helpseeking (stigma, shame, and fear for career repercussion). To explore surgeons’ account of their practice. To obtain an international consistent description of surgeons’ experience, addressing the problem of their wellbeing. Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and SSCI have been accessed to identify relevant international qualitative research exploring how surgeons talk about their practice. Meta-ethnography (a systematic review and analysis of qualitative literature that compensates for the potential lack of generalizability of the primary studies and provides new insights by their conjoint interpretation and comparison) have been used to identify key themes and synthesize them. 51 papers have been identified. The six emerging themes have been clustered in two axes. First, patient-surgeon relationship : strong emotions come from this relation due to the extent of personal involvement in decision-making, responsibility and uncertainty. Second, group relations and culture : it shows the influence of the surgical hidden curriculum on behaviours, coping attitudes and help-seeking. Strong emotional components overwhelm surgical practice, which potentially expose surgeons to vulnerability and isolation. They appeared unprepared for and had difficulties coping with these issues. Our findings suggest that taking into account the relational and emotional dimensions of surgical practice (both with patients and within the institution) might improve surgeons’ wellbeing and mental health.

Longing for existential recognition: A qualitative study of everyday concerns for people with somatoform disorders

ObjectivePatients with somatoform disorders could be vulnerable to stressors and have difficulties coping with stress. The aim was to explore what the patients experience as stressful and how they resolve stress in everyday life. MethodsA cross-sectional retrospective design using 24 semi-structured individual life history interviews. Data-analysis was based on grounded theory. ResultsA major concern in patients was a longing for existential recognition. This influenced the patients' self-confidence, stress appraisals, symptom perceptions, and coping attitudes. Generally, patients had difficulties with self-confidence and self-recognition of bodily sensations, feelings, vulnerability, and needs, which negatively framed their attempts to obtain recognition in social interactions. Experiences of recognition appeared in three different modalities: 1) “existential misrecognition” covered the experience of being met with distrust and disrespect, 2) “uncertain existential recognition” covered experiences of unclear communication and a perception of not being totally recognized, and 3) “successful existential recognition” covered experiences of total respect and understanding. “Misrecognition” and “uncertain recognition” related to decreased self-confidence, avoidant coping behaviours, increased stress, and symptom appraisal; whereas “successful recognition” related to higher self-confidence, active coping behaviours, decreased stress, and symptom appraisal. ConclusionDifferent modalities of existential recognition influenced self-identity and social identity affecting patients' daily stress and symptom appraisals, self-confidence, self-recognition, and coping attitudes. Clinically it seems crucial to improve the patients' ability to communicate concerns, feelings, and needs in social interactions. Better communicative skills and more active coping could reduce the harm the patients experienced by not being recognized and increase the healing potential of successful recognition.

The Measurement of Positive Attitudes: The Glass is Half Full

Positive thoughts play a significant role in the experience and recovery from depression. The Coping Attitudes Scale (CAS) is a rationally derived measure of positive cognitions. The CAS contains statements reflective of coping attitudes along five domains: life perspective, personal accomplishment, positive future, self-worth, and coping with problems. The current study examined the CAS in psychiatric outpatients and college students. Measures of depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation and positive attitudes were administered to 82 adult psychiatric outpatients and 156 college students. Depression and hopelessness were strongly, negatively, partially correlated with each of the CAS factors, after controlling for age. Relationships among individual CAS factors and suicidal ideation demonstrated weak to moderate partial associations, after controlling for age. Depression was significantly associated with the coping with problems subscale (R2 = .530). Hopelessness was significantly related to the positive future subscale (R2 = .696). Further, the CAS demonstrated a significant relationship with depression and hopelessness, even after accounting for the Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire-Revised, Positive subscale. The CAS may be an improved measure of positive attitudes that could be useful in establishing a patient’s baseline of positive thinking, determining targets for therapy, and in monitoring progress in treatment.

1200 – Coping strategies of depressive patients with stress

Recent researches on depression attach importance to the possibility of complex and reciprocal relations between stress and depression. The purpose of this study is to compare the attitudes of coping with stress of patients with depression according to the healthy control group. The sample of the study was composed of patients applying to psychiatry out-patient clinic of Bezmialem Vakif University Medicine Faculty Hospital (n=50) and healthy controls (n=50). Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Coping Strategies with Stress (COPE), Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Sociodemographic Data Form were applied to the participants. While scores of Positive reinterpretation and growth, Use of instrumental social support, Active coping, humor, Restraint and Planning subscales of the COPE were significantly higher in the control group, scores of Acceptance, Behavioral disengagement and Substance use subscales were significantly higher in the depression group. As a result it could be argued that negative coping attitudes might be related to depressive disorder.

Depresyon hastalarının stres ile başa çıkma stratejileri

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare stress coping strategies of major depressive patients with those of healthy controls. Patients and Method: The sample of the study was composed of consecutively selected unipolar major depressive patients applying to the Psychiatry Out-Patient Clinic (n=50) and healthy controls (n=50). Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Coping Strategies with Stress (COPE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and sociodemographic data form were applied to the participants. Results: While positive reframing, the use of instrumental social support, active coping, humor, and restraint items of the COPE were statistically significantly higher in the control group, acceptance, behavioral disengagement and substance use items were statistically significantly higher in the depression group. While the emotionally centered coping total score was close in both groups, the dysfunctional coping total score was higher in the depression group, and the problem-centered coping total score was higher in the control group. Conclusion: Recognizing and reconstructing the negative coping attitudes of patients with depression and reinforcing the positive ones would yield more efficient results in terms of the progress of the disorder.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and comorbidities through the eyes of the patient

Patient's attitudes and illness beliefs have shown to be of great importance in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). As former qualitative research has mainly focused on patients with end-stage COPD, who are recruited within hospital or pulmonary rehabilitation settings, and excluding patients with disabling comorbidities, this study specifically aims to explore the perspectives of patients with COPD and comorbidities in primary care. This study was designed as a qualitative, explorative study using open patient interviews. The study was conducted at three primary care practices, East Flanders, Belgium. A total number of seven patients, diagnosed with COPD and given a minimum score of 2 on the Charlson Comorbidity Index were included. In-depth interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was deductive using NVivo software. Researchers' triangulation was performed. Participants show high adaptation capabilities and report quite positively about their functional status, with an emphasis on social participation and partnership. Knowledge of the causes and consequences of COPD appears rather limited, and participants predominantly show an external locus of control in relation to the reported factors influencing the disease and strategies for self-management. Patients with COPD with comorbidity integrate their illness and symptoms into their lives. However, a lack of knowledge and education may leave them more anxious and more dependent on health care than necessary. Our results indicate that health care workers should adopt a positive approach toward patient's functioning and empower and inform their patients. We believe that chronic care for patients with COPD should provide personalized rehabilitation taking into account individual patient characteristics and self-management and coping attitudes. We believe that there is a generic core to be identified, which can tackle both COPD and comorbidities. Further research is mandatory to develop these generic programs focusing on patients with complicated needs. Primary care can provide the setting for exploration.

Kanser hastalarında depresyon ve anksiyete düzeyleri ve hastalıkla başa çıkma tutumlarının ilişkisi

Kanser hastalarında depresyon ve anksiyete düzeyleri ve hastalıkla başa çıkma tutumlarının ilişkisi

A study into the levels of decision making and coping with stress of the students of physical education and sports college

The purpose of the current study is to investigate the levels of decision making and coping with stress of students of physical education and sports college. The research group was made up of 413 girls and 590 boys (age=21.4607±1.8792), 1003 in total, studying at the physical education and sports colleges of Gazi University, Selcuk University, Kocaeli University, AAŸrA± A°brahim Cecen University and KaramanoAŸlu Mehmet Bey University. To achieve the purpose of the research, “The Inventory of the Attitudes of Coping with Stress” and “Melbourne Scale of Decision Making” were based on and applied to the students that participated in the research. In the analysis and assessment of the data, multiple linear regression test was used and significance was taken as P<0.05 and in the evaluation of the data and the determination of the calculated values, SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) package program was used. At the end of the study, a significant relation was found between the levels of decision making and coping with stress of the students studying at the physical education and Sports College. Keywords: Physical education, decision making, coping with stress.

Trainee Experience in Relation to Voice Handicap, General Coping and Psychosomatic Well-Being in Female Student Teachers: A Descriptive Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relation between trainee experience and voice handicap, general coping and psychosomatic well-being in student teachers. Methods: A longitudinal survey was performed among 43 starting female student teachers, becoming a professional teacher in primary education. The subjective biopsychosocial consequences of voice problems was assessed by the Voice Handicap Index inventory, the general coping style by the Utrecht Coping List and psychosomatic well-being by the Symptom Checklist. Results: Student teachers in general and especially with a higher impact of the voice after two trainee periods showed a more reactive-defensive coping style. Student teachers with a higher impact of the voice after two trainee periods had less psychosomatic well-being. Conclusion: These findings may call for a different attitude of the (university) speech therapist. They should take into account that together with changing the voice handicap, factors of psychosomatic well-being can play an important role in coaching student teachers. Speech therapists should also be encouraged to change the student’s passive coping behaviour into a more active method and to stimulate the student to implement a new coping attitude into new trainee activities.

Biopsychosocial impact of the voice in relation to the psychological features in female student teachers

Objective The aim of the study was to assess biopsychosocial impact of the voice in relation to the psychological features in female student teachers. Methods This research was a cross-sectional study in 755 student teachers using general questionnaires, the Voice Handicap Inventory (VHI), Type D Scale-16, Symptom Check List (SCL-90), and Utrecht Coping List (UCL). Student teachers with a relative high score on the VHI (>75th percentile) and students with a relative low score (<25th percentile) were compared. Results Type D student teachers had a 4× greater risk of a high VHI-score (OR 4.23) than the non-type-D group. The student teachers with relative high VHI scores scored significantly higher ( P<.001) on the SCL-90 total and all subscales, compared to the student teachers with relative low VHI scores. Furthermore, the students with a relative high VHI score had significant high scores on the subscales passive attitude ( P<.001), palliative reactions ( P<.001), avoidance and a waiting attitude ( P<.001), and expression of emotions ( P=.003) of the UCL. Conclusion This study showed that a relative high biopsychosocial impact of the voice is related to the personality trait Type D, psychosomatic well-being and coping strategies in female student teachers. These features should be implemented in screening and training programs for students for a voice demanding profession. The students have to be prepared to cope with psychological, physical and vocal demands of the teaching profession. The speech therapist (of the vocational university) has to be aware of an important role in coaching the students into a more active coping attitude.

Terrorism, Posttraumatic Stress, Spiritual Coping, and Mental Health

This study examines stress and coping in relation to mental health and spiritual outcomes following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In November 2001, a survey was mailed to a stratified, randomized sample of registered voters from six communities in Massachusetts (n = 231) and New York City (n = 58). The Short PTSD Rating Interview (SPRINT) posttraumatic stress scale, positive and negative spiritual coping, spiritual outcomes, the Short Form‐36 (SF‐36) Health Survey Mental Health subscale, and measures of prayer, church attendance and seeking social support comprised the questionnaire. Residents averaged between partial to full levels of posttraumatic stress, highest in New York City residents, but unrelated to knowing someone injured/killed in the tragedy. Seeking time with family and friends, positive spiritual coping attitudes, prayer, and attending a religious service were strongly related to positive spiritual outcomes. A decreased mental health score correlated with high stress score and negative spiritual coping. The study supported the observation of widespread secondary stress response to terrorist attacks, turning toward faith to cope with this tragedy, and the negative association of both stress and negative spiritual coping attitudes on mental health.

When Muslims Are Perceived as a Religious Threat: Examining the Connection Between Desecration, Religious Coping, and Anti-Muslim Attitudes

This study examined links between the appraisal that Muslims desecrate Christian values and teachings, religious coping methods, and anti-Muslim attitudes. Of the 192 Christian undergraduate participants, between 13.7% and 28% perceived Muslims as a threat to Christian values and teachings. After controlling for demographic and personological variables (e.g., church attendance, pluralism, Christian orthodoxy, authoritarianism, fundamentalism, particularism), higher levels of viewing Muslims as desecrators of Christianity were linked to higher anti-Muslim attitudes. In contrast, positive religious coping methods that emphasized expressions of Christian love and learning from Muslim spiritual models were associated with lower anti-Muslim attitudes. However, negative religious coping methods that emphasized that Muslims were being punished by God and demonic were also tied to greater anti-Muslim attitudes. Further, religious coping methods partially mediated the associations between desecration and anti-Muslim attitudes. Higher levels of authoritarianism, religious particularism, fundamentalism, and greater exposure to messages of desecration predicted perceptions of Muslims as desecrators of Christianity. The findings demonstrate the usefulness of Pargament's religious coping theory to understand prejudice, particularly how the perception that Muslims violate Christianity may often underlie anti-Muslim attitudes.

Does counsellor's attitude influence change in a request for a caesarean in women with fear of birth?

Backgroundthe attitudes of two counsellors towards women requesting a caesarean section due to fear of birth were identified. One emphasised the ability to overcome any emotional obstacle to vaginal birth (‘coping attitude’), and the other emphasised that the ultimate choice of mode of birth was the womans’ (‘autonomy attitude’). Two research questions were asked: (1) What are the predictors of change in a wish for a caesarean and of vaginal birth in women with fear of birth? (2) Does a change from an ‘autonomy attitude’ to a ‘coping attitude’ increase the number of women who change their request for a caesarean and who give birth vaginally? Methodsthe study population consisted of two samples of pregnant women with fear of birth and concurrent request for a caesarean, referred for crisis-oriented counselling at the antenatal clinic, University Hospital of North Norway between 2000–2002 (n=86) and 2004–2006 (n=107). Data were gathered from referral letters, counseling and antenatal, intra- and postpartum records. Findingsa coping attitude of the counsellor was positively associated with change in the request for a caesarean and with vaginal birth. A change from an autonomy attitude to a coping attitude was associated with a significant increase in the percentage of women who changed their desire for a caesarean from 77 to 93, and who had a vaginal birth from 42 to 81. Conclusiona coping attitude was strongly associated with change in the desire for a caesarean and giving birth vaginally. A coping attitude can be learned through critical reflection and awareness of the counsellor's attitude, with measurable clinical results.

Identifying the Poor: Analysis of Impoverished Single-Mother Households

ABSTRACT As part of research into the perceptions of poverty in Japan, the current paper examines perceptions on the part of poor single mothers and suggests issues for future research. The survey revealed that even single mothers receiving welfare benefits tended not to perceive poverty as an immediate issue, but rather to see it as a more marginal issue, i.e., as “someone's” problem “somewhere.” Major factors behind the hesitation in directly calling for broader attention to their own problems included the following: (1) not having the time in their daily lives, (2) bias in the information they get, (3) the lack of direct connection between policy and their lives, and (4) not knowing who to call out to. In addition to feeling a sense of resignation and the sense that they have no choice but to treat their problem as a matter of personal responsibility, it was also found that the women had unconsciously developed coping strategies and attitudes designed to avoid criticism from those around them, such as purposefully acting with reserve or thinking it better not to vocally address the issue of poverty. For their small voices to reach the larger society, it is necessary for each and every one of us to turn our attention in a conscious effort to all aspects of the lives of people living in poverty. With regard to perceptions of poverty on the part of social workers, who are in a position to speak on behalf of the poor, it is necessary to focus on the gap in their respective value systems between those giving assistance and those receiving it.

Effectiveness of a Trauma/Grief–Focused Group Intervention: A Qualitative Study with War–Exposed Bosnian Adolescents

The effectiveness and impacts of a school–based, trauma/grief-focused group treatment program for war-exposed youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina were investigated using semistructured focus groups, conducted separately for students and their school counselor group leaders. Overall, students’ and leaders’ evaluations of the groups were generally positive. General themes of outcomes and impacts perceived by students and group leaders include: acquisition of coping skills and attitudes, willingness to advocate for peers, improved interpersonal relationships, negative impacts, general positive impacts, impacts in the schools, impacts on the group and logistics of the program, and broader impacts on the perception of mental health in the community. The broad positive impacts of this program suggest that trauma/grief-focused group treatment intervention programs targeting trauma–exposed youth may be effective on multiple levels with war-exposed youth and their communities.

Sociopsychological factors relating to suicide prevention in a Japanese rural community: Coping behaviors and attitudes toward depression and suicidal ideation

In response to the rise in suicide in Japan since 1998, some suicide prevention measures in local communities have been put into action. However, in the previous suicide prevention measures, sociopsychological factors were not fully taken into consideration. In the present study, the authors surveyed sociopsychological factors relating to suicide and depression (i.e. people's coping behavior and thoughts about depression and suicidal ideation, and their attitudes toward suicide and psychiatric treatment), and their differences in gender and generations. The present study was conducted in a rural area of Japan (Town A), where the suicide rate is much higher than the national average. The authors randomly selected 10% of the residents (i.e. 532 people) aged between 40 and 79 years on the basis of resident registration. Health promotion volunteers in Town A visited these 532 people individually, distributed questionnaires, and asked them to anonymously answer the questionnaire within 4 weeks. Data from 450 residents (193 men, 257 women) were analyzed in the present study. Although there were few gender differences, some significant differences were found between the younger (40-59 years) and older (60-79 years) residents. Generally, the younger were more pessimistic about their mental health than the elderly. It was also noteworthy that about 10% of the people thought that it was natural for them to have suicidal ideation, and about 18% reported that they had experienced suicidal ideation. Some suggestions were given to provide more effective suicide prevention measures.

Service Users' Perspectives on the Benefits System in Israel: A Participatory Action Research

This article presents a position paper on Israel's benefits system. It was produced in the framework of a participatory action research with the collaboration of welfare services users and social welfare policy practitioners, academics, social practitioners, and social activists. Some 78 persons living in poverty, from various population groups, were asked, in group settings, to describe their experiences with the benefit system and services, their coping strategies, their perceptions and attitudes towards these services, and their recommendations for ways to improve them. The position paper which emerged from this process served as the basis for discussions between service users, social welfare policy practitioners, researchers, social activists and social practitioners at an academic conference. Issues such as benefits cuts, eligibility, and definitions of poverty are discussed and recommendations are presented.

Coping Attitudes Scale: Psychometric Properties of a Measure of Positive Attitudes in Depression

The current study investigated the reliability and validity of the Coping Attitudes Scale (CAS), a new measure designed to assess positive cognitions in depression. The CAS is based on cognitive theory and the items reflect the experience of depressed patients during recovery. Psychiatric inpatients (n = 141) meeting criteria for a major depressive disorder and college students (n = 135) completed the CAS and measures of depression and hopelessness. The 23-item CAS demonstrated high internal consistency and retest reliability. Preliminary evidence for validity was observed via strong, negative correlations with measures of depression and hopelessness. Based on difference scores, changes in the CAS were inversely related to changes in depression. However, factor analytic results suggest that the CAS is not merely assessing the opposite of depression. Preliminary findings indicate that the CAS is a reliable, stable scale that measures positive cognitions.

Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and psychological adaptation of the nurses in a structured SARS caring unit during outbreak: A prospective and periodic assessment study in Taiwan

To assess the rapidly changing psychological status of nurses during the acute phase of the 2003 SARS outbreak, we conducted a prospective and periodic evaluation of psychiatric morbidity and psychological adaptation among nurses in SARS units and non-SARS units. Nurse participants were from two SARS units (regular SARS [ N = 44] and SARS ICU [ N = 26]) and two non-SARS units (Neurology [ N = 15] and CCU [ N = 17]). Participants periodically self-evaluated their depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress symptoms, sleep disturbance, attitude towards SARS and family support. Results showed that depression (38.5% vs. 3.1%) and insomnia (37% vs. 9.7%) were, respectively, greater in the SARS unit nurses than the non-SARS unit nurses. No difference between these two groups was found in the prevalence of post-traumatic stress symptoms (33% vs. 18.7%), yet, three unit subjects (SARS ICU, SARS regular and Neurology) had significantly higher rate than those in CCU (29.7% vs. 11.8%, respectively) ( p < 0.05). For the SARS unit nurses, significant reduction in mood ratings, insomnia rate and perceived negative feelings as well as increasing knowledge and understanding of SARS at the end of the study (all p < 0.001) indicated that a gradual psychological adaptation had occurred. The adjustment of nurses in the more structured SARS ICU environment, where nurses care for even more severely ill patients, may have been as good or better than that of nurses in the regular SARS unit. Occurrence of psychiatric symptoms was linked to direct exposure to SARS patient care, previous mood disorder history, younger age and perceived negative feelings. Positive coping attitude and strong social and family support may have protected against acute stress. In conclusion, the psychological impact on the caring staffs facing future bio-disaster will be minimized with lowered risk factors and a safer and more structured work environment.