Coping In Context Research Articles

Reaction-norm analysis of neonatal lamb mortality suggests heritability varies with cold-stress: an example in the Elsenburg Merino selection lines

Context Coping with high levels of cold stress should be beneficial to survival of lambs, given the high mortality rate associated with severe winter storms. The Elsenburg Merino selection experiment involved divergent selection for reproduction. Phenotypic results comparing the positively selected H-Lines and negatively selected L-Lines suggested that cold-stress adaption could have contributed to the favourable genetic trends for survival of H-Line lambs. However, observing the genetic merit of better adapted animals depends on the presence of cold stress at the time of recording. A genotype by environment component (G × E) could, thus, be important when assessing survival/mortality phenotypes. Aim This study proposed the genetic analysis of this possible G × E component and compared the H- and L-Lines in this regard. Methods The sire model allowed the use of progeny phenotypes for neonatal mortality recorded during different levels of cold stress, and the possible G × E could be investigated through the reaction-norm approach. Genetic parameters were evaluated as random regression components by implementing a Gibbs sampling approach. A data set of 5723 individual lamb records was analysed as the progeny of 213 sires. Results A modelled G × E component played an important role in mortality outcomes, with the mean estimate (and 95% confidence interval) for the slope ( σ s b 2 = 0.113 [ 0.0019 – 0.28 ] AN22464_IE1.gif) only marginally smaller than the corresponding estimate for the intercept ( σ s a 2 = 0.124 [ 0.003 – 0.26 ] AN22464_IE2.gif). The reaction-norm model showed a higher heritability (h2 ± posterior standard deviation) for mortality at 3 days of age during high cold-stress (0.22 ± 0.16 at ~1100 KJm−2h−1) than during mild (0.13 ± 0.10 at ~960 KJm−2h−1) conditions, suggesting a greater ability to discriminate between sires at increasing stress levels. Conclusions Failure to account for this G × E component putatively contributes to the low h2 commonly reported for survival traits. The higher h2 at increased levels of cold stress could have played an important part in the higher survival of the H-Line progeny, who were better at coping with cold, wet and windy conditions. Implications Larger studies representing a wider environmental trajectory are recommended. This should be very feasible since cold stress can be derived from commonly available weather-station data.

Individual Differences in Adolescent Coping: Comparing a Community Sample and a Low-SES Sample to Understand Coping in Context.

Coping that is adaptive in low-stress environments can be ineffective or detrimental in the context of poverty. Identifying coping profiles among adolescents facing varying levels of stress can increase understanding of when and for whom coping may be most adaptive. The present study applied latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify coping profiles in two distinct samples of adolescents: a community sample of youth aged 11–16 years (N = 374, Mage = 13.14, 53% girls), and a low-SES sample of youth aged 12–18 years (N = 304, Mage = 14.56, 55% girls). The ten coping subscales of the Responses to Stress Questionnaire were included as indicators in the LPAs (problem solving, emotion regulation, emotion expression, acceptance, positive thinking, cognitive restructuring, distraction, denial, wishful thinking, and avoidance). Five profiles were identified in the community sample: Inactive, Low Engagement, Cognitive, Engaged, and Active Copers. All but the Low Engagement Copers profile were also identified in the low-SES sample, suggesting that adolescents employ similar coping strategies across contexts, but fewer low-SES adolescents engage in lower levels of coping. Profiles differed by gender and symptoms of internalizing psychopathology. Inactive copers in both samples were more likely to be male. Engaged Copers reported the lowest symptom levels whereas Active Copers reported higher symptoms. Cognitive Copers reported higher levels of anxious and depressive symptoms in the low-SES sample only, suggesting that this pattern of coping may be protective only in less stressful contexts. Elucidating within-person coping patterns is a promising avenue for targeting interventions to those most likely to benefit.

Coping in context: The effects of long-term relations between interparental conflict and coping on the development of child psychopathology following parental divorce.

Exposure to high levels of postdivorce interparental conflict is a well-documented risk factor for the development of psychopathology, and there is strong evidence of a subpopulation of families for which conflict persists for many years after divorce. However, existing studies have not elucidated differential trajectories of conflict within families over time, nor have they assessed the risk posed by conflict trajectories for development of psychopathology or evaluated potential protective effects of children's coping to mitigate such risk. We used growth mixture modeling to identify longitudinal trajectories of child-reported conflict over a period of six to eight years following divorce in a sample of 240 children. We related the trajectories to children's mental health problems, substance use, and risky sexual behaviors and assessed how children's coping prospectively predicted psychopathology in the different conflict trajectories. We identified three distinct trajectories of conflict; youth in two high-conflict trajectories showed deleterious effects on measures of psychopathology at baseline and the six-year follow-up. We found both main effects of coping and coping by conflict trajectory interaction effects in predicting problem outcomes at the six-year follow-up. The study supports the notion that improving youth's general capacity to cope adaptively is a potentially modifiable protective factor for all children facing parental divorce and that children in families with high levels of postdivorce conflict are a particularly appropriate group to target for coping-focused preventive interventions.

Coping in Context: Dispositional and Situational Coping of Navy Divers and Submariners

Coping in Context: Dispositional and Situational Coping of Navy Divers and Submariners

Coping in Context

Emancipated foster youth face unique challenges in the context of few resources as they transition into adulthood. This investigation examined associations between resource availability and coping effectiveness in a sample of 172 emancipated foster youth (66.3% female; Mage = 19.63 years; 27.5% Hispanic, 24.0% African American, 15.8% Caucasian, and 32.7% multiracial). Regression analyses evaluated main and interactive relations between resource availability and coping as related to youths’ depressive, anxiety, and substance use symptoms. Findings showed that the effectiveness of individual coping strategies was moderated by the availability of strategy-relevant resources. Youth reported increased depressive, anxiety, and/or substance use problems if they engaged specific coping strategies in the absence of strategy-specific resources. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of coping may be qualified by the availability of strategy-relevant resources. Implications for foster youth who are at heightened risk for resource deficits during emerging adulthood are discussed.

The SpREUK questionnaires as tools to measure spiritual/religious attitudes of patients dealing will chronic diseases

Background Although there is mounting research showing a connection between spirituality/religiosity (SpR) and health, understanding their relationship is only preliminary. Future studies depend on having reliable measures of these constructs which address SpR in the context coping, and can be easily incorporated into the study designs. The SpREUK questionnaire [Ostermann et al., Forsch Komplement Klass Naturheil 2004;11:346–53; Bussing et al., Health Qual life outcomes 2005;3:1–10; Int J Psychiatr Med 2007;37:39–57; Zeitschr Gesundheits 2008;31:35–7] appears to be a good choice for assessing a patient's interest in spiritual concerns which is not biased for or against a particular religious commitment. Methods The SpREUK comprises a 16-item main manual (Cronbach's alpha=0.92), a 6-item BENEFIT manual (alpha=0.93), and a 25-item PRACTICES manual (alpha=0.92). The main manual differentiates Search for Meaningful Support because of illness (spiritual quest orientation); Trust in Higher Guidance (intrinsic religiosity); and Positive Interpretation of Disease (hint to change life because of illness; healing is regarded as a process of ‘becoming’ in terms of reflection of life). The BENEFIT scale assesses beneficial aspects of intrinsic SpR. To avoid intermixes of attitudes, convictions, and forms of SpR practices, PRACTICES manual can be used as a separate tool and differentiates Conventional Religious Practice; Existentialistic Practice; Spiritual Body–Mind Practices; and Humanistic Practice. Results On the basis of data from 821 patients with various chronic diseases (mean age 54±14 years), we can confirm the underlying concept of the SpREUK. Particularly Positive Interpretation of Disease had an obvious spiritual connotation and correlated with Search ( r =0.56), Trust ( r =0.45), Spiritual Body–Mind Practices ( r =0.45), and Existentialistic Practices ( r =0.47). Patients with higher age and cancer had significantly higher interest in SpR issues than patients with chronic pain diseases or patients with multiple scleroses. With respect to Life Satisfaction (modified BMSLS), in patients with chronic pain disease, just the BENEFIT scale correlated with life satisfaction aspects Future Perspectives ( r =0.29), Myself ( r =0.28), and Overall Life ( r =0.22). Physical Health (SF-12) did correlate with SpR issues, while Mental Health (SF-12) correlated negatively with the spiritual quest dimension ( r =−0.34). Conclusion The SpREUK questionnaire reveals to be a valid and reliable instrument tested in patients with chronic diseases and a Christian, Muslim, or agnostic/atheistic background, which heeds the spiritual quest orientation, intrinsic religiosity, and uniquely integrates the topic of ‘meaning of disease’ (reappraisal, i.e. hint to change life and). Although the relationship between SpR and various dimensions of health and quality of life has been extensively examined during the past decade, SpR has to be regarded as a distinctive concept which nevertheless may be related to quality of life aspects.

Coping in Context

This study contributes to literature examining the salience of ecological variables by investigating relationships between stress, coping, community resources, and residential nature. One hundred thirty-three low-income women in mid-Michigan reported on institutional resource availability, recent stressful events, and preferred coping styles. Research assistants rated yards surrounding respondents' homes for the presence of natural features. African American mothers reported greater usage of both emotion-focused and active coping strategies compared to European American mothers. Availability of community resources was found to predict significantly to the use of active and emotion-focused coping strategies, and stress intensity and natural resources predicted significantly to avoidant coping strategies. Further development of the Residential Natural Resources Inventory and investigation of the variance of environmental stressors, resources, and coping responses within racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups are recommended.

Coping in Context: The Role of Stress, Social Support, and Personality in Coping

Personality and social relationships play an important role in almost every aspect of stress and coping. Daily process methods are particularly useful in elucidating how these factors might influence both responses to and outcomes of stress. Our work has linked both dimensions of personality, particularly the Big Five, and aspects of social relationships, particularly social support, to the likelihood of engaging in certain coping strategies and the effectiveness or outcomes of these coping strategies. In addition, we have found the effect of personality on coping and stress outcomes to vary by the situational context in which stress occurs. We review findings from our recent daily process studies of stress, coping, and social support. Further, we discuss the costs and benefits of the daily process methodology for addressing these questions, highlighting the clinical utility of findings gleaned with the use of this approach. Finally, we discuss future directions and applications of daily process methods to the study of stress and coping.

Coping in context: sociocultural determinants of responses to sexual harassment.

The authors investigated coping responses to sexual harassment across 4 samples of working women from 3 cultures and 2 occupational classes. Complete-link cluster analyses provide preliminary support for D. E. Knapp, R. H. Faley, S. E. Ekeberg, and C. L. Z. Dubois's (1997) coping framework, suggesting that avoidance, denial, negotiation, advocacy seeking, and social coping are universal responses to sexual harassment. Further, L. F. Fitzgerald's (1990) internal-external dichotomy appears to capture higher order relationships among coping responses. In addition, regression analyses suggest that Turkish and Hispanic American women engage in more avoidance than Anglo American women, and Hispanic women also use more denial but less advocacy seeking. No differences emerged in social coping. The authors discuss these results in the context of coping theory, individualism-collectivism, power distance, and patriarchal gender norms.

Coping in context: Sociocultural determinants of responses to sexual harrassment.

Coping in context: Sociocultural determinants of responses to sexual harrassment.

Patient Adherence in Chronic Illness: Personality and Coping In Context

Previous reviews have concluded that there is no evidence for a predictable association between person factors and regimen adherence in chronic illness. The brief current review of the literature reveals that past work has been limited by the lack of a common structural theory of personality and the failure to consider the interaction of person factors with disease and treatment context. Application of the five-factor model of personality to adherence research will reduce divergence in the field and aid in the orientation and interpretation of future work. Evidence suggests that an interactive perspective recognizing the moderating influence of contextual factors on the behavioral expression of personality traits will contribute to the prediction of adherence behavior.

Coping in context. Strategic and tactical coping in carers of stroke survivors and carers of older confused people

AbstractThis paper seeks to describe and examine the concept of coping in the context of two chronic and debilitating conditions commonly occurring among older age groups, namely strokes and the two main dementias of Alzheimer's Disease and Multi‐infarct Dementia. Using behaviour problems as the focus, carers described the various ways in which they tried to cope. The results suggested that coping could be considered in two main ways. First, there were general orientations or philosophies of coping with caring, not necessarily related to particular behaviour problems—these were described as ‘strategies’ of coping (Active‐involved, Non‐confronting, and Value coping). Second, there were coping responses directed at specific behaviour problems—described as ‘tactical’ coping and considered in the paper at a descriptive level but also in terms of a possible typology. Some implications of this work for clinical interventions are considered and it is suggested that there may be a need to obtain more descriptive data on coping, and relate this to specific outcome indices, before advocating specific coping interventions.