Emotional Approach Coping Scale Research Articles

Does a peer social support group intervention using the cares skills framework improve emotional expression and emotion-focused coping in paramedic students?

There is growing concern for the health and wellbeing of paramedic students who are required to undertake work integrated learning (WIL) in the ambulance setting to become a registered paramedic. Paramedic culture, barriers to help seeking, and difficulty in accessing peer support is limiting their ability to express emotions and cope with workplace stress. This study aimed to examine whether participation in a peer social support group, using the CARES skills framework, changed paramedic students’ emotional expression and emotion-focused coping.A convenience sample of seventy-eight participants were recruited from a paramedic program at a single regional university in Australia. Due to small participant numbers third year students were assigned to the intervention group (n = 44) and second year students were assigned to the control group (n = 34). The intervention group received training on how to undertake a peer social support group using the skills embedded in the CARES framework and were encouraged to meet every two weeks over a twelve-week period. All participants completed online surveys consisting of the DASS-21 stress subscale, General Help Seeking Questionnaire, Emotional Approach Coping Scale, Emotional Expressivity Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in week 1 and in week 12.Findings suggest that peer social support participation significantly increased emotional expression and emotion-focused coping when compared to the control group. Furthermore, this intervention significantly reduced participants’ reliance upon help seeking without a significant increase in external social support. This is the first known study to investigate the role of peer social support amongst paramedic students, and the findings provide new information on how to help individuals cope with the stressors of working in the ambulance setting. Future studies should investigate whether the positive effects of peer social support are consistent over time and focus on minimising sampling issues.

Emotions matter: The role of emotional approach coping in chronic pain.

Emotional approach coping (EAC) is a potentially adaptive emotion-focused coping style that involves understanding or processing one's emotions and expressing them appropriately. Although EAC has been studied in various populations, little is known about this construct among people with chronic pain, including potential mediators such as negative affect, which might link EAC to pain-related variables, and moderators of these relationships. Participants (N=670; 76% women; 30% older adults-age 60 or over) with chronic pain completed online the Emotional Approach Coping Scale and measures of pain severity, pain interference and negative affect. Analyses correlated EAC to pain severity and interference and tested whether gender and age group (older adults versus young/middle-age adults) moderated the mediated relationships of EAC with pain-related variables through negative affect. Findings reveal that higher EAC was associated with lower pain intensity through lower negative affect in the young/middle-age portion of the sample, but not older adults. Also, higher EAC was associated with lower pain interference through lower negative affect among women in the sample, but not men. The associations of EAC to pain intensity and interference are small in magnitude, however, and should be considered preliminary. EAC is associated with lower pain intensity in young/middle-age adults and lower pain interference in women, and lower negative affect mediates these relationships. These results suggest the potential value of assessing and bolstering emotional approach coping processes in some people with chronic pain.

Metacognitive Beliefs, Positive States of Mind, and Emotional Approach Coping as the Predictors of Medical Compliance in Patients with Cancer

Background: Medical compliance plays an essential role in the control of cancer and psychological factors such as metacognitive beliefs, positive psychology, and coping styles which are among the predictors of medical compliance. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine how much metacognitive beliefs, positive states of mind, and emotional approach coping can predict medical compliance in patients with breast cancer. Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study. By available sampling method, 154 women with breast cancer who were medically treated and had inclusion criteria, responded to the Morisky Medication Adherence scale (MMAS), Metacognitive Beliefs questionnaire (MCBQ), Positive states of mind (PSOM) scale, and emotional approach coping (EAC) scale. Stepwise multiple regression analysis by SPSS statistics version 24 was applied for data analysis. Results: There was a significant correlation between positive states of mind and metacognitive beliefs and between emotional approach coping with medical compliance (P < 0.05). Positive states of mind and metacognitive beliefs were the best predictors of medical compliance (P < 0.001), while the emotional approach coping could not predict medical compliance. Results also showed that positive states of mind (β = 0. 51) have the greatest predictive power to medical compliance, and the variable of emotional approach coping is not effective in predicting. Conclusions: Research findings suggest that positive states of mind and orientation toward metacognitive beliefs can control anxiety among patients and predict medical compliance in patients with breast cancer but research about emotional approach coping needs to more investigation.

The impact of psychiatric nurses’ psychological capital on their burnout and coping style

Background Nurses with a high level of psychological capital have the essential motivational and cognitive properties that can be used in any given work situation to protect them from work-related stress and burnout. Aim This study aims to examine the impact of psychiatric nurses’ psychological capital on their burnout and coping style. Participants and methods A descriptive correlational design was utilized in this study. This study was conducted at three psychiatric hospitals: El Azazi Hospital for mental illness, Banha Hospital for mental illness, and at the Psychiatric Department at Zagazig University Hospital. A simple, random sample composed of 139 nurses who are working at a previous mentioned setting was recruited for this study. Five tools were utilized in this study for data collection, sociodemographic data sheet, burnout scale, psychological capital questionnaire, brief coping inventory, and emotional approach coping scale. Results The present study revealed that the level of burnout was moderate among the studied nurses, more than half of them had low level of psychological capital, about half of them had low level of problems − focused coping and near half of them had a high level of emotion-focused coping. Conclusion On the basis of the finding of this study, it can be concluded that the burnout is a psychological problem among psychiatric nurses. Unfortunately, about one-half of the studied psychiatric nurses has moderate level of burnout and has low level of psychological capital. Also, about half of them utilize the emotion-focused coping style more frequently than problem-focused coping. When nurses have a high level of psychological capital, their level of burnout decreased. Recommendation Intervention programs for nurses should be carried out to enhance their level of psychological capital (self-efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience), improve their coping ability, and reduce their level of burnout are recommended.

Cognitive dysfunction in patients with brain metastases: influences on caregiver resilience and coping.

Neurologic deficits that may be manifested as cognitive impairment contribute to the challenges faced by caregivers of patients with brain metastases. To better address their needs, we examined how caregivers respond to these challenges and explore the relationship between the patient's cognitive impairment and caregiver resilience and coping. We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study using self-reported data from 56 caregivers of patients with brain metastases. Study participants from a comprehensive cancer center were asked to complete a series of instruments that measured their perception of the patient's cognitive dysfunction (revised memory and behavior problems checklist, RMBC), their own personal resilience (Resilience Scale, RS), and their utilization of a broad range of coping responses (COPE inventory and Emotional-Approach Coping scale). Caregivers reported that memory-related problems occurred more frequently in the patients they cared for compared to depression and disruptive behavior (mean scores 3.52 vs 2.34 vs. 1.32, respectively). Coping strategies most frequently used by caregivers were acceptance (3.28), planning (3.08), and positive reinterpretation and growth (2.95). Most caregivers scored moderate to high on the RS (77%). The coping strategy acceptance correlated significantly with the memory and disruptive behavior subscales of the RMBC. Given the protective effect of problem-focused coping and the high rate of caregivers utilizing less effective coping strategies in instances of worsening cognitive dysfunction, healthcare professionals need to systematically assess the coping strategies of caregivers and deliver a more personalized approach to enhance effective coping among caregivers of patients with brain metastases.

Assessing Anger Expression: Construct Validity of Three Emotion Expression-Related Measures

ABSTRACTSelf-report measures of emotional expression are common, but their validity to predict objective emotional expression, particularly of anger, is unclear. We tested the validity of the Anger Expression Inventory (AEI; Spielberger et al., 1985), Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EAC; Stanton, Kirk, Cameron, & Danoff-Burg, 2000), and Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20; Bagby, Taylor, & Parker, 1994) to predict objective anger expression in 95 adults with chronic back pain. Participants attempted to solve a difficult computer maze by following the directions of a confederate who treated them rudely and unjustly. Participants then expressed their feelings for 4 min. Blinded raters coded the videos for anger expression, and a software program analyzed expression transcripts for anger-related words. Analyses related each questionnaire to anger expression. The AEI Anger-Out scale predicted greater anger expression, as expected, but AEI Anger-In did not. The EAC Emotional Processing scale predicted less anger expression, but the EAC Emotional Expression scale was unrelated to anger expression. Finally, the TAS-20 predicted greater anger expression. Findings support the validity of the AEI Anger-Out scale but raise questions about the other measures. The assessment of emotional expression by self-report is complex and perhaps confounded by general emotional experience, the specificity or generality of the emotion(s) assessed, and self-awareness limitations. Performance-based or clinician-rated measures of emotion expression are needed.

Preliminary Validation of Emotional Approach Coping (EAC) scale: A Case Study of Korean Military Academy cadets

본 연구의 목적은 Stanton과 동료 연구자들(2000b)에 의해 개발된 정서접근적 대처 척도를 타당화하는 것이다. 398명의 사관생도들을 대상으로 설문을 실시하고 탐색적 요인분석을 실시한 결과, 정서 처리 4문항, 정서 표현 4문항의 2개 요인이 확인되었으며, 이들의 총 설명변량은 60.28%였다. 사관생도 627명을 대상으로 확인적 요인분석을 실시한 결과, χ2 (15)=35.81, CFI=.99, TLI=.99, RMSEA=.05, SRMR=.01로 2요인 모형이 적합함을 확인하였다. 신뢰도 검증에서, 정서 처리와 정서 표현은 각각 .90, .88로 매우 높은 신뢰도 계수를 나타냈다. 그리고 대처전략 척도, 정적 정서, 부적 정서, 우울, 상태 불안, 삶의 만족도와의 상관분석을 통해 정서접근적 대처 중 정서 처리가 문제중심적 대처와 마찬가지로 접근지향적 대처전략임을 확인할 수 있었다. 또한 증분 타당도를 알아보기 위한 위계적 회귀분석 결과, 정서접근적 대처는 상태 불안과 삶의 만족도에 있어서 부적 정서와 정서중심적 대처가 설명하지 못하는 고유한 설명력을 가지고 있음을 밝혔다. 마지막으로 본 연구의 의의와 제한점, 후속연구를 위한 제언을 논의하였다.

Distinctive Characteristics of Flourishing, Self-Esteem, and Emotional Approach Coping to Mood

The aim of this study firstly, was to determine the validity and the reliability of The Brief Mood Introspection Scale. After this step, whose mood is low and high has been detected, and the sensitivity level of self-esteem, flourishing and emotional approach coping for these participants has been studied via discriminant analysis. In total 316 students who receive education at the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Science and Literature at Adnan Menderes University in the fall semester of 2012-2013 school year took place in the study, and 172 (54.4%) of them were women and 144 (45.6%) of them were men. In the study The Brief Mood Introspection Scale, Self-Esteem Scale (Self-Liking/Self- Competence Scale), Flourishing Scale, Emotional Approach Coping Scale, and the personal information form were used for collecting data. According to the result that was obtained by the study in which university students were participant, it was found that The Brief Mood Introspection Scale is a valid and reliable scale in Turkish form. It was found that mood which is positive and tends to provide pleasure is positively associated with self-esteem at the highest level and then it is positively associated with emotional approach coping and flourishing. It was detected that in order to make distinction participants of the study who were on positive and negative mood; self-esteem, flourishing and emotional approach coping have necessary adequateness for discriminant analysis. According to the result of discriminant analysis, it was concluded that the most effective factor for making a distinction between participants who are pleasant for their mood and who are not, is self- esteem; and flourishing and emotional approach coping follow it. © 2014 IOJES. All rights reserved

Turkish Validation of the Emotional Approach Coping Scale

The Emotional Approach Coping Scale is frequently used to assess coping, which consists of emotional processing and emotional expression. The present aim was to examine the psychometric properties of this scale by utilizing two independent samples: university students (n = 481) and community members (n = 284). Based on goodness-of-fit indices in confirmatory factor analysis, a two-factor model yielded significant findings in these samples. The results of multi-group analysis revealed that the theoretical structure of the dispositional Emotional Approach Coping Scale was the same for men and women. In addition to sufficient internal consistency and test-retest reliability, the relationships between the Emotional Approach Coping Scale and five conceptually related measures (coping styles, positive affect, negative affect, depression, and trait anxiety) demonstrated concurrent validity. Furthermore, the present study provides a map of emotional approach coping styles in a non-Western culture.

Factor Structure and Psychometric Properties of the Emotional Approach Coping Scale in Turkish University Students and Community Members

To evaluate emotional approach coping, including the dimensions of emotional processing and emotional expression, the Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EACS) is frequently used. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of situational EACS among Turkish participants (n = 557), including university students (n = 283) and community members (n = 274). The results revealed that a two-factor model showed significant goodness of fit for confirmatory factor analysis. Furthermore, multi-group comparisons based on sample groups (university students and community members) and gender groups demonstrated no significant differences between the constrained and unconstrained models. In addition to sufficient reliability of the EACS, the concurrent and discriminant validity of the scale were supported by association of the EACS with state anxiety and social desirability. The theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Translation, data quality, reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Norwegian version of the Effective Musculoskeletal Consumer Scale (EC-17)

BackgroundThe Effective Musculoskeletal Consumer Scale (EC-17) is a self-administered questionnaire for evaluating self-management interventions that empower and educate people with rheumatic conditions. The aim of the study was to translate and evaluate the Norwegian version of EC-17 against the necessary criteria for a patient-reported outcome measure, including responsiveness to change.MethodsData quality, reliability, validity and responsiveness were assessed in two groups. One group comprising 103 patients received a questionnaire before and at the end of a self-management programme. The second group comprising 96 patients' received the questionnaire two weeks before and on arrival of the program. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were assessed. Construct validity was assessed through comparisons with the Brief Approach/Avoidance Coping Questionnaire, (BACQ), the Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EAC) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20). Responsiveness was assessed with the Standardised Response Mean (SRM).ResultsRespondents included 66 (64%) and 52 (54%) patients from the first and second groups respectively. Levels of missing data were low for all items. There was good evidence for unidimensionality, item-total correlations ranged from 0.59 to 0.82 and Cronbach's Alpha and test-retest correlations were over 0.90. As hypothesised EC-17 scores had statistically significant low to moderate correlations with the BACQ, EAC and GHQ-20 in the range 0.26 to 0.42. Following the self-management program, EC-17 scores showed a significant improvement with an SRM of 0.48.ConclusionThe Norwegian version of the EC-17 has evidence for data quality, internal consistency and test-retest reliability, construct validity and responsiveness to change. The EC-17 seems promising as an outcome measure for evaluating self-management interventions for people with rheumatic conditions, but further studies are needed.

Emotion regulation in patients with rheumatic diseases: validity and responsiveness of the Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EAC)

BackgroundChronic rheumatic diseases are painful conditions which are not entirely controllable and can place high emotional demands on individuals. Increasing evidence has shown that emotion regulation in terms of actively processing and expressing disease-related emotions are likely to promote positive adjustment in patients with chronic diseases. The Emotional Approach Coping Scale (EAC) measures active attempts to acknowledge, understand, and express emotions. Although tested in other clinical samples, the EAC has not been validated for patients with rheumatic diseases. This study evaluated the data quality, internal consistency reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Norwegian version of the EAC for this group of patients.Methods220 patients with different rheumatic diseases were included in a cross-sectional study in which data quality and internal consistency were assessed. Construct validity was assessed through comparisons with the Brief Approach/Avoidance Coping Questionnaire (BACQ) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-20). Responsiveness was tested in a longitudinal pretest-posttest study of two different coping interventions, the Vitality Training Program (VTP) and a Self-Management Program (SMP).ResultsThe EAC had low levels of missing data. Results from principal component analysis supported two subscales, Emotional Expression and Emotional Processing, which had high Cronbach's alphas of 0.90 and 0.92, respectively. The EAC had correlations with approach-oriented items in the BACQ in the range 0.17-0.50. The EAC Expression scale had a significant negative correlation with the GHQ-20 of -0.13. As hypothesized, participation in the VTP significantly improved EAC scores, indicating responsiveness to change.ConclusionThe EAC is an acceptable and valid instrument for measuring emotional processing and expression in patients with rheumatic diseases. The EAC scales were responsive to change in an intervention designed to promote emotion regulation. The instrument has not yet been tested for test-retest reliability, which is recommended in future studies.

A Comparison of Emotional Approach Coping (EAC) between Individuals with Anxiety Disorders and Nonanxious Controls

Emotional regulation deficits are described as a core component of anxiety disorders (ADs), yet there remains a paucity of data examining this issue in patients diagnosed with ADs. We hypothesized that help-seeking individuals with ADs would report lower levels of emotional approach coping (EAC), which includes emotional processing (EP) and emotional expression (EE), than nonanxious controls. Diagnostic interviews and a validated self-report scale assessing emotional approaches to coping (emotional approach coping scale [EACS]) were administered to 101 nonanxious controls and 92 patients with a primary AD (29 generalized anxiety disorder, 40 social anxiety disorder, and 23 panic disorder). Patients with each AD demonstrated significantly lower EAC, including both EP and EE, than nonanxious controls. Lower EAC was also associated with higher anxiety sensitivity and higher anxiety symptom severity. Overall, gender did not moderate the anxiety-EAC effect, but the results suggested that women utilize EAC to a greater degree than men. Clinical techniques designed to improve emotional coping may be beneficial to individuals with ADs.

The research about emotional approach coping and PTSD after Wenchuan-earthquake in unaffected region

Objective To investigate the post traumatic stress disorder scores of undergraduate and the correlation between emotional approach coping(EAC) in unaffected region after Wenchuan-earthquake.Methods PTSD Check list-Civilian Version (PCL-C) and emotional approach coping scale(EACS) were used to assessed 880 undergraduates in Nanjing. Results (1)The average score of PCL-C was 30.52±9.64, and the prevalence rates of PTSD was found 5.3%.(2)Gender difference were found in social function(male:1.66±0.80,female:1.52±0.63, t =2.664,P =0.005) and positive scores of PTSD(male:31.32±10.81,female:29.81±8.41,t =2.263,P =0.022).(3)No significant difference was found in different specialty between PTSD,but in emotional procession and emotional expression.(4)Emotional-approach coping and expose time in front of media came into the regression equation of PTSD symptoms.Conclusion The score of PCL-C of undergraduate in unaffected region are infected by how long he spend in front of media and how he use emotion-approach coping strategy to cope with this shock bringing by Wenchuan-Earthquake Key words: PTSD; Unaffected region; Emotional approach coping; College students

The Relationship of Racism, Chronic Stress Emotions, and Blood Pressure

To test a middle-range theory of chronic stress emotions to examine the effects of perceived racism and emotion-focused coping on psychological and physiological health outcomes in African Americans. A descriptive-correlational, causal modeling study was conducted with a convenience sample of 162 community-dwelling adults. Participants completed the Racism and Life Experience Scale; Krieger Racial Discrimination Questionnaire; Toronto Alexithymia Scale; Emotional Approach Coping Scale; State-Trait Personality Inventory; and a demographic data sheet. Automated blood pressure (BP) readings were obtained. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to examine the hypothesized causal and correlational links between the theoretical constructs, as well as to examine the relationship between the observed variables and the latent constructs measured. FINDING AND CONCLUSIONS: The proposed model fits the sample data. Racism was a commonly experienced stressor associated with chronic stress emotions, but not with BP. Emotion-focused coping was strongly associated with socioeconomic status and chronic stress emotions but not with BP.

Contrasting emotional approach coping with passive coping for chronic myofascial pain.

Passive or emotion-focused coping strategies are typically related to worse pain and adjustment among chronic pain patients. Emotional approach coping (EAC), however, is a type of emotion-focused coping that appears to be adaptive in some nonpain populations but has not yet been examined in a chronic pain population. In a sample of 80 patients (75% women, M = 48.67 years of age) with chronic myofascial pain, we contrasted how EAC (assessed with the Emotional Approach Coping Scale) and 5 passive pain-coping strategies (assessed with the Vanderbilt Multidimensional Pain Coping Inventory (VMPCI)) were related to sensory and affective pain, physical impairment, and depression. Passive coping strategies were positively correlated with one another, but EAC was inversely correlated with most of them. The VMPCI passive strategies were substantially positively related to negative affect, whereas EAC was inversely related to negative affect. Controlling for potentially confounding demographics, higher EAC was related to less affective pain and depression, even after controlling for negative affect. Using passive coping strategies, in contrast, was associated with more pain, impairment, and depression, although these relations were greatly attenuated after controlling for negative affect. When considered simultaneously, EAC, but not passive coping, was related to affective pain, and both EAC and passive coping were significant correlates of depression, although in opposite directions. In secondary analyses, we found that EAC was related to less pain (particularly sensory) among men and to less depression among women. Unlike the use of passive pain-coping strategies, which are associated with worse pain and adjustment, the use of EAC (emotional processing and emotional expression) with chronic pain is associated with less pain and depression. This suggests that some emotion-focused types of pain coping may be adaptive, and it highlights the need to assess emotional coping processes that are not confounded with distress or dysfunction.