Restraint Coping Research Articles

A qualitative exploration of the coping strategies of UK ethnic minority healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

PurposeThere is a dearth of empirical evidence on the coping strategies of UK ethnic minority (UKEM) healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic despite evidence of their increased risk of infection and less protection, disproportionate redeployment, and gross work-life imbalance. The present study explored UKEM healthcare workers’ coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA qualitative design comprising individual and joint interviews, and a focus group was used. Participants were 15 UKEM healthcare workers (11 females; age range: 26–58 [43.3 ± 9.4] years). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants navigated the pandemic using three key coping strategies: problem-focused coping (active and restraint coping), emotion-focused coping (positive reframing, reflective acceptance, and religiosity/spiritual bypass), and social coping and support-seeking. They particularly underscored the importance of religiosity/spiritual bypass as a coping strategy.ConclusionThe pandemic challenged our sample of UKEM healthcare workers to deploy a variety of coping strategies. Religiosity/spiritual bypass was particularly important in navigating the challenges of the pandemic. Coping strategy enhancement interventions among UKEM healthcare workers and the UKEM community during and post hyper-precarious conditions such as pandemics may benefit from targeting the identified coping strategies.

Understanding the Impact of Childbirth: Postnatal Stress Symptoms in Psychologically Stable Mothers

We investigated the relationship between physical activity and perceived stress levels among pregnant women. A total of 28 pregnant women participated in the study. All participants completed psychological tests to assess stress levels and coping strategies. The physically active (PA) group consisted of 15 women aged 26-40, engaging in moderate physical activity for up to 120 minutes per week across two training sessions. The inactive (NA) group included 13 women aged 24-39 who did not exercise. Unpaired T-test analysis revealed no significant differences in stress-coping strategies between exercising and non-exercising women. However, two coping scales—problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping—showed tendencies: physically active women leaned slightly more toward religious coping (p = 0.15), while non-physically active women favored restraint coping (p = 0.17). Overall, perceived stress levels did not differ significantly between the groups. The study highlights the importance of using specialized tests for pregnant women due to the unique context of pregnancy. Keywords: physical activity, pregnant women, stress, prenatal maternal stress

Vaccine Hesitancy in the Autism Spectrum Disorder Context: Parental Vaccine Decision-Making and Coping with Stress Strategies.

Despite no scientific evidence linking vaccines to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), vaccine hesitancy persists among parents of children with ASD. This study aims to compare vaccine hesitancy and behaviors among parents of children with ASD, other Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDD), and without NDD, and to examine the relationship between stress coping mechanisms and vaccine hesitancy, including comparing coping mechanisms between diagnostic groups as well as their association with hesitancy. In this cross-sectional study, one parent of each child with ASD, non-ASD NDD, or without NDD was included. Data were collected using a researcher-created form, the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale in Turkish, and the Coping Style Scale Brief Form. Vaccine hesitancy, parents' COVID-19 vaccination status, and vaccination status of children's younger siblings were analyzed through univariate and multivariate analyses, with a focus on correlations between vaccine hesitancy and coping styles. The study included one parent from each of 299 children. Parents of children with ASD showed an adjusted odds ratio of 2.66 (95% CI 1.35-5.06) for high vaccine hesitancy, 2.57 (95% CI 1.17-5.65) for not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, and 1.40 (95% CI 0.45-4.40) for younger siblings not receiving routine vaccines. A weak but significant correlation was observed between vaccine hesitancy and the use of restraint coping style among these parents (r = 0.280; p = 0.010). The study underscores the importance of targeted educational efforts and personalized communication to address vaccine hesitancy among parents of children with ASD. Enhancing vaccination coverage in this community requires further research to develop interventions tailored to their specific needs.

Consumer coping during the COVID-19 pandemic: a perspective of fashion shopping

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought dramatic life changes to consumers. From the perspective of fashion shopping, this study aims to provide an understanding of how consumers have coped with the pandemic to maintain their physical and mental well-being.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing an observational research method, this study extracted and analyzed text data from Twitter, focusing on fashion consumption-related tweets posted by consumers in May 2020. Content analysis was employed to reveal consumers' coping strategies during the pandemic.FindingsThrough fashion shopping, consumers have employed various strategies to cope with the problems incurred during the pandemic as well as the associated emotional stress. Specifically, problem-focused strategies included both active coping and restraint coping. Emotion-focused strategies included positive reinterpretation, acceptance, mental disengagement and seeking social support.Originality/valueTheoretically, this study provides empirical evidence for the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) Inventory in the context of using fashion shopping as a venue to cope with a pandemic. Managerial implications are also provided for the fashion industry as well as human service providers to better prepare for future public health crises.

Cognitive coping strategies that supported teacher resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic

Limited research focusing on the cognitive strategies that support the resilience of teachers in a world pandemic has been conducted. By employing a sequential explanatory mixed method research design, this study was undertaken to investigate how cognitive coping strategies supported teacher resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. For data collection/generation and capturing/documentation, an online questionnaire (Phase 1, quantitative) was completed by 240 urban school teachers, and online participatory focus groups (Phase 2, qualitative) with 24 of these respondents were facilitated. In support, observation, audio-recordings, field notes and a reflective journal augmented data generation. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis of the quantitative data, and a hybrid thematic analysis approach was followed to analyse the qualitative data. Thereafter, the quantitative and qualitative results were integrated to achieve the purpose of the study. The results from analyses included the Spearman correlation coefficient which tested a value of 0.327 (p-value = < 0.001), indicating a significant and positive correlation between problem-focused coping and resilience. Cognitive strategies indicated to support resilience included active coping, planning, suppression of competing activities, restraint coping, seeking of instrumental social support and nurturing a growth mindset. The cognitive strategies identified in this study informs good practice principles and can direct the professional training of both psychologists and educators. Future research and interventions aimed at promoting teacher resilience by employing cognitive coping strategies may be conducted based on the findings of the study.

The Role of Gender in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder: Differences Related to Hopelessness, Alexithymia, Coping Strategies, and Sensory Profile.

Background and Objectives: Gender differences are poorly investigated in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), although they could be useful in determining the most appropriate pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. The aim of the present study was to compare sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and the emotional and behavioral dimensions (such as coping, alexithymia, and sensory profile) between males and females with BPD. Material and Methods: Two hundred seven participants were recruited. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE), and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) were administered. Results: Male patients with BPD showed more involuntary hospitalizations and greater use of alcohol and illicit substances compared to females. Conversely, females with BPD reported more frequent medication abuse than males. Furthermore, females had high levels of alexithymia and hopelessness. Regarding coping strategies, females with BPD reported higher levels of "restraint coping" and "use of instrumental social support" at COPE. Finally, females with BPD had higher scores in the Sensory Sensitivity and Sensation Avoiding categories at the AASP. Conclusions: Our study highlights gender differences in substance use, emotion expression, future vision, sensory perception, and coping strategies in patients with BPD. Further gender studies may clarify these differences and guide the development of specific and differential treatments in males and females with BPD.

Investigation of psychological factors related to compassion fatigue, burnout, and compassion satisfaction among nurses

BackgroundWhile compassion fatigue is evaluated positively in nurses, compassion fatigue and burnout are undesirable from the viewpoint of professionals, service providers, institutions and ultimately society. It is necessary to identify the factors that lead to undesirable results and to reduce their effects. This study aimed to investigate nurses’ levels of compassion fatigue, compassion satisfaction, burnout, various psychopathological symptom levels, coping skills, and the relationship between them.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The participants were 356 nurses working in tertiary university hospitals in Istanbul (Türkiye). The Healthcare Professional Information Form, ProQOL-IV, Brief Symptom Inventory, and the Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced scale were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and regression models were used to analyze the data.ResultsAccording to the findings, low-level burnout, moderate-high compassion satisfaction, and low-moderate compassion fatigue symptoms were detected. Low-level anxiety, depression, somatization, hostility, and negative self-esteem were found. According to the results of regression analysis, mental disengagement and planning coping strategies positively affect the synergy of compassion fatigue (p < 0.05). Turning religion and restraint coping have a positive effect on compassion fatigue (p < 0.05). While depression has a positive effect on burnout, nurses’ positive reinterpretation and growth strategy is effective in coping with burnout (p < 0.05). Positive reinterpretation and growth coping strategies are also effective in increasing job satisfaction (p < 0.05).ConclusionsNurses showing somatization symptoms are risk factors for compassion fatigue, and nurses showing depression symptoms are risk factors for burnout, so they should be closely monitored and should be given support. Mental disengagement and planning coping strategies can reduce compassion fatigue, and positive reinterpretation and growth methods can reduce burnout and increase compassion satisfaction. It may be useful to provide counseling and training for nurses to use the right coping methods.

A Study to assess the Psychosocial problems and coping strategies of significant family members of mentally ill patients admitted at MHI (COE), SCBMCH, Cuttack

A descriptive study with quantitative approach was under taken on 50 significant family members of mentally ill patients selected by non probability convenient sampling technique at Mental Health Institute (COE), SCBMCH, Cuttack to assess the psychosocial problems and coping strategies of significant family members of mentally ill patients. Data was collected from 10.02.2020 to 10.03.2020 through questionnaire on psychosocial problems formulated in the form of 4-point likert scale. and COPE Inventory by Carver et al. rated on a 4-point scale format. Collected data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings revealed that Highest Percentage (40%) of the family members were in the age group of 48–60 years. A majority (66%) of them were male and (92%) of them were Hindus and (8%) of them were Muslim. Majority (60%) of them were married (36%) of them were farmer. Highest percentage (30%) of them were illiterate and majority (50%) of them were having income ≤ Rs.5000 and (56%) of them from nuclear family. Highest percentage (58%) of them were from rural area and (44%) of them were mother. Majority (38%) of them had &gt;5 years of illness and (76%) of them were having no family history. Most of the significant family members of mentally ill patients (84%) under this study had moderate problem whereas (8%) of them had mild and also (8%) severe problems. The coping strategy most often used by the significant family members of mentally ill patients was restraint coping mean score (15.64±0.66) and instrumental social support mean score (15.64±0.52) and the least used was Humor mean score (4.04±0.28) and Alcohol disengagement mean score (4.38±0.28). The internal consistency of COPE Inventory exhibited Cronbach’s alpha (α) coefficients ranging from 0.93 (Emotional social support) and Instrumental social support (0.90) to 0.41 (Restraint coping). However, the (Restraint coping) shows lower alfa (α). Mostly Problem focused coping strategies (14.12±1.37) was used by the significant family members of the mentally ill patients.

COPING STRATEGIES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING: A STUDY ON A SELECTED PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUE OF THE POST-GRADUATE STUDENTS IN KARNATAKA UNIVERSITY

The mean aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between the coping strategies and psychological well-being of college students hurt in relationship. Purposive sample of 322 students are taken as sample for the present study. The participants are recruited students from main campus studying in various departments of Karnataka University, Dharwad respondents selected through using simple random sampling and Dharwad was research area. The researcher employed COPE Inventory, scale developed by Carver (1989), which measured coping in 15 areas The full length version of the COPE Inventory was used to measure stress coping skills and Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale (1995) This is a 18 item scale used to assess the psychological well-being .Pearson correlation coefficients and Stepwise multiple regression were employed in the analysis to find out the relationship between coping and psychological wellbeing and to predict psychological wellbeing from coping strategies. Results revealed that a total of 63.5% of the psychological wellbeing contributed by 11 coping strategies of the students hurt in relationship. Positive reinterpretation and growth, Focus on and venting of emotions and Behavioral disengagement coping strategies contributed maximum to the psychological wellbeing of the sample hurt in relationships. Denial, active coping, acceptance, use of emotional social support, use of instrumental social support and planning contributed least to the psychological wellbeing. Religious coping and restraint coping strategies moderately contributed to psychological wellbeing

Depression, Anxiety and Coping Strategies in Cancer Patients: A Case Control Study

Objectives: Psychiatric disorders frequently accompany chronic diseases especially cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the depression and anxiety levels and the coping strategies in cancer patients. Materials and Methods: This was a case control study conducted in Karabuk University Research Hospital ( KURH) between January 2018 and December 2018. Case group constituted of patients with an established diagnosis of cancer and control group included healthy individuals. Coping Strategies Questionnaire (COPE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were performed for all participants. Statistical analyzes were carried out using Minitab 17 Statistical Software. Case versus control comparison for continues variables was conducted using Mann Whitney U test. Degree of relationship between continues variables were measured using Spearman's rank correlation. Chi-Squared test was used to evaluate cross tabulated categorical data. Results: 94 individuals were included in the study. Both cancer and control groups consisted of 23 males and 24 females. Mean age was found 59.77±12.01 years for cancer patients and 59.06±12.36 for control group. BDI and BAI scores of the patients were significantly higher compared to healthy individuals. Considering the cut-off values; 60% (28/47) of the cancer patients were found depressed and 62% (29/47) of them were found to have anxiety while in the control group both the depression and anxiety prevalence was 28% (13/47) (p=0.004 and p=0.002 respectively). Both groups were similar regarding the coping strategies total score (p=0.779). Turning to religion, humor, mental disengagement, denial and substance use were seen more frequently in cancer patients compared to control group (p=0.004, p=0.001, p=0.005, p=0.001 and p=0.004 respectively); whereas active coping, restraint coping, acceptance and behavioral disengagement were significantly more frequent in control group (p=0.001, p=0.039, p=0.026 and p=0.055 respectively). Humor, mental disengagement, denial and substance use were positively correlated with BDI scores (r=0.30 p=0.003, r=0.38 p=0.001, r=0.29 p=0.004, r=0.22 p=0.03 respectively). Turning to religion, humor, mental disengagement and substance use were positively correlated with BAI scores (r=0.24 p=0.015, r=0.25 p=0.013, r=0.31 p=0.001, r=0.23 p=0.024 respectively). Conclusion: The results of the current study revealed that cancer patients had higher levels of depression and anxiety compared to healthy individuals and they had higher risk of being depressed or anxious. Furthermore, the patients developed different strategies in order to cope with the burden of this catastrophic disease. Therefore, cancer a multifaceted condition which must be approached in a multidimensional manner, taking psychological features of each individual into account.

Coping, uncertainty and health-related quality of life as determinants of anxiety and depression on a sample of hospitalized cardiac patients in Southern Italy.

Being hospitalized often causes psychological distress and compromises patients' psychological well-being, thereby augmenting the burden of illness. The aim of this paper is to investigate two possible determinants of anxiety and depression among hospitalized cardiac patients, namely uncertainty in illness, and coping strategies, controlling for the perceived health-related quality of life, and distinguishing between borderline and pathological levels of anxiety and depression. Data on anxiety, depression, coping style, uncertainty in illness and self-assessed quality of life concerning 200 cardiac inpatients from a university hospital were collected through validated questionnaires. A biprobit analysis, whose dependent variables are hospital anxiety and depression, was carried out. Uncertainty in illness has a significant impact on the possibility of crossing the borderline level of both anxiety and depression. The coping strategy of Positive Reappraisal and Growth is inversely and significantly correlated to anxiety and depression, be it borderline or pathological; the Restraint Coping strategy is positively and significantly related to borderline anxiety. The reduction of uncertainty in illness and the development of adequate coping strategies should be promoted in order to decrease the patients' risk of crossing the borderline threshold of anxiety and depression.

Restraint coping predicts cortisol response but not subjective distress following a standardized social stressor

Research across multiple health-related fields has consistently indicated significant associations among coping style, illness susceptibility, and levels of perceived stress. However, whether specific coping style affects reactivity to an acute stress provocation in a laboratory setting is unknown. As part of a larger clinical laboratory study measuring stress reactivity ( NIH Grant P50AA010761 ), 58 healthy young adult participants were enrolled. Stress coping styles were assessed with a validated questionnaire (COPE Inventory; Carver et al., 1989). Participants were grouped via median split of scores for restraint coping (the degree to which one refrains from acting to resolve a stressful situation). Participants were exposed to a standardized stress provocation (Trier Social Stress Test) (n = 31) or non-stressor control (n = 27). Stress reactivity was measured using serum cortisol (mcg/dL) and subjective units of distress (SUDS). Although subjective distress response did not differ between high and low restraint copers, participants who endorsed high restraint coping had an elevated cortisol response to the stressor ( p = . 038 ). Findings suggest restraint coping style may be associated with dysregulated HPA axis reactivity. This exploratory analysis provides direction for future prospective intervention studies examining whether altering specific coping style—for instance, to a more active style—could result in normalizing cortisol response. Such changes may lessen susceptibility to illnesses associated with dysfunctional HPA axis reactivity to stress.

Association of stress coping strategies with Internet addiction in college students: The moderating effect of depression

BackgroundThis study examined the association between stress-related coping strategies and Internet addiction and the moderating effect of depression in a sample of Taiwanese college students. MethodA total of 500 college students (238 men and 262 women) participated in this study. Internet addiction was assessed using the Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Participants’ stress coping strategies and depressive symptoms were measured using the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced and the Beck Depression Inventory-II, respectively. We used t and chi-square tests to examine differences in demographic characteristics, depression, and stress coping strategies between participants with and without Internet addiction. Significant variables were used in a logistic regression model to examine the association between stress coping strategies and Internet addiction and the moderating effect of depression on the association. ResultsResults indicated that use of restraint coping was negatively associated with Internet addiction (odds ratio [OR]=0.886, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.802–0.977), whereas denial (OR=1.177, 95% CI: 1.029–1.346) and mental disengagement (OR=2.673, 95% CI: 1.499–4.767) were positively associated with Internet addiction. Depression had a moderating effect on the association between denial and Internet addiction (OR=0.701, 95% CI: 0.530–0.927). ConclusionsStress coping strategies and depression are important factors to evaluate when developing intervention programs targeting college undergraduate students with Internet addiction.

Family Functionality and Coping Attitudes of Patients with Bipolar Disorder.

The coping of patients with prodromal syndromes prevents relapses, and the differences in coping strategies affect the results of bipolar disorder. The various functionality levels of bipolar disorder patients such as work, marital relations, parental abilities and social presentation are significantly related with how well they cope. The objective of this study was to determine the family functionality and coping attitudes of bipolar disorder patients. The study planned as a descriptive one was carried with 81 bipolar disorder patients. Personal description form, family assessment device and Coping Attitudes Scale were used as data acquisition tools. It was determined that the adaptive coping attitudes used most frequently by the patients were religious coping, positive reinterpretation, active coping, problem-focused coping and emotional focused coping, beneficial social support use, emotional social support use, planning, suppression of competing activities and restraint coping; maladaptive coping attitudes used most frequently by the patients were "focusing on the problem and venting of emotions and mental disengagement." It was determined that family functions affected the coping attitudes of patients and that the patients who evaluated family functions in a healthy manner made use of adaptive coping strategies more at a statistically significant level.

Coping Strategies in Patients Who Had Suicide Attempts.

The aim of this study was to investigate coping strategies suggested to be a determinant of suicide attempt and to compare them with coping strategies of healthy volunteers. This study was conducted on 50 patients who had suicide attempts within the past two months and 52 healthy volunteers who did not have any suicide attempt. They were evaluated with the Turkish version of COPE inventory. The results were analyzed using SPSS version 15.0 for Windows. In the suicide attempt group, 'active coping', 'planning', 'positive reinterpretation and growth' scores were found to be lower than that in the control group. On the other hand, 'restraint coping', 'acceptance', 'focus on and venting of emotions', 'behavioral disengagement', 'substance use' and nonfunctional coping total points were significantly higher in the suicide attempt group. The patients with depression in the suicide group were found less of the 'positive reinterpretation and growth' but more of the 'substance use' compared to the healthy group. Subjects who attempted suicide more than once tended to 'substance use' rather than 'active coping'. 'Focus on and venting of emotions' scores in suicide attempters were higher in women than in males. We observed that individuals who attempted suicide have fewer functional coping strategies and more nonfunctional coping strategies than who do not attempt suicide. It was determined that under stressful situations, individuals with depression tended to alcohol and substance abuse instead of positive reinterpretation and growth. In subjects who had recurrent suicidal attempts, alcohol and substance abuse was more common than active coping. Women were using focusing on and venting of emotions techniques much more than men. We assume that to monitor, and in case of necessity, to change the coping strategies in suicide attempters are vitally important for preventing suicide attempts.

The Relationship between Stress and Addiction

ObjectivesThe purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between stress and addiction. Materials & MethodsA total of 150 male opium addicts randomly selected from different addiction treatment centers in addition to 150 normal subjects as control group participated in the present study. The control group was matched with the addict group for a ge, education, marital and socioeconomic status. The instruments used included Paykel Scale of Stressful Life Events for assessing the rate of life stressors and Cope Inventory for assessing the methods of coping. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney Test. ResultsThe findings of the study showed that first, over a two-year period before beginning substance use, the occurrence rate of various psychosocial stressors in opium addict patients was statistically higher than normal subjects in the last two-year period (P<.0001). Second, in comparison to normal subjects, the opium addict patients made significantly less use of Problem- Focused Coping Methods including active coping, planning, suppression of competing activities, restraint coping and seeking of instrumental social support (P<.01), while they made significantly more use of Less Useful Coping Strategies including focus on and venting of emotions, behavioral disengagement and mental disengagement (P<.0001). In regarding to the use of Emotion- Focused Coping Methods including seeking of emotional social support, positive reinterpretation, acceptance, denial and turning to religion although, the drug addicts’ scores were higher than those of normal subjects, it wasn’t statistically significant. ConclusionIt seems that more stressful life events and more ineffective coping strategies in opium addicts may play a considerable role in their development of drug abuse or turning to relapse. Thus, to prevent the occurrence of severe stress and self treatment trough drug abuse, it's advisable to teach some skills such as stress prevention, alteration and toleration strategies to the at-risk groups.

The influence of psychosocial variables on adolescent suicidal ideation

Background: Increased rates of suicide among adolescents aged 15–24 years have led to suicides becoming the third leading cause of death in the Unites States. South African statistics show an equally worrying trend as suicide constitutes 11.5% of the total deaths for the age group 11–20 years (Stark et al. 2010). A national youth risk behaviour survey done in South Africa has re-emphasised the need for concern, as adolescent suicidal behaviour increased between 2002 and 2008 (Reddy et al. 2010). The objective was to investigate the influence of risk and protective factors (psychosocial and individual factors) on suicidal ideation. The Integrated Stress and Coping Process model was used as guiding theory for the inclusion of personal and contextual stressors and resources including coping strategies as potential risk and protective factors, in their relationship to suicidal ideation. Method: A purposive, stratified sampling technique was used to study 381 adolescents in the Northern Cape Province. The instruments used were a suicidal ideation questionnaire; a biographical questionnaire; a self-esteem scale; and a survey examining stressors and resources relevant to adolescents. Results: Suicidal ideation was significantly higher in the South African sample than in an American sample. Avoidant coping strategies (denial, emotional venting and restraint coping), negative life events and stressful romantic relationships contributed to higher levels of suicidal ideation while self-esteem and adaptive coping (acceptance and seeking social support for instrumental reasons) reduced these levels. Conclusion: A lack of self-esteem, ineffective coping and particular stressors contributed significantly to the vulnerability of adolescents. Future studies should explore a wider range of dispositional factors that influence effective coping and adjustment in addressing adolescent suicidal ideation.

P.6.002 Comparative characteristics of neurocognitive functioning in patients with different types of abuse

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between stress and addiction.A total of 150 male opium addicts randomly selected from different addiction treatment centers in addition to 150 normal subjects as control group participated in the present study. The control group was matched with the addict group for a ge, education, marital and socioeconomic status. The instruments used included Paykel Scale of Stressful Life Events for assessing the rate of life stressors and Cope Inventory for assessing the methods of coping. The data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney Test.The findings of the study showed that first, over a two-year period before beginning substance use, the occurrence rate of various psychosocial stressors in opium addict patients was statistically higher than normal subjects in the last two-year period (P<.0001). Second, in comparison to normal subjects, the opium addict patients made significantly less use of Problem- Focused Coping Methods including active coping, planning, suppression of competing activities, restraint coping and seeking of instrumental social support (P<.01), while they made significantly more use of Less Useful Coping Strategies including focus on and venting of emotions, behavioral disengagement and mental disengagement (P<.0001). In regarding to the use of Emotion- Focused Coping Methods including seeking of emotional social support, positive reinterpretation, acceptance, denial and turning to religion although, the drug addicts’ scores were higher than those of normal subjects, it wasn’t statistically significant.It seems that more stressful life events and more ineffective coping strategies in opium addicts may play a considerable role in their development of drug abuse or turning to relapse. Thus, to prevent the occurrence of severe stress and self treatment trough drug abuse, it's advisable to teach some skills such as stress prevention, alteration and toleration strategies to the at-risk groups.

Depressive symptoms and coping in newly diagnosed patients with multiple sclerosis

Background Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease with unclear etiology, unpredictable clinical course, and no cure. Patients’ ability to cope with MS moderates the adaptation to the disease. Objectives To compare coping in patients recently diagnosed with MS and healthy controls and to study the association between depressive symptoms and patients' coping styles. Methods A sample of 86 recently diagnosed patients with definite or probable MS and 93 healthy population controls completed questionnaires assessing coping styles and depressive symptoms. Results Compared with healthy controls, patients with MS used significantly less the problem focused strategies including planning, restraint coping, and seeking social support for instrumental reasons, and they used less the emotion-focused strategies seeking social support for emotional reasons, focusing on and venting of emotions, and positive reinterpretation and growth. The mean Beck Depressive symptoms Inventory scores were 10.8 and 4.7 in patients and controls, respectively. In stress situations connected to MS, depressive symptoms in these patients were related to the problem-focused strategies of restraint coping and planning, the emotion-focused strategy of focusing on and venting of emotions, and the avoidance strategies of behavioral- and mental disengagements, and denial.

Posttraumatic stress and co-morbidity following myocardial infarction among older patients: The role of coping

This study aimed to investigate co-morbidity and coping strategies among older patients who suffer from different levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following myocardial infarction. Ninety-six older myocardial infarction (MI) patients were recruited from two general practices and completed the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS), the General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) and the COPE Scale. Ninety-two older patients with no previous MI experience constituted the control. Using the PDS, 30, 42 and 28% had full, partial and no-PTSD respectively. There were significant differences between the patient groups and the control on all GHQ-28 sub-scales. Significant differences were also identified between the patient groups in the following coping strategies: seeking emotional social support, suppression of competing activities, restraint coping, focusing on and venting of emotion, mental and behavioural disengagement. Controlling for bypass surgery, previous mental health difficulties, angioplasty, heart failure and angina, MANCOVA results did not change the overall results of the GHQ-28 but changed the results of coping in that seeking emotional social support and behavioural disengagement stopped being significant. Coping was a partial mediator between different levels of post-MI PTSD and co-morbidity. Depending on the severity of PTSD symptoms, co-morbidity and coping strategies can vary among older patients. Older patients with full-PTSD tend to use both maladaptive coping strategies as well as problem-focused coping.