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Background: Carers of patients experiencing first episode psychosis (FEP) are at an increased risk of mental and physical health problems themselves. However, little is known about how the psychological needs of carers may differ between those caring for an adolescent versus an adult who has FEP. Aims: This pilot study aimed to explore any differences in the psychological needs of carers caring for adolescents versus adults with FEP. Methods: We surveyed 254 carers of 198 FEP patients (34 carers of adolescents of 24 FEP adolescent patients). Carers completed self-report measures of anxiety, depression, burnout, subjective burden, coping, and key illness beliefs. The sample was divided according to whether the patient was under (adolescent) or over (adult) age 18, and analysed using mixed model logistic regressions. Results: Compared to the carers of adult patients, carers of adolescents were more than twice as likely (12% vs. 30%) to experience overall burnout syndrome (all three domains), and to develop it much quicker (19.4 vs. 10.1 months). They were also more likely to adopt behavioural disengagement avoidance as a form of coping. However, there was no difference between carers in terms of anxiety, depression, beliefs and subjective burden. For carers of adolescents, burnout was independently predicted by: a negative belief about the consequences of psychosis for the adolescent patient and an incoherent understanding of the patient’s mental health. Conclusions: If our findings can be replicated in a larger sample, then Rapid-Onset-Burnout-Syndrome (ROBS) is a particular problem in carers of adolescents at FEP, suggesting a need for routine screening and possible prophylactic intervention. Carers of adolescent’s use of behavioural escape coping maybe also require early intervention. Theoretically, consideration could be given to the development of an adolescent sub-branch to the cognitive model of caregiving.

The Brief COPE has seen frequent use across populations despite lack of confirmatory factor-analytic examination. We further examine Brief COPE validity with respect to self- and other-directed aggression because emerging adulthood represents a distinct developmental time period in which stress, poor coping, and aggression intersect. Drawing on archival data ( n = 576) from a larger investigation of college student health, this cross-sectional survey study tested (1) four competing Brief COPE factor structures, (2) Brief COPE factor associations with aggression, and (3) stress by coping interactions predicting aggression outcomes. Prominent findings included (1) poor-to-marginal confirmatory factor-analytic support for a four-factor structure; (2) positive bivariate associations of avoidant coping with elevated stress, depression, suicide, self-injury, and aggression; (3) positive bivariate associations between adaptive coping strategies with stress and aggression; and (4) an interaction where avoidant coping has a stronger association with other-directed aggression for those low in stress. The interaction findings were significant for males only and applied specifically to hostility. Findings are contextualized within future Brief COPE research as well as emerging adulthood theory.

Background:The psychological complexity of refugee status for children is poorly understood. Alone or with family members, child refugees are exposed to multiple and potentially traumatic events, including conflict and human rights deprivation in their country of origin, perilous and life-threatening escape journeys, years of statelessness, and isolation and discrimination in their new host country.Aims:This phenomenological study explored the positive and negative interpretations of four adults as they sought to make sense of their experiences of refugee status as children.Method:Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) guided the development of semi-structured interview for data collection and analysis.Results:One superordinate theme, Violation and Hope, overarched three subordinate themes, Violent detachment, Refugee identity, and Resourcefulness and reciprocity. One divergent theme also emerged: Clashing identities. These themes provide unique insight into the interpreted experiences of escaping oppression and persecution in each participant’s country of origin as children, and the ensuing bleak interval as refugees, belonging nowhere. They identify the risk of becoming pawns of opportunism without human rights protection. Once stateless, survival was not guaranteed, producing a stark merging of acceptance of mortality and determined resourcefulness as children. Avoidant coping became a positive tool for surviving ever present threat, and was crucial in defining a life philosophy that was future oriented as they entered adulthood.Conclusion:These participants rejected a ‘refugee victim’ identity, emphasising a legacy of resourcefulness, hope, gratitude and reciprocity, domains of post-traumatic growth which are unreported aspects of refugee well-being that can provide future therapeutic and research direction.

Fathers may experience greater parenting stress and anxiety when they are more involved in their child’s type 1 diabetes (T1D) care. The present study evaluated whether seeking social support and avoidant coping strategies moderate the relationship between paternal involvement in the child’s T1D care and parenting stress in an international sample. Two hundred forty-nine fathers of young children with T1D completed the Parenting Stress Index (PSI), Pediatric Inventory for Parents (PIP), Dads’ Active Disease Support scale (DADS), COPE Inventory, Self-Care Inventory (SCI-R), and a demographic questionnaire online. Pearson’s product moment correlations were computed, and multiple linear regression analysis was conducted with three separate models in which the PSI Child Domain, PIP Frequency, and PIP Difficulty scores represented different parenting stress outcomes. The interaction between use of denial coping and DADS Involvement was significantly correlated with general parenting stress ( p < .05). There were no significant interactions between instrumental social support and DADS Involvement; however, use of instrumental social support coping was significantly correlated with difficulty of pediatric parenting stress ( p < .05), DADS Involvement ( p < .001), and SCI-R better adherence to the child diabetes treatment regimen ( p < .001). Avoidant coping strategies are associated with more general parenting stress, especially when fathers are more involved in T1D management.

Contains fulltext : 208455.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) Applying the Common Sense Model, this cross-sectional study examines associations between illness perceptions and quality of life and the mediating role of coping in 243 adults with alopecia areata, a chronic dermatological condition. At least some QoL impairment was reported by 84 percent of participants, with 31 percent reporting very to extremely large impairment. Stronger perceptions of consequences, emotional representations, identity, and lower attribution to chance were related to more impairment, with avoidant coping acting as (partial) mediator. Illness perceptions and avoidant coping seem to play an important role in QoL and are relevant intervention targets in alopecia areata.

Introduction Research suggests that post-traumatic stress (PTS) symptoms are common after the experience of bushfire. However, the ways in which individuals cope with, positively grow from, and find benefit in the adverse circumstances of bushfire in Australia has not been adequately explored. The main objective of this study is to assess the relationship between PTS, coping strategies and post-traumatic growth, in a sample of Australian community members affected by a bushfire event. Methods Sixty-five participants (mean age 40.66 years, SD=13.57), who had previously experienced a bushfire event in Australia, responded to an anonymous online survey. Results Results indicated that greater PTS was associated with the use of all coping strategies, as well as higher levels of post-traumatic growth. The use of coping strategies was associated with higher levels of post-traumatic growth. Hierarchical regression analyses found that post-traumatic growth and avoidant coping explained significant amounts of unique variance in PTS, whereas PTS and emotion-focussed coping explained significant amounts of unique variance in post-traumatic growth. Conclusion In communities that are seasonally threatened by bushfires, our findings suggest that not only are post-disaster stress reduction interventions required, but so too are preparedness programs that include strategies for promoting growth and positive adaptation. It is suggested further research should address implications for strength-based preparedness and recovery programs in bushfire prone areas.

Background: In 2018, one in six newly diagnosed individuals with HIV in the United States were adults aged 50 years and older, 24% were women, and 60% were Black/African American and Hispanic (42% and 18%, respectively). Objectives: This study aims to examine the factors associated with HIV psychosocial illness impact among Black/African American and Hispanic older women living with HIV. Method: Guided by the socioecological model, a secondary data analysis design with cross-sectional data that included 138 Black/African American and Hispanic women aged 50 years and older was conducted. Results: Higher levels of avoidant coping, depressive symptoms, negative self-perception of health, and decreased social support were significant factors associated with HIV psychosocial illness impact among this sample. Conclusions: Findings from this study can contribute to identifying solutions to prevent and decrease these negative factors associated with HIV psychosocial illness impact among Black/African American and Hispanic older women.

Women’s experiences of negative social reactions to disclosure of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization have been linked to greater posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity. However, research has not identified factors that may explain this association. The goal of the current study was to extend research in this area by elucidating the potential mediating role of avoidant coping in the relations among negative and positive social reactions to IPV disclosure and PTSD symptom severity. Participants were 173 community women currently experiencing IPV who disclosed their victimization to another individual ( M age = 36.31, 65.9% African American). Findings revealed that IPV-victimized women who experienced greater negative social reactions to IPV endorsed higher levels of avoidant coping and greater PTSD symptom severity. Moreover, avoidant coping was found to mediate the negative social reactions–PTSD symptom severity association. Results highlight the relevance of avoidant coping to the link between negative social reactions to IPV disclosure and PTSD symptom severity, and suggest that prevention and intervention efforts targeting avoidant coping may be useful in reducing PTSD symptom severity among IPV-exposed women who experience negative social reactions to IPV disclosure.

To reduce negative psychological affect from information or behavior that is inconsistent with one’s positive self-concept, individuals use a variety of defensive strategies. It is unknown whether correlates differ across defenses. We examined correlates of four levels of defensive information processing about colorectal cancer screening. Cross-sectional surveys were completed by a convenience sample of 287 adults aged 50–75 years. Defenses measures were more consistently associated with individual differences (especially avoidant coping styles); however, situational variables involving health-care providers also were important. Future research should examine changes in defenses after risk communication and their relative impact on colorectal cancer screening.

Eighteen transgender-identified individuals participated in semi-structured interviews regarding emotional and coping processes throughout their gender transition. The authors used grounded theory to conceptualize and analyze the data. There were three distinct phases through which the participants described emotional and coping experiences: (a) pretransition, (b) during the transition, and (c) posttransition. Five separate themes emerged, including descriptions of coping mechanisms, emotional hardship, lack of support, positive social support, and affirmative emotional experiences. The authors developed a model to describe the role of coping mechanisms and support experienced throughout the transition process. As participants continued through their transitions, emotional hardships lessened and they used facilitative coping mechanisms that in turn led to affirmative emotional experiences. The results of this study are indicative of the importance of guiding transgender individuals through facilitative coping experiences and providing social support throughout the transition process. Implications for counselors and for future research are discussed.

Gambling research conducted in Asia has been limited, despite a continued growth of the gambling industry within the region. Outside Asia, research suggests emerging adults have high rates of gambling behavior and experience serious consequences. The current study examines gambling behavior within an emerging adult (ages 16-24) population in Vietnam. The study evaluates gambling and tests a moderation model of stress and coping in relation to gambling. The rate of disordered gambling in this sample using the South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS, 3+) is 15%, slightly higher in comparison to samples of similar aged youth in other countries. Results also indicate avoidant coping moderated the relationship between gambling frequency and gambling problems, such that frequency was more strongly associated with gambling problems among individuals higher in avoidant coping. Etiological and epidemiological implications are discussed in the context of a developmental perspective on disordered gambling among Vietnamese emerging adults.

The stress of being bullied has been associated with a wide range of negative consequences. In the present study, the authors hypothesized that the process of adapting to and coping with bullying would have a lingering effect on strategies used to cope with future stress. College-age participants ( N = 1,339) completed an online survey tapping into (a) their experiences as a victim of bullying during adolescence, (b) their typical strategies for coping with stress, and (c) their current levels of stress. Consistent with the authors' hypotheses, victimization history was associated with both increased stress and an increased use of avoidant coping strategies. In addition, avoidant coping partially mediated the link between victimization and stress. These findings suggest that avoidant coping may develop as an adaptive response to uncontrollable stress but that, in the long term, these strategies are a maladaptive approach to coping that acts to prolong stress.

Background. Families of children who have disabilities experience multiple stressors. “Sense of coherence” (SOC) reflects a person's view of life and his or her capacity to respond to stressful situations. Purpose. The purposes of this paper are to (1) introduce the concept of SOC; (2) review the literature on the stresses experienced by parents of children with disabilities; and (3) discuss how SOC can be used to evaluate systematically and to address effectively parents' resiliency against stressors. Key Issues. The literature shows a strong correlation between parental stress, avoidant coping, depression, and low SOC. Preliminary evidence suggests that an early intervention program can help increase parents' SOC. Implications. Occupational therapists can use the SOC as a framework from which to identify the strength of a parents' SOC, and, when deemed to be low, help create a process for enhancing resilience.

A 4-yr. longitudinal study was conducted of the relationship between stressors, coping strategies, and psychopathological symptoms in a group of 447 adolescents. The Coping Responses Inventory–Youth Form and the Youth Self-Report were used to evaluate coping strategies and psychopathological symptoms, respectively. Stressors were identified on the basis of written reports produced by the adolescents and coded using the System of Coding Problems of Adolescents. A multilevel approach showed that scores for externalizing symptoms increased significantly with age. General distress and internalization also tended to increase with age, although without reaching statistical significance. Approach and avoidance coping strategies remain stable across the ages studied. Avoidant coping increases psychopathological symptoms, whereas the influence of approach coping depends on the type of stressor (personal, interpersonal, or nonpersonal).

Fantasy prone individuals frequently turn their attention inward, focusing on a rich internal world of imaginary people or stories, vivid memories or dreams, and emotions or sensations cued by internal stimuli. While engaging in fantasy or daydreaming can often be an enjoyable pastime, some research has linked fantasy proneness to heightened psychological distress. The present study of 83 undergraduates utilized 2 models to examine the relationship between fantasy proneness and symptoms of depression, 1 mediated by an avoidant coping style and the other moderated by an external locus of control orientation. Analyses revealed that locus of control did moderate this relationship, with fantasy proneness being more strongly linked to symptoms of depression in those subjects with an external locus of control orientation. Fantasy proneness was not significantly correlated with an avoidant coping style.

Individuals high in negative mood regulation expectancies believe that a wide variety of actions has the potential to improve their negative mood. According to response expectancy theory, negative mood regulation expectancies affect mood in a nonvolitional and self-confirming manner. The present study evaluated this claim by assessing the ability of negative mood regulation expectancies to predict current depression after controlling for a variety of volitional coping responses, including rumination, distraction, active coping, and avoidant coping. 105 Introduction to Psychology college students at the University of Connecticut, 47 men and 58 women ( M age = 20.3 yr., SD= 1.5), completed measures of each of the latter constructs for course credit. Results were consistent with response expectancy theory: negative mood regulation expectancies predicted current depression above and beyond coping behaviors. In addition, higher negative mood regulation expectancies were associated with greater use of adaptive coping responses. Results of this study further support the notion that effects of negative mood regulation expectancies on mood cannot be fully accounted for by intentional coping behaviors.

Objective: To examine how the use of dispositional avoidant coping traits prospectively predicts ambulatory asthma severity in daily life. Methods: An ecological momentary assessment (EMA) design enabled examination of stable coping styles across dynamic daily changes of ambulatory peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), asthma symptoms and stress in the natural environment of patients with asthma. A community sample of 61 adults with asthma reported their typical use of avoidant coping styles and carried palmtop computers that alerted them to record their stress and symptoms five times per day for 1 week. Results: Some aspects of dispositional avoidant coping predicted more asthma symptoms and worse PEFR. Denial and behavioural disengagement as typical coping styles predicted more symptoms and worse PEFR. Mental disengagement was unrelated to symptoms and PEFR. Discussion: These data suggest that individuals with asthma who report typically utilizing avoidant coping may have worse health parameters in momentary reports when examined in their natural environments. Differences between avoidant coping styles emerged, suggesting the existence of moderating factors of coping effectiveness.

This study examined the effects of four coping dimensions—active coping, avoidance, distraction, and support—on conduct problems, depression, and achievement in a multiethnic, inner-city sample of early adolescents. The main effects of coping were examined, along with stress X coping interactions. For girls, active coping interacted with family and community stress to predict conduct problems and grades, respectively, and with community stress to predict depression. These interactions revealed a classic stress-buffering effect for active coping. For boys, although active coping interacted with community and peer stress to predict depression and with community and family stress to predict grades, these findings did not support the stress-buffering effect. Although avoidant coping was positively associated with depression and poor grades at low levels of stress, it was associated with more adaptive functioning on these outcomes at higher levels of stress.

Individual (coping strategies), family (parent/child relationships), and community-based (religious involvement) variables were examined as potential protective factors for 224 low-income urban sixth-through eighth-grade African American adolescents. Each of those variables was examined as a moderator, and analyses were conducted to determine whether the association between stress and psychological symptoms was attenuated for youth endorsing positive coping strategies, strong parent/child relationships, and religious involvement. Results indicated that positive relationships with father figures buffered the effects of stress on externalizing symptoms for boys and for girls; religious involvement was protective for girls but not for boys. The sole coping strategy to demonstrate a protective effect was avoidant coping, which attenuated the relation between stress and externalizing symptoms for boys. Supplemental analyses focusing on specific subsets of stressful experiences indicated that avoidant coping and social support-seeking coping accentuated the relation between daily hassles and internalizing symptoms for girls.

The objective of this investigation was to explore predictors of long-term outcome following treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in older adults. A small sample of older adults (N = 27) were randomized into a modular cognitive behavioral therapy protocol or enhanced community treatment for 12 weeks and followed for one year. Results from random effects regression models indicated that baseline levels of anxiety symptoms, avoidant coping, and negative life events are significantly associated with anxiety across follow-up. These preliminary data suggest that negative life events and avoidant coping may merit further investigation as predictors of long-term treatment outcome in geriatric GAD.