Coping (Social Support)

Coming Home by Catherine Gorey

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published in the Feminism and Religion project

It speaks to me often when I am in the midst of interior conflict roused by change, growth, transition, disappointment... more It speaks to me often when I am in the midst of interior conflict roused by change, growth, transition, disappointment etc. Each personal encounter causes a shift in my interior landscape which in turn requires me to find my center again. Sometimes the homecoming takes longer, depending on the cause of the axis shifting.

March 15th, 2012 will mark the 3 year anniversary of my mother’s death. A day that caused me much turmoil within and a life event from which I continue to search for my center. I would never have thought that this life event would shake me to the core as it did, causing me to question everything I ever thought to have known about my mother.

Personality and Coping among Turkish College Students: A Canonical Correlation Analysis

by Halil Eksi

Halil EKŞİ
Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice
10 (4) • Autumn 2010 • 2159-2176

The discussion about whether coping strategies are determined by stable characteristics of the individual, such as... more The discussion about whether coping strategies are determined by stable characteristics of the individual, such as personality or they are determined by situation-specific variables, such as cognitive appraisals regarding stressful situation is still in agenda. Thus, the relationship between coping and personality traits was examined with 237 students (53.2 % male; mean age = 22.22 years old) who were enrolled in classes at Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey. The participants responded to the Ways of Coping with Stress Scale (WCSS) and the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). The canonical correlation analysis showed that those who were high in conscientiousness tend to use more self-confident, optimistic, and turning to religion coping strategies whereas those who were high in extraversion were more likely to use self-confident and seeking of social support strategies in stressful situations.

Personality and Coping among Turkish College Students: A Canonical Correlation Analysis

by Halil Eksi

Halil EKŞİ
Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice
10 (4) • Autumn 2010 • 2159-2176

The discussion about whether coping strategies are determined by stable characteristics of the individual, such as... more The discussion about whether coping strategies are determined by stable characteristics of the individual, such as personality or they are determined by situation-specific variables, such as cognitive appraisals regarding stressful situation is still in agenda. Thus, the relationship between coping and personality traits was examined with 237 students (53.2 % male; mean age = 22.22 years old) who were enrolled in classes at Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey. The participants responded to the Ways of Coping with Stress Scale (WCSS) and the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). The canonical correlation analysis showed that those who were high in conscientiousness tend to use more self-confident, optimistic, and turning to religion coping strategies whereas those who were high in extraversion were more likely to use self-confident and seeking of social support strategies in stressful situations.

Type D personality, physical symptoms and subjective stress: The mediating effects of coping and social support.

by Lynn Williams

Williams, L.  &Wingate, A. (in press). Type D personality, physical symptoms and subjective stress: The mediating effects of coping and social support. Psychology and Health

Coping style and social support may represent mechanisms to explain the relationship between Type D personality and... more Coping style and social support may represent mechanisms to explain the relationship between Type D personality and ill-health. The current study investigated whether Type D is associated with physical symptoms and perceived stress in a non-cardiac population, and if these relationships are mediated by coping and social support. In a cross-sectional study, 304 participants (110 males, mean age 22.1 years) completed measures of Type D, physical symptoms, coping, perceived stress, and social support. Results showed that Type D, the interaction of negative affectivity and social inhibition (NA x SI), was positively correlated with physical symptoms, perceived stress, and avoidant coping, and negatively correlated with social support, problem-focused coping, and emotion-focused coping. A series of bootstrapped multiple mediator tests showed that social support and avoidant coping fully mediated the relationship between Type D and physical symptoms. Furthermore, social support and emotion-focused coping partially mediated the relationship between Type D and perceived stress. These findings demonstrate for this first time that Type D personality is associated with physical symptoms in a non-cardiac population. Social support and coping style represent mechanisms that can, in part, explain the relationship between Type D and physical symptoms, and Type D and perceived stress.

Coping and resilience in farming families affected by drought

by Candice Boyd

Objectives: The present study was a qualitative investigation of the impact of drought on rural families of southern... more Objectives: The present study was a qualitative investigation of the impact of drought on rural families of southern New South Wales, Australia, with particular emphasis on the concept of resilience in times of stress. The aim was to provide insight, from a psychological perspective, into the experiences of rural farmers in a time of adversity, and to identify the coping resources utilized by these farming families.

Method: Participants were 11 members of five families from Blighty, a small farming town in the Riverina district, experiencing drought and decreased water allocation to their local area. Family members were interviewed on two separate occasions at their farms.

Results: Analysis of interview transcripts revealed that a wide range of coping strategies were being utilized by these families from problem-focussed coping, optimism and positive appraisal to less adaptive strategies such as cognitive dissonance, denial and avoidance of negative social influences. A significant finding was the discovery of a range of collective coping strategies used by the families in this study and the reliance on social capital as an adaptive resource. There were signs, however, that social cohesion of this community had become compromised due to competition for resources.

Conclusion: The adaptive coping mechanisms traditionally employed by these farming families are starting to weaken and urgent work to enhance the individual coping strategies of farmers is needed. Furthermore, Government needs to recognise the importance of social capital as a coping resource that will enable farming families to adapt and survive drought conditions into the future. Providing financial assistance to support current community initiatives and collective coping strategies may prove more beneficial to farmers than allocating inadequate amounts of funding to individual farming families.

Testing the psychometric properties of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) in Turkish university students and community samples

by Mithat Durak

Key Words: Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Psychometric Properties, Exploratory Factor Analysis, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, Cross-Cultural

Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) has been extensively used to assess coping styles in the clinical or non-clinical... more Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) has been extensively used to assess coping styles in the clinical or non-clinical context. The present study investigates the psychometric properties of WCQ in Turkish culture and attempts to get its shorter version by using three separate and independent samples (two groups of university students and one community sample). The constructive study was conducted with a sample of full-time university students (N = 472) and it indicated that the most relevant factor structure was seven-factor model. The factors were planful problem-solving, seeking refuge in supernatural forces, keep to self, seeking social support, seeking refuge in fate, escape/avoidance and accepting responsibility. After that, confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test the adequacy of these factors with two different samples. Study 1 was conducted with a sample of university students (N = 485) and Study 2 was conducted with a sample of community (N = 416). Results demonstrated that seven-factor solution revealed better results in both samples in terms of goodness of fit indexes in confirmatory factor analysis. The results of reliability and validity analysis revealed that psychometric properties of WCQ were acceptable. In addition to getting shorter version of WCQ, the present study enhances cross-cultural information that increases awareness about the coping styles in a non-western culture.



Key Practitioners Message

Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ) is a feasible measure especially for non-native clinicians to understand the client's coping styles by exploring and being sensitive to his/her cultural values in order to establish therapeutic alliance throughout the therapy assess.
Turkish version of WCQ includes specifi c dimensions of seeking refuge in fate and supernatural forces.
Clinicians can assess behavioural as well as cognitive responses of coping behaviours by WCQ.
WCQ can be used to identify focal point of the therapy when dealing with depression, negative affect and self esteem problems of Turkish clients.

TURKISH VALIDATION OF THE EMOTIONAL APPROACH COPING SCALE

by Mithat Durak

The Emotional Approach Coping Scale is frequently used to assess coping, which consists of emotional processing and... more 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.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE APPRAISAL OF STRESS, COPING STRATEGIES AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS AMONG CORRECTIONAL …

by Mithat Durak

Factors Associated with Posttraumatic Growth Among Myocardial Infarction Patients: Perceived Social Support, Perception of the Event and Coping

by Mithat Durak

Key Words: Posttraumatic growth, Perceived social support, Perception of the event, Coping, Myocardial infarction patients

Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) is accepted as positive transformations that are a product of struggling with significant... more Posttraumatic Growth (PTG) is accepted as positive transformations that are a product of struggling with significant stressors such as chronic illness. A model, conceptualized by Schaefer and Moos (Posttraumatic growth: Positive changes in the aftermath of crisis, pp 99–126, 1998), suggests a relative contribution of environmental and individual resources, perception of the event (PE) and coping in the development of PTG. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of perceived social support (PSS), PE and coping on PTG. This model was tested in a sample of patients with myocardial infarction (MIP, N = 148) from various hospitals in Turkey. The structural equation analysis of the model revealed that PSS was significantly related to PTG through the effect of coping. While coping was significantly and directly related to PTG, PE was not. The findings are discussed in the context of the theoretical model with suggestions for future research.

Development of work stress scale for correctional officers

by Mithat Durak

Key Words: Correctional officers, work-stress, psychometric properties

This study aimed at examining the psychometric properties of Work Stress Scale for Correctional Officers (WSSCO).... more This study aimed at examining the psychometric properties of Work Stress Scale for Correctional Officers (WSSCO). Methods: One hundred nineteen correctional officers (109 males and 10 females) employed in Turkey participated in this study. In addition to WSSCO, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) were administered to the participants. Results: The internal consistencies and the item-total correlations were acceptable both for the whole scale and for its subscales; namely, “work overload,” “role conflict and role ambiguity,” “inadequacies in physical conditions of prison,” “threat perception,” and “general problems.” Test–retest reliability coefficient was 0.77 for total scale, and test-retest reliability coefficients ranged between 0.68 and 0.78 for the subscales. The total scale and most of the subscales were positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and hopelessness, and negatively correlated with perceived social support. Furthermore, all subscales significantly differentiated high depressive symptomatology group from the low depressive symptomatology group. Conclusions: The present results revealed that the psychometric properties of WSSCO were quite adequate. The scale can provide a potentially useful tool for research on job stress in correctional officers.

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

by Mithat Durak

Key Words: Emotional approach coping, Emotional expression, Emotional processing, Confirmatory factor analysis, Reliability, Validity, Multi-group comparisons

To evaluate emotional approach coping, including the dimensions of emotional processing and emotional expression, the... more 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.

Effects of Social Support Visibility on Adjustment to Stress: Experimental Evidence

by Niall Bolger

Published in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 2007.

Previous fieldwork has suggested that visible social support can entail an emotional cost and that a supportive act is... more Previous fieldwork has suggested that visible social support can entail an emotional cost and that a supportive act is most effective when it is accomplished either (a) outside of recipients’ awareness or (b) within their awareness but with sufficient subtlety that they do not interpret it as support. To investigate the latter phenomenon, the authors conducted 3 experiments in which female participants were led toexpect a stressful speech task and a confederate peer provided support in such a way that it was eithervisible or invisible (N = 257). Invisible support (practical and emotional) reduced emotional reactivity relative to visible and no support. Visible support was either ineffective or it exacerbated reactivity. Explanatory analyses indicated that support was effective when it avoided communicating a sense of inefficacy to recipients

Do high job demands increase intrinsic motivation or fatigue or both? The role of job control and job social support

by Nico W. Van Yperen

Stress and affiliation reconsidered: The effects of social support in stressful and non-stressful work units.

by Nico W. Van Yperen

Being a SportParent: Buffering the Effect of Your Talented Child's Poor Performance on His or Her Subjective Well-Being

by Nico W. Van Yperen

Interpersonal stress, performance level, and parental support: A longitudinal study among highly skilled young soccer players

by Nico W. Van Yperen

Depressive symptoms and unmitigated communion in support providers

by Nico W. Van Yperen

Positive and Negative Life Changes Following Bereavement and Their Relations to Adjustment

by David Mandel

The Effect of Social Support and Coping Style On Mental Health, Tedium (burnout), and Job Duration among Sydney Community Youth Support Scheme Project Officers.

by Adam Bogacki

In the study reported here, 65 Sydney Community Youth Support Scheme (CYSS) project officers (76% of the population)... more In the study reported here, 65 Sydney Community Youth Support Scheme (CYSS) project officers (76% of the population) were interviewed and completed questionnaires which assessed psychiatric symptoms (GHQ-60), Tedium (a measure of burnout), employment duration, social support, coping, personality factors (Eysenck Personality Inventory, Form A), and sociodemographics. Eleven of these subjects were re-interviewed after (approx.) 6 months.

Results were that 33.8% of respondents had GHQ above threshold at the time of interview, 60% having been employed at CYSS for less than 1.33 years. Content analysis of GHQ, Tedium, and Neuroticism (EPI) scales showed significant item content overlap. N was therefore excluded from further analysis. It was shown that reduced models of Adequacy of Social Integration, part-time trade or technical college education, and experience in other youth unemployment schemes had most predictive power on Log10(GHQ+1); of Age and previous experience in residential child care work on Tedium; and of Age, non-work emotion focused coping, and Adequacy of Attachment on Log10(DAP+1).

It was concluded that burnout may be conceptualised as occupational stress and related to psychiatric dysfunction, but that ‘Tedium’ is not an adequate measure of the construct. Evaluation of support function adequacy appears to be a significant factor influencing distress and staff retention. Lack of significant coping effects on distress appears to reflect conceptual confusion in this area. A model integrating personal and social resources seems promising but needs testing.

Explaining the relationships among message quality, message evaluations, and message outcomes: A dual-process approach

by Graham Bodie

To be published as Bodie, G. D., Burleson, B. R., & Jones, S. M. (in press). Explaining the relationships among message quality, message evaluations, and message outcomes: A dual-process approach. Communication Monographs.