Social support,stress coping strategies,resilience and posttraumatic growth in a Polish sample of HIV-infected individuals: results of a 1 year longitudinal study

This study investigated the level of posttraumatic growth (PTG) and its association with the level of social support, stress coping strategies and resilience among a people living with HIV (PLWH) in a 1 year longitudinal study. We also controlled for age, HIV infection duration and the presence of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS). From the 290 participants, initially eligible for the study, 110 patients were recruited for the first assessment and 73 patients participated in a follow-up assessment. Participants filled out following psychometric tools: the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), the Berlin Social Support Scales (BSSS), the Mini-COPE Inventory, the Resiliency Assessment Scale (SPP-25) and the PTSD-F questionnaire. Received support and resilience were positively, whereas return to religion as coping strategy was negatively related to the PTG. Clinicians and researchers need to focus on potentially positive consequences of HIV infection, i.e. PTG, and factors that might promote it among PLWH.     

Attachment and coping as facilitators of posttraumatic growth in Turkish university students experiencing traumatic events

This study was designed to explore the role of attachment and coping as facilitators of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in a sample of Turkish university students who experienced traumatic life events. Participants who reported a traumatic event from a list were asked to choose the most distressing one; to answer questions related to the impact of the trauma; and to fill out measures of attachment styles, ways of coping, and PTG. PTG was regressed on gender, trauma-related factors, attachment styles, and coping styles in order to examine the associations with PTG. Felt helplessness and horror, fatalistic coping, and optimistic coping were significant predictors of PTG. Fatalistic coping partially mediated the relationship between attachment anxiety and PTG.     

Posttraumatic growth in long term breast cancer survivors: relation to coping, social support and cognitive processing

Post-traumatic growth (PTG) has rarely been studied in long term breast cancer survivors using open interviews. In order to address the issue of how women integrate PTG in their overall cancer experience, 28 open interviews concerning changes after cancer were carried out with 5- to 15-year survivors. The analysis of results, performed using Alceste software, revealed one thematic class of PTG which was specific to women with high coping and social support and active cognitive processing. PTG theme appeared most often as a conclusion of interviews rather than in response to the question about changes after cancer.     

Coping strategies as psychological risk factor for antenatal anxiety, worries, and depression among Greek women

A range of psychosocial, medical, and demographic variables may influence pregnant women’s psychological status. However the association between coping strategies, anxiety, worries, and depression during pregnancy is a relatively neglected area of research. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between coping strategies, antenatal anxiety, pregnancy worries, and depressive symptomatology after controlling for the effects of background variables. The study sample consisted of 163 pregnant women, with gestational age ranging from 11 to 26 weeks, attending antenatal screening at a Greek public hospital. Coping strategies were measured with Brief COPE, pregnancy worries were measured with Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS), anxiety was assessed using State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-X version), and depression was measured with Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression scale (CES-D). Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated among all study variables, followed by hierarchical multiple linear regression. In the univariate analysis, low annual income, unemployment, conception after an IVF treatment, and a previous history of miscarriage were associated with anxiety, depression, and worries. Additionally, almost all coping strategies (denial, behavioral disengagement, self-blame, self-distraction, substance use, acceptance, positive reframing, active coping, and seeking emotional support) were significantly associated with antenatal anxiety, worries, and depression. Linear regression analysis showed that only previous history of miscarriage, conception after IVF, as well as denial, behavioral disengagement and acceptance coping strategies were significantly related to anxiety, worries and depressive symptomatology. The risk factors found in this study could help clinicians target anxiety and depression screening to high-risk populations of pregnant women. Provision of adequate training for obstetricians and midwives in the detection and management of anxiety and depression among pregnant women should help to decrease the psychological burden during pregnancy.     

Exploring the Relationship between Spirituality,Coping, and Pain

There is growing recognition that persistent pain is a complex and multidimensional experience stemming from the interrelationship among biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors. Chronic pain patients use a number of cognitive and behavioral strategies to cope with their pain, including religious/spiritual forms of coping, such as prayer, and seeking spiritual support to manage their pain. This article will explore the relationship between the experience of pain and religion/spirituality with the aim of understanding not only why some people rely on their faith to cope with pain, but also how religion/spirituality may impact the experience of pain and help or hinder the coping process. We will also identify future research priorities that may provide fruitful research in illuminating the relationship between religion/spirituality and pain.     

Coping,social support,and attachment style as psychosocial correlates of adjustment in men and women with HIV/AIDS

The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial correlates of adjustment to HIV/AIDS in a sample of 137 HIV-positive persons (78 men and 59 women). Multiple regression analysis was used to examine relationships between perceived quality of general social support, three attachment styles, and three coping styles with total score on Positive States of Mind Scale (PSOMS), our measure of adjustment. The influence of demographic and medical status variables was also accounted for. PSOMS total score was significantly associated with greater satisfaction with social support related to HIV/AIDS, more secure attachment style, and less use of behavioral disengagement in coping with HIV/AIDS. These results indicate that for people with HIV or AIDS, those individuals who are more satisfied with their relationships, securely engaged with others, and more directly engaged with their illness are more likely to experience positive adjustment. Implications for physical health outcome and opportunities for intervention are discussed.     

Personality and Coping with a Common Stressor: Cardiac Catheterization

The association between coping and personality was examined in a sample of 204 cardiac catheterization patients who were asked to evaluate the use of specific coping strategies used to deal with their cardiac catheterization. Personality, as measured by the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (FFI), was moderately correlated with coping measures. In multivariate analyses, after considering confounding factors, Neuroticism was positively and Extraversion was negatively related to avoidance coping and Neuroticism was negatively associated with counting one's blessings as a coping strategy. Personality was not related to either problem solving or seeking social support coping strategies for individuals experiencing a cardiac catheterization. However, important covariates were associated with coping strategies. Not being married was negatively correlated with use of seeking social support and not having a confidant was negatively related with seeking social support and positively with avoidance. These results suggest that there are specific relationships between personality and coping, but these relationships are, for the most part, moderate in persons coping with a cardiac catheterization, and that coping processes are associated with individual differences in available social resources.     

脑瘫患儿父母创伤后成长及影响因素

目的:探讨脑瘫患儿父母创伤后成长状况及影响因素。方法:采用一般资料问卷、创伤后成长问卷、简易应对方式问卷、领悟社会支持量表调查医院脑瘫患儿父母创伤后成长情况。结果:脑瘫患儿父母创伤后成长得分(47.82±6.84);不同年龄、文化程度、经济收入及患儿是否是独生子女、脑瘫严重程度之间患儿父母创伤后成长得分比较有统计学意义(P0.05);创伤后成长得分与积极应对方式、社会支持呈正相关(r=0.692,0.769;P0.05),与消极应对方式呈负相关(r=-0.293,P0.05);回归分析显示社会支持、父母的文化程度及积极应对方式是创伤后成长的重要影响因素。结论:脑瘫患儿父母创伤后成长处于较低水平,增加社会支持,引导积极应对能够提高其创伤后成长水平。     

The Influence of Social Support, Coping and Mood on Sexual Risk Behavior among HIV-Positive Men and Women

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between social support, coping, mood and sexual risk behavior. Participants were 122 HIV-positive adults (60 women and 62 men). All participants were assessed on sexual risk behavior, perceived partner social support, coping with HIV/AIDS and mood. The results showed that sexual risk behavior was associated with male gender, education, perceived support of their partners and the use of emotion-focused coping style to deal with living with HIV and AIDS. Intervening with partners and developing effective coping strategies may decrease risk among HIV-positive men and women. Indeed, effective HIV prevention interventions must consider the social, psychological and cultural context in which sexual risk behavior occurs and develop strategies that intervene on these psychosocial factors.     

Trait and social influences in the links among adolescent attachment, depressive symptoms, and coping.

Attachment insecurity and maladaptive coping are associated with depression in adolescence; however, it is unclear whether these links primarily reflect stable individual differences among teens (trait influences), experiential differences in their interactions with relationship partners (social influences) or both. In this study, teens (ages 14-18; N = 150) completed questionnaires to assess their attachment security, depressive symptoms, and coping strategies with different attachment figures. Measures were completed three times, based on experiences with a maternal figure, paternal figure, and closest peer. Generalizability analyses were used to separate each construct into trait and social influence components. Next, multivariate g correlations were computed to examine the correlations among the constructs for the trait component as well as the social component. Correlation magnitudes differed depending on whether the trait or social influence components were examined.     

Personal, Cognitive, Behavioral, and Demographic Predictors of HIV Testing and STDs in Homeless Women

Using a multiracial sample of 621 homeless women, we tested a latent variable causal model of personal, cognitive, behavioral, and demographic predictors of two coping mediators and the outcome variables of HIV testing and return for test results and a recent STD infection. HIV testing and return were predicted by more social support, greater AIDS knowledge, greater perceived risk for AIDS, and more problem-focused coping strategies. Recent STDs were predicted by more AIDS knowledge, emotion-focused coping strategies, and risky sexual behavior and one measured variable, crack cocaine use. Emotion-focused coping strategies were predicted by drug use, less self-esteem, more social support, and greater perceived risk for AIDS. Hispanics reported less emotion-focused coping strategies than African-Americans. Predictors of problem-focused coping strategies included less drug use, more self-esteem, more social support, more AIDS knowledge, and less risky sexual behavior. African-Americans reported less problem-focused coping strategies than Latinas. Indirect effects on the outcomes mediated through coping styles are also reported. Theoretical and practical implications of results for community outreach are discussed.     

The relation between coping,social support and psychological and somatic symptoms among torture survivors in Nepal

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the relation between coping, social support, and psychological and somatic symptoms among survivors of torture living outside the West. METHOD: In a population-based dataset of 315 tortured Bhutanese refugees, univariate and multivariate relationships between coping and social support and symptoms were estimated. These relationships were verified in a second sample of 57 help-seeking Nepalese torture survivors. RESULTS: A relationship was observed between the total number of coping strategies used and anxiety and depression. Negative coping, in contrast to positive coping, was related to all symptom outcome measures. Received social support was stronger related to symptoms than perceived social support. The findings from the first sample were replicated in the second sample. CONCLUSION: We found hypothesized relationships between coping, social support, and psychological and somatic symptoms among survivors of torture living in Nepal. The findings from this study confirm the importance of understanding specific types of coping and social support to develop intervention programmes for torture survivors in Non-western settings.     

Shared and unique predictors of post-traumatic growth and distress

This prospective longitudinal study compared pretraumatic, peritraumatic, and post-traumatic predictors of post-traumatic growth (PTG) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A total of 103 Israeli former prisoners of the Yom Kippur War were followed over 30 years. Sociodemographic variables, trauma exposure, reactions in captivity, world assumptions, social support, and personality factors were assessed in 1991, and PTG and PTSD symptoms in 2003. Hierarchical regression modeling showed that although some predictors, namely, loss of control and active coping during captivity, predicted both PTG and PTSD, others predicted one outcome and not the other. Self-controllability predicted PTG while sociodemographic factors predicted PTSD when controlling for PTSD and PTG, respectively. The findings indicate that salutary and pathogenic trauma outcomes share some but not all precursors, underscoring their multifaceted relationship.     

SOCIAL REACTIONS TO SEXUAL ASSAULT DISCLOSURE,COPING, PERCEIVED CONTROL,AND PTSD SYMPTOMS IN SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIMS

The social reactions that sexual assault victims receive when they disclose their assault have been found to relate to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Using path analysis and a large sample of sexual assault survivors (N = 1863), we tested whether perceived control, maladaptive coping, and social and individual adaptive coping strategies mediated the relationships between social reactions to disclosure and PTSD symptoms. We found that positive social reactions to assault disclosure predicted greater perceived control over recovery, which in turn was related to less PTSD symptoms. Positive social reactions to assault disclosure were also associated with more adaptive social and individual coping; however, only adaptive social coping predicted PTSD symptoms. Negative social reactions to assault disclosure were related to greater PTSD symptoms both directly and indirectly through maladaptive coping and marginally through lower perceived control over recovery.     

Correlates of levels and patterns of positive life changes following sexual assault

This study builds on previous work suggesting that many survivors report positive life changes soon after a sexual assault and that those who retain those changes over time report the least distress 1 year post-assault (P. Frazier, A. Conlon, & T. Glaser, 2001). The purposes of this study were to assess correlates of early reports of positive life changes and individual trajectories of self-reported positive changes over time among female sexual assault survivors (n = 171) using hierarchical linear modeling. The factors most related to reporting positive life change soon after the assault were social support, approach and religious coping, and perceived control over the recovery process. Increases in these factors also were associated with increases in self-reported positive life changes over time. The relations between social support and positive change also were mediated by coping strategies and control appraisals, particularly perceived control over the recovery process.     

Gender, coping and psychosomatic symptoms

In this study gender differences in coping were explored, using the Ways of Coping Checklist (WCC; Folkman & Lazarus, 1980). In addition, the focus was on sex differences in the predictive value of coping strategies in relation to psychosomatic symptoms. Males preferred problem-focused coping strategies, planned and rational actions, positive thinking, personal growth and humour, day-dreaming and fantasies. Women preferred emotion-focused coping solutions, self-blame, expression of emotions/seeking of social support, and wishful thinking/emotionality. In spite of the gender differences the results of multiple regression analyses indicated congruous relationships between coping and complaints for both sexes. Stressors and coping factors contributed in much the same way to the explained variance of symptoms and the results were generally similar for males and females. The present data also emphasize the bidirectionality of the coping-symptoms link. This holds especially for self-blame, day-dreaming and fantasizing, and wishful thinking/emotionality. In contrast, distancing was found to be associated with self-reported psychosocial load. Future prospective studies should explicitly pay attention to this bidirectional relationship.     

Women's life strains,social support,coping, and positive and negative affect: Cross-sectional and longitudinal tests of the tko-factor theory of emotional wefi-being

This research examined the relationships between life strains, social support, coping, and positive and negative affect among 90 women at three different interviews over an 18-month period. Predictions were derived from previous research and the two-factor theory of emotional well-being. Two-factor theory asserts that positive affect and negative affect are relatively independent dimensions and that they have distinctly different correlates. It was predicted that life strains would be related to negative affect, but not to positive affect. However, life strains were related to both of these variables. As predicted, enacted support and coping were correlated with positive affect, but not with negative affect. Cross-sectional and longitudinal regression analyses showed that life strains, social support, and coping combined in additive models to predict positive affect, suggesting that support and coping have a “health-enhancing” effect on positive affect. However, life strains interacted with support and coping to predict negative affect. In these analyses, both support and coping buffered the effects of life strains, suggesting that social support has a “health-protecting” effect on negative affect. Overall, the results demonstrated the utility of two-factor theory for research on women's life strains, support, coping, and affect.     

有无宗教信仰的慢性疼痛患者疼痛、依恋和应对方式差异

目的探讨有无宗教信仰的慢性疼痛患者疼痛、依恋和应对方式的差异。方法 2012年9月-2013年1月住院的110例患者中,有22例信仰宗教,根据性别、年龄、受教育程度均衡的原则,按1:4的比例匹配不信仰宗教组88例。采用简化McGill疼痛问卷、亲密关系体验问卷和应对方式量表进行测量。结果独立样本t检验显示两组疼痛总分,疼痛感觉项,依恋回避,应对方式的祈祷维度有统计学差异(t=2.280,P=0.025;t=2.719,P=0.008;t=2.522,P=0.013;t=6.088,P=0.000);Logistic回归模型显示祈祷是慢性疼痛患者是否信仰宗教的影响因素(OR=0.788,P=0.000)。结论宗教信仰在慢性疼痛患者应对疼痛、与他人建立安全依恋关系的过程中发挥重要作用,应进一步研究宗教信仰在慢性疼痛患者心理干预中的作用。     

Self-esteem, social support, internalized homophobia, and coping strategies of HIV+ gay men

The relationship was examined between self-esteem, social support, internalized homophobia, and coping strategies used by HIV-positive (HIV+) gay men (N = 89) and between the use of coping strategies and mood state. Multiple regressions were conducted with avoidant (escape avoidance, accepting responsibility) and proactive (seeking social support, planful problem solving) coping serving as criterion variables. Greater homophobia and less self-esteem predicted avoidant coping, whereas less homophobia and less time since diagnosis predicted proactive coping. Greater time since diagnosis, less avoidant coping, less homophobia, and greater self-esteem predicted better mood state and accounted for 50% of the total variance.     

Longitudinal association between adolescent attachment,adult romantic attachment,and emotion regulation strategies

Attachment security towards parents and peers in adolescence, and romantic attachment styles and emotion regulation strategies in young adulthood, were evaluated using an eight-year longitudinal design. Fifty-six young adults completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) at age 14, and then, at age 22, the Experience in Close Relationships (ECR) and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), an emotion regulation questionnaire concerning coping strategies, including task-oriented versus emotion-oriented foci. Results indicated that greater insecurity to parents and peers in adolescence predicted a more anxious romantic attachment style and greater use of emotion-oriented strategies in adulthood. Concurrently, anxious adult attachment style was related to more emotion-oriented strategies, whereas an avoidant attachment style was related to less support-seeking. Analyses also identified emotion-oriented coping strategies as a partial mediator of the link between adolescent attachment insecurity to parents and adult anxious attachment, and a complete mediator of the association between adolescent attachment insecurity to peers and adult anxious attachment. These findings support the core assumption of continuity in attachment theory, where relationships to parents influence close romantic relationships in adulthood.