Optimism,coping, and long-term recovery from coronary artery surgery in women

Optimism, coping strategies, and psychological and functional outcomes were measured in 55 women undergoing coronary artery surgery. Data were collected in-hospital and at 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery. Optimism was related to positive moods and life satisfaction, and inversely related to negative moods. Few relationships were found between optimism and functional ability. Cognitive coping strategies accounted for a mediating effect between optimism and negative mood. Optimists were more likely to accept their situation, and less likely to use escapism. In turn, these coping strategies were inversely related to negative mood and mediated the relationship between optimism and this outcome. Optimism was not related to problem-focused coping strategies; thus, these coping strategies cannot explain the relationship between optimism and outcomes. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Res Nurs Health 21: 15–26, 1998     

Strategies for success: a toolbox of coping strategies used by breastfeeding women

Aims. The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of two qualitative studies which identified strategies used by breastfeeding women to assist them to continue breastfeeding. Background. While breastfeeding initiation rates are high in Australia, the majority of women wean before the recommended time. The identification of interventions which may increase breastfeeding duration is therefore a research priority. Design. The Against All Odds study used a case‐controlled design to investigate the characteristics of women who continued to breastfeed in the face of extraordinary difficulties. Phase One of the I Think I Can study employed the Nominal Group Technique to investigate the views of subject matter experts regarding which psychological factors may influence the duration of breastfeeding. Method. Against All Odds study participants (n = 40) undertook a one‐ to two‐hour interview and the transcribed data were analysed using thematic analysis. Stratified purposeful sampling was employed in the I Think I Can study (n = 21), with participants assigned group membership according to their most recent breastfeeding experience. A fourth group was composed of experienced breastfeeding clinicians. The nominal group technique was used to generate group data and segments of the discussion were audiotaped and transcribed for thematic analysis. Results. Participants in both the studies raised strategies used to assist them in their efforts to cope with the challenges of breastfeeding and early motherhood. These strategies included increasing breastfeeding knowledge, staying relaxed and ‘looking after yourself’, the use of positive self‐talk, challenging unhelpful beliefs, problem solving, goal setting and the practice of mindfulness. Conclusions. Employment of these simple behavioural and cognitive strategies may assist women to cope with the pressures inherent in the experience of early mothering, thereby increasing the duration of breastfeeding. Relevance to clinical practice. These results may represent a ‘tool box’ of coping strategies which can be provided to women for use in the postnatal period.     

乡村女干部社会支持与应付方式相关研究

目的探讨乡村女干部社会支持度与应付方式的相关性,为有针对性地开展心理卫生服务提供依据。方法对101名乡村女干部采用应付方式问卷和社会支持评定量表进行调查分析。结果乡村女干部应付方式问卷中解决问题、求助因子与社会支持评定量表各维度评分均呈显著正相关（P〈0．01～0．05）,幻想与各维度评分均呈显著负相关（P〈0．05）,退避与客观支持、支持利用度、支持总分均呈显著负相关（P〈0．05）。结论乡村女干部社会支持度与积极应付方式呈正相关,与消极应付方式呈负相关。     

The hierarchical factor structure of the coping strategies inventory

The structure of coping was examined in three studies by means of Wherry's approach to hierarchical factor analysis. A hierarchical model with three levels was identified that included eight primary factors, four secondary factors, and two tertiary factors. The eight primary factors (problem solving, cognitive restructuring, emotional expression, social support, problem avoidance, wishful thinking, self-criticism, and social withdrawal) identified dimensions of coping found in previous empirical research and theoretical writing. The emergence of the four secondary and two tertiary factors provided empirical support for two theoretical hypotheses concerning the structure of coping. Support for the constructs of problem- and emotion-focused coping hypothesized by Lazarus was obtained at the secondary level, and support for the constructs of approach and avoidance coping hypothesized by many theorists was obtained at the tertiary level. These findings suggest that both formulations may describe the structure of coping, albeit at different levels of analysis.The scale and a test manual are available upon request.     

A systematic review of the experience of older women living and coping with type 2 diabetes

This paper reports on a systematic review that sought to answer the research question: what is the experience of women living and coping with type 2 diabetes? A range of relevant terms were identified and electronic databases were searched. Only qualitative studies that explored the meaning of living and coping with type 2 diabetes and that included adult women aged ≥ 18 years were considered. We found evidence that women are challenged by their multi‐caregiving roles and the complexities of managing their diabetes simultaneously. For female patients with diabetes, holistic care and individual psycho‐education programmes appear to be facilitate more effective and successful diabetes management. In addition, carer programmes that provide information so that family and friends can support and assist the woman with diabetes are required.     

医院危机公关的媒介应对策略

危机管理的重点是危机预防,处理好媒介的关系则是化解危机的关键。建立完备的媒介应对策略,掌握信息传播的主动权,减少危机对医院的危害,并对危机处理的全过程做出评估,以应对各种危机对医院的考验。     

Grief responses and coping strategies among infertile women after failed in vitro fertilization treatment

Scand J Caring Sci; 2010; 24; 507–513
Grief Responses and coping strategies among Infertile Women after failed in vitro fertilization Treatment Reproductive technology has increased the childbearing potential for many infertile women, but in vitro fertilization (IVF) failures are common, which often trigger grief responses and coping strategies to manage the stressful life event. The present cross‐sectional study investigated 66 women who had experienced at least one failure with IVF treatment. The data were gathered by a self‐administered structured questionnaire, and included the participant’s personal profile, grief responses and the Jalowiec’s coping scale. The most common grief response among the respondents was bargaining, followed by acceptance, depression, anger, denial, and isolation. The order of coping strategies used, from highest‐to‐lowest, were confrontative, optimistic, self‐reliant, fatalistic, supportive, evasive, palliative, and emotive. Use and self‐perceived effectiveness among all coping strategies had a high correlation, except emotion. Bargaining, the most common grief response, was associated with a variety of coping strategies. All coping strategies were correlated with grief responses. The results of identifying the grief responses and associated coping strategies of women who have undergone failed IVF treatment may assist nurses and other health care professionals in their efforts to provide appropriate information, care and psychological support.     

Personality dimensions,positive emotions and coping strategies in the caregivers of people living with HIV in Lahore,Pakistan

The aim of this research was to study the relationship between personality dimensions, positive emotions and coping mechanisms of caregivers of patients living with HIV. This study used a cross‐sectional research design. A sample comprising 56 caregivers was recruited from HIV/AIDS clinics in three teaching hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. Data were collected between February and July 2010. Most caregivers were men, and of low socio‐economic status. Individuals with both high and low extraversion used problem‐focused coping, self‐control and accepting responsibility, but those with low extraversion used more escape‐avoidance coping, and they had also high levels of negative emotions. Those high in neuroticism used more tension‐reduction coping than problem‐focused coping, and experienced fewer positive emotions. Regression analysis findings revealed neuroticism as a significant predictor of negative emotions as well as emotion‐focused coping, and only extraversion significantly predicted negative emotions. This research could help in devising psychological management plans for caregivers of patients living with HIV in order to assist them in coping with the burden of care.     

The relative contributions of examination-taking coping strategies and study coping strategies to test anxiety: A concurrent analysis

Both examination-taking coping strategies and study coping strategies are determinants of test anxiety. This study examines the contributions made by these two types of coping strategies on the anxiety/performance relationship, under two types of examination conditions. Twenty-six graduate students, who were enrolled in an intermediate-level statistics course, were assigned randomly to either an untimed or a timed examination condition. Both types of coping strategies made a significant contribution in explaining variance in test anxiety. Overall, students in the timed condition performed more poorly than did students in the untimed condition. A significant interaction was found between examination-taking coping strategies and examination condition: Students with poor coping strategies did not perform as well in the timed as in the untimed condition. No such interaction was found between study coping strategies and examination condition. The results appear consistent with an information-processing interpretation, which suggests that different processes related to test anxiety affect examination performance. Implications for counselors assisting students with inadequate coping strategies are discussed.     

An embedded decisional model of stress and coping: implications for exploring treatment decision making by women with breast cancer

Treatment decision making by women with breast cancer has been recognized to be an inherently stressful process. However, past decisional theory and research has failed to fully elucidate the personal, transactional and relational nature of choice behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explore an embedded decisional model of stress and coping that locates key assumptions of Janis and Mann's conflict-theory model (CTM) of decision making within Lazarus and Folkman's transactional framework. Through combining decisional and stress and coping theories, a model is developed that addresses the theoretical limitations of the CTM and provides greater specificity within decision-making research. The paper examines the complexity of treatment decision making within the context of the constructs of causal antecedents, primary appraisal, secondary appraisal, coping and adaptational outcomes. Examples specific to women with breast cancer are provided to illustrate the potential application of the embedded model. The implications of this inclusive and comprehensive decisional theory for future knowledge development and research in the area of treatment decision making are also discussed.     

An embedded decisional model of stress and coping: implications for exploring treatment decision making by women with breast cancer

Treatment decision making by women with breast cancer has been recognized to be an inherently stressful process. However, past decisional theory and research has failed to fully elucidate the personal, transactional, and relational nature of choice behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explore an embedded decisional model of stress and coping that locates key assumptions of Janis & Mann's (1977) conflict-theory model of decision making within Lazarus & Folkman's (1984) transactional framework. Through combining decisional and stress and coping theories, a model is developed that addresses the theoretical limitations of the conflict-theory model and provides greater specificity within decision-making research. The paper examines the complexity of treatment decision making within the context of the constructs of causal antecedents, primary appraisal, secondary appraisal, coping, and adaptational outcomes. Examples specific to women with breast cancer are provided to illustrate the potential application of the embedded model. The implications of this inclusive and comprehensive decisional theory for future knowledge development and research in the area of treatment decision making are also discussed.     

The relationship between coping strategies and family burden among relatives of admitted psychiatric patients

Coping strategies as assessed by a projective coping instrument, showed only a weak relationship to perceived family burden and participation in care among 78 close relatives of voluntarily and compulsorily admitted psychiatric patients in this study conducted in two psychiatric services in Sweden in 1997. The results rather indicate that problem solving coping strategies are used when the relatives are in situations amenable to change and that emotion-focused coping strategies are used in situations that are chronic and unchangeable. Furthermore, no differences in coping strategies were found between the relatives and a Swedish normative sample. No relationships were found between coping strategies and when the relative thought that the patient's mental health had led to mental problems in the relative or if the relative experienced that the relationship with the patient had been negatively affected by the mental illness. The usefulness of coping instruments based on personality components in research on family burden is called into question, and a reconsideration of qualitative research methods is recommended.     

护理工作缺陷原因分析及管理对策

目的预防和减少护理缺陷的发生,提高护理管理水平。方法将护理工作“零缺陷”作为工作目标,对2003年2月～2005年1月上交护理部的护理缺陷记录表进行分析、比较,总结处理对策。结果2004年护理缺陷发生率比2003年下降了65.22%,2004年全年没有发生违反操作规程、报告医生不及时和预见性问题等护理缺陷,发生的事件对患者的影响程度明显降低。结论护理工作缺陷与护理管理密切相关,护理缺陷的防范措施重在落实,只有做好事前防范,事后及时分析并完善制度与程序等才能保障护理“零缺陷”。     

Causal attribution,coping strategies,and learned helplessness

This study assesses the intervening role of coping strategies in mediating the effects of causal attribution for failure, expectancy of control, and off-task cognitions on performance. In study 1, a preliminary investigation, subjects were asked to recall a failure and then to report its major cause and how they coped with it. In study 2, subjects reported their habitual attributional style for negative events and were exposed to failure. Then their expectancy of control, off-task cognitions, coping strategies, and performance were assessed. Results showed that problem-focused coping was associated with less stable/global attribution for failure and with higher expectancy of control. Emotion-focused coping and distancing coping were associated with more internal/global/stable attribution for failure and more frequent off-task cognitions. In addition, distancing coping was found to have a direct effect on performance and to mediate performance effects of causal attribution. The results were discussed in terms of the Lazarus and Folkman stress-coping model.     

Beliefs about voices and their effects on coping strategies

Cognitive behavioural techniques are increasingly used as adjuncts to medication in the treatment of auditory hallucinations for people with schizophrenia. There are now literally hundreds of nurses trained in the use of cognitive behavioural interventions for psychosis. However, there is still disagreement about the nature of the cognitive processes that lead to deficits or biases in patients' processing of information about their psychotic experiences. Using Chadwick & Birchwood's Beliefs About Voices Questionnaire (BAVQ), the investigator collected data regarding voices from a sample of men and women being treated for schizophrenia by secondary mental health services. The investigator then carried out a cross-lagged panel analysis of the data. The investigator found, as predicted, positive relationships between a resistive coping style and an attribution of malevolence to voices, and between an engaging coping style and an attribution of benevolence to voices. Coping and attributional styles were not necessarily stable over time. There was a non-significant difference between women's and men's attributions and coping styles. There was less fluctuation over time in the women's scores on the BAVQ. This research shows that one cannot assume that either coping or attributional style becomes more stable over time. However, while there are strong relationships between attributions and coping styles, and particularly between malevolence and resistance and benevolence and engagement, these relationships are not necessarily mutually exclusive and some people in the study believe their voices to be both malevolent and benevolent. These findings suggest that clinicians need to make a very careful assessment of attribution and coping with regard to hallucinations and that systematic reassessment is very important. Further research is necessary in both the phenomenology of attribution and coping, but also to relate these variables to other aspects of schizophrenic illnesses.