Week4 (Coping)_s

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SOSC3990 Health Psychology

• Part II - Coping

  • Definition of Coping

  • Coping Style

  • Social Support

  • Stress Management

  • Coping Interventions

  • Coping Resources/Moderators

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IIA. Definition of Coping

• Coping according to the Transaction Theory of Coping (Lazarus & Folkman):

  • Managing demands appraised as exceeding one’s resources.

  • Involves thoughts and behaviors to manage internal and external demands (Taylor & Stanton, 2007).

• Types of Coping Efforts:

  • Behavioral Coping

  • Cognitive Coping

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Coping Process

• Dynamic; not a one-time action.

• Encompasses various reactions to stress.

• Effectiveness can be adaptive or maladaptive.

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Successful Coping

• Constitutes improvement in:

  • Physiological/biofunctions -> decrease arousal.

  • Daily activities -> healthier adjustment.

  • Psychological distress -> lessen anxiety; shorten stress duration.

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IIB. Coping Styles

• Coping Styles: General tendency to respond to stress in a particular manner.

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1. Approach vs. Avoidance Coping

• Approach Coping:

  • Confrontative or vigilant (e.g., problem-solving, emotional expression).

  • Effective when information is available, and specific actions can alleviate stress (Taylor & Stanton, 2007).

• Avoidance Coping:

  • Minimizing styles (e.g., distraction, substance abuse).

  • Spiritual coping can be either oriented.

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2. Problem-focused vs. Emotion-focused Coping

• Problem-focused Coping:

  • Active or constructive effort about stressful events.

• Emotion-focused Coping:

  • Focus on regulating emotional responses to stress.

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Emotion-focused Coping Techniques

• Acceptance: Recognizing threats not always amendable.

• Rumination: Recurring negative thoughts detrimental to health.

• Clarifying: Working through emotions can improve adjustment to chronic conditions (e.g., pain, breast cancer).

• Humor: Relieves stress-related distress.

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Emotional Disclosures

• Benefits from sharing experiences through written or oral exercises.

• Leads to cognitive benefits, finding meaning, affirming personal values, and eliciting support.

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Contrasting Thoughts on Coping

• Problem-focused coping is useful but can increase anxiety in the short term.

• Emotion-focused coping often considered maladaptive, though may relieve stress.

• Implications suggest no universally adaptive or maladaptive coping style.

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Coping Flexibility

• Concept showing variability in coping strategy based on situation demands.

• Flexible copers adapt coping styles:

  • Problem-focused if event is changeable.

  • Emotion-focused if event is unchangeable.

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Outline (Continued)

• Part II - Coping

  • Definition of Coping

  • Coping Style

  • Social Support

  • Stress Management

  • Coping Interventions

  • Coping Resources/Moderators

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IIC. Social Support

• Optimal Matching Hypothesis (Thoits, 1995): Effective social support requires alignment of recipient's needs and provider's support type.

• Importance of feeling loved, valued, and supported within a social network (Wills, 1991).

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Types of Social Support

• Structural Support: Quantity of social relationships.

  • Linked to increased lifespan (Berkman & Syne, 1979).

  • Limitations: does not reflect quality of relationships.

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More Types of Social Support

• Information/Practical Support: Advice, directions.

• Instrumental/Tangible Support: Provision of goods/services.

• Emotional Support: Expression of love and care.

• Appraisal Support: Cognitive strategies provided.

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Social Support Benefits

• Prosocial behavior reduces negative effects of stress on emotional well-being.

• Engaging in prosocial behavior can buffer stress effects.

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Study Insights

• Assessing 77 participants over 14 days on:

  • Stressful events occurrence.

  • Engaged prosocial behaviors.

  • Affect and mental health scores.

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Moderating Effects of Prosocial Behavior

• Data shows prosocial behavior moderates stress impact on positive affect, negative affect, and mental health scores.

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Mechanisms of Support

• Possible effects of prosocial behavior:

  • Distracting from personal distress.

  • Enhancing self-efficacy through helping.

  • Physiological impacts related to social affiliation (oxytocin).

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Additional Mechanisms

• Influence on reward circuitry of the brain.

• Positive changes in physiological responses (e.g., increased parasympathetic activity).

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Outline (Continued)

• Part II - Coping

  • Definition of Coping

  • Coping Style

  • Social Support

  • Stress Management

  • Coping Interventions

  • Coping Resources/Moderators

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IID. The Management of Stress

• Program designed to help individuals:

  • Appraise stressors.

  • Develop coping skills.

  • Practice effective coping skills.

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Basic Techniques Objectives

1. Acquire skills for coping.

2. Monitor technique effectiveness.

3. Practice acquired techniques.

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Basic Techniques Tasks

• 1st Phase: Identify stressors, monitor stress antecedents.

• 2nd Phase: Avoid negative self-talk, set take-home assignments.

• 3rd Phase: Set new goals, engage in positive self-talk.

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Assumptions and Skills

• Anxiety responses cause muscle tension.

• Relaxation techniques (e.g., Progressive Muscle Relaxation) reduce psychological tension.

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Supplementary Skills

• Healthy Habits: Nutritional and exercise habits.

• Social Skills: Assertiveness, social engagement, and seeking support.

• Time Management: Achievement-oriented goals, prioritizing tasks.

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Outline (Continued)

• Part II - Coping

  • Definition of Coping

  • Coping Style

  • Social Support

  • Stress Management

  • Coping Interventions

  • Coping Resources/Moderators

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IIE. Coping Interventions

• Mindfulness Training: Self-regulating thoughts and actions non-judgmentally (Kabat-Zinn).

• Techniques include meditation, body scanning, and yoga.

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Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

• Aims to accept emotional flows through various techniques, maintaining a practice diary to enhance mindfulness in stress response.

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Three Elements in Mindfulness Training

1. Mindfulness Meditation: Focus on breathing or movement to achieve calm.

2. Body Scan: Direct attention to body sensations for relaxation.

3. Gentle Yoga: Combines movement with mental focus to counteract ruminative thoughts.

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Reference to Kabat-Zinn

• Full Catastrophe Living: Framework for mindfulness and its application in stress coping.

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Other Coping Methods

• Expressive Writing: Personal writing to explore feelings, helping chronic illness patients.

• Coping Effectiveness Training (CET): Enhances existing coping skills through task-specific training.

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Discussion Prompt

• Which coping strategy would be useful in Scenario A? Explain one strategy and its rationale.

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General Applicability

• Individual differences in preferences for coping strategies.

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Outline (Continued)

• Part II - Coping

  • Definition of Coping

  • Coping Style

  • Social Support

  • Stress Management

  • Coping Interventions

  • Coping Resources/Moderators

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IIE. Coping Resources

• Type A Personality:

  • Chronic sense of urgency and competitive drive.

  • Higher likelihood for cancer diagnosis compared to Type B.

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Type C Personality

• Cooperative, compliant, and self-sacrificing.

• Tend to inhibit negative emotions, highest risk for cancer.

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Type D Personality

• Experiences and inhibits negative emotions.

• Associated with higher mortality rates post-cardiac events.

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Pessimistic Explanatory Style

• Attributes negative events to internal, stable factors.

• May decrease immune responses.

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Optimism (Dispositional Optimism)

• Positive expectation affecting stress coping and recovery outcomes.

• Leads to effective resource utilization and social support seeking.

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Psychological Control

• Perceived control over events is crucial, especially for vulnerable groups (e.g., the elderly).

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Resilience

• The ability to adapt and bounce back from adversity, manifesting positive emotions even in stress.

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Compassion

• Response to suffering that motivates helping others, aligning with human imperfections.

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Self-compassion

• Acknowledges shared human experiences while avoiding harsh self-judgment (Neff, 2003).

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Self-Compassion Subscales

• Self-Kindness: Understanding oneself in hardship.

• Self-Judgment: Critiquing oneself during difficulties.

• Common Humanity: Recognizing shared experiences vs. isolation.

• Isolation: Feeling alone in failures.

• Mindfulness: Balancing emotional responses.

• Over-identification: Becoming overwhelmed by feelings.

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Study Results on Self-compassion

• Correlation with lower depression and anxiety, and less rumination.

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Self-esteem and Conscientiousness

• High self-esteem correlates with less anxiety in students.

• Conscientiousness associated with health-promoting behavior and risk avoidance.

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What is Hope?

• Snyder et al. (1991): Hope involves goal-directed determination and strategic planning.

  • Elements: Goals Thinking, Pathways Thinking, Agency Thinking.

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Revision Questions

• Self-identification of stressors in life affecting well-being.

• Evaluation of therapies claiming stress reduction efficacy.