Digital Commons Network^™

Coping Styles Among Individuals With Severe Mental Illness And Comorbid Ptsd, Shannon Ashley Mcneill

Dissertations

There is little known about the mechanisms by which persons with SMI cope with their stress, and virtually no research is available on the influence of comorbid PTSD (SMI-PTSD) on coping within the SMI population. The current study examined coping strategies utilized by individuals with SMI versus those with SMI-PTSD, while also investigating the role of PTSD symptom severity, overall psychological distress, and substance use on coping strategy usage. Participants included adults (N = 90) recruited through a metropolitan community mental health center, all describing current symptoms of an SMI, 48 of whom met criteria for SMI-PTSD. Results of this …

Walk It Off!: The Relationship Between Physically Active And Passive Coping Style And Perseverative Cognition, Michelle Rosalie Di Paolo

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

WALK IT OFF!: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICALLY ACTIVE AND PASSIVE COPING STYLE AND PERSEVERATIVE COGNITION

by

Michelle R. Di Paolo

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2013

Under the Supervision of Professor Marcellus Merritt

The main aim of the current study is to assess if a relationship exists between self-selected coping styles and levels of perseverative cognition (PC). Recent pilot studies have revealed a relative distinction between the coping styles people choose when coping with stress, i.e., those that are physically active (PAC) like going for a walk, jogging, or lifting weights, and those that are physically passive (PPC) like reading …

Work Hope And The Socioemotional Functioning Of Offenders, David Guion

Theses and Dissertations

For offenders returning to society at record levels, securing work looms as one of the most crucial factors in successful reentry. Work hope is a construct that seeks to measure the relative presence of goals of securing desired work, thoughts about how to achieve those goals, and agency to achieve those goals, even in the presence of obstacles. This study sought to examine relationships among work hope, the socioemotional variables of attachment, emotion regulation, physical, relational, and workplace victimization, and coping, and the career-related variables of perceptions of career-related barriers and complexity level of career goals. The sample comprised cohorts …

Role Of Buddhist Spiritual Practice In The Lives And Health Of Buddhist Nuns Living With A Chronic Illness In Sri Lanka, Sunny Wijesinghe

Nursing ETDs

This study focused on the role of Buddhist spiritual practice in the lives and health of Sri Lankan Buddhist nuns with a chronic illness. The concept of spirituality has emerged recurrently in research as a means to cope with chronic illness. The question as to whether Buddhism, as observed in traditionally Buddhist countries, influences coping in chronic illness, has received little attention. Buddhism covers several sects and even within the same sect practices vary depending on each socio-cultural environment. Any attempt to study Buddhism's role in chronic illness requires isolating not only a sect, but also a country in which …

The Things They Carry : A Study Of Transitional Object Use Among U.S. Military Personnel During And After Deployment, Julia St. George

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore how transitional objects are used during and after combat, and whether their use promotes resilience, reduces the effects of combat-related stress, and helps service members with "coming home" from war. The research looked for possible ties between objects with emotional significance that were carried during deployment and the effect the items had on service members' mental health and wellbeing, Sixty-six combat veterans of World War II through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan completed an online survey consisting of multiple-choice, open-ended, and Likert scale questions that were used to capture their experiences …

The Development And Application Of The Coping With Bullying Scale For Children, Leandra N. Parris

Counseling and Psychological Services Dissertations

The Multidimensional Model for Coping with Bullying (MMCB; Parris, in development) was conceptualized based on a literature review of coping with bullying and by combining relevant aspects of previous models. Strategies were described based on their focus (problem-focused vs. emotion-focused) and orientation (avoidance, approach – self, approach – situation). The MMCB provided the framework for the development of the Coping with Bullying Scale for Children (CBSC; Parris et al., 2011), which was administered as part of a research project in an urban, southeastern school district. The Student Survey of Bullying Behaviors – Revised 2 (SSBB-R2; Varjas et al., 2008) …

Posttraumatic Growth In Female Sexual Assault Survivors, Jessica Renee Mason

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examined factors associated with the development of posttraumatic growth following sexual assault in 11 female survivors, six months to five years after the assault. To broaden our understanding of how survivors cope with the effects and impacts of their assault and how this ultimately leads to the development of posttraumatic growth, this study used grounded theory methodology to develop a causal model of how growth can occur following sexual assault. A mixed-methods qualitative study (utilizing some quantitative features) was used. The data analysis team concluded that participants described a process consisting of four super-clusters that subsumes nine major …

The Roles Of Stress Appraisal And Self-Efficacy In Fostering Resilience To Improve Psychosocial Outcomes Following Negative Life Events Among College Students: A Multiple Mediation Analysis, Jennifer Anne Cody

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the interrelationships between stress appraisal, self-efficacy, and psychosocial outcomes (i.e., resilience and self-concept) within the context of negative life events among college students. Participants (n = 220) were undergraduate students enrolled at a large southeastern university. Study participants completed the Life Experiences Survey (Sarason et al., 1978), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (Sherer et al., 1982), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (Connor & Davidson, 2003), the Multidimensional Self-Concept Scale (Fleming & Courtney, 1984), and the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen et al., 1983). Two hypothesized models of multiple mediation were proposed to explain the …

The Effects Of Multiple Sclerosis On Perceived Parenting Roles And Adolescent Coping, Alyssa Coundourides, Kendra Host, Elizabeth Rexroat

Adult

This research project focused on the effects of parental multiple sclerosis (MS) upon parenting roles and family coping. Specifically, the study was implemented to acquire insight into the primary research question: How do parents perceive familial role changes resulting from MS to impact coping of their adolescent children? The study also investigated the role of occupational therapy in assisting parents with MS to facilitate coping in their adolescent children. These concepts were investigated though a mixed methods design, using the Role Checklist to quantitatively assess participants’ roles and values, and a focus group to qualitatively explore participants’ lived experiences of …

Development And Validation Of A Measure Of Perceived Life Significance, Rachel Hibberd

Dissertations

Theoretical and empirical approaches to the study of meaning in bereavement suggest a distinction between meaning as sense-making, or the integration of the loss into a coherent and positive set of beliefs about world and self, and meaning as life significance, or the perception that some aspect of one's life experience “matters” in the wake of loss. Although several authors have pointed to the importance of life significance in grief recovery, currently no psychometrically valid measure exists. The present study examined the reliability and validity of a new measure: the Perceived Life Significance Scale (PLSS). The PLSS total score, as …

Protective Factors In The Relationship Between Urgency And Bulimic Behavior, Eugenia Suzanne Hatchett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Negative urgency, a trait marked by the tendency to react impulsively when experiencing negative affect, has recently been identified as a risk factor for bulimia. Although multiple studies have established a link between urgency and bulimia, few studies have focused on factors that might moderate this relationship. The purpose of the current study was to examine the ability of problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, social support, and self-efficacy for regulating negative affect (SERN) to moderate the relationship between negative urgency and bulimic behavior. Web-based assessments of negative urgency, bulimic symptoms, coping, social support, and SERN were completed by 280 female college …

The Effects Of Coping, Self-Esteem, And Social Support On Stress And Wellbeing, Emily Meyerhoffer-Kubalik

Master's Theses

The present study aimed to add to the literature on the internal and external factors that may buffer the negative effects of stress. Specifically, the present study examined the effects of coping styles, self-esteem, and social support on both psychological wellbeing and stress. Participants (N = 198) were administered a measure of coping styles (COPE), self-esteem (Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale), social support (SSQ-R), psychological wellbeing (MHI), and stress (ICSRLE). Results showed problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping were associated with better psychological wellbeing and lower stress. Avoidant coping was associated with lower psychological wellbeing and higher stress. Self-esteem was also related to …

The Relation Between Resilience And Coping Style In An Active-Duty Navy Sample, Dennis Mcelyea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Amidst the efforts to understand the impact of occupational stress on military personnel, researchers have turned their attention to resilience. In a sample of active-duty Navy personnel, positive and negative coping strategies were explored as predictors of two resilience dichotomies (resilient vs. non-resilient).Positive coping strategies were expected to predict resilience, and negative coping strategies were expected to predict non-resilience.The results from two hierarchical binary logistic regression analyses demonstrated that seeking command support, praying/meditating, and arguing demonstrated statistically significant associations with resilience that were consistent with the hypotheses. Other coping strategies of interest, however, failed to demonstrate statistically significant associations with …

Posttraumatic Growth Reported By Emerging Adults: A Multigroup Analysis Of The Roles Of Attachment, Support, Coping, And Life Satisfaction, Steven D. Schmidt

Doctoral Dissertations

Research on posttraumatic growth (PTG) has mostly been conducted with individuals who experienced traumatic events during adulthood, and relatively little research has been conducted with survivors of traumatic events experienced during adolescence. In addition to the paucity of research with younger samples, growth – as conceptualized in the theoretical framework on PTG – can also arise from non-traumatic events such as normative life transitions (e.g., entering college); however, the differentiating characteristics of growth that develop from these two paths has not been empirically investigated. The current study explores these different pathways to growth by analyzing data from a group of …

A Study Of Graduate Student Grief And Prolonged Grief Disorder, Mary Alice Varga

Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of grief among graduate students, the effects of their grief, types of support sought, and risk of prolonged grief disorder. A total of 1, 575 graduate students enrolled at a large public Southeastern university completed an online survey about their grief experiences. Students experiencing a significant loss also completed the Prolonged Grief Disorder Questionnaire. Findings revealed that approximately 25% of graduate students experienced the loss of a significant person in their lives within the past 24 months. Graduate students reported various grief effects, with emotional effects being the most significant. …

A Practical Meta-Analysis Of Prayer Efficacy In Coping With Mental Health, Benjamin M. Kimball

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Given the large number of people who identify as religious in the United States and the large number of the overall population diagnosed with a mental illness, there is a need for linking an easily accessible practice like prayer to a common and often painful problem of managing mental health symptoms. Using a Practical Meta-Analysis, this research project examined prayer’s efficacy when used as a coping strategy to relieve mental health symptoms. A Practical Meta-Analysis is a statistical method that synthesizes findings from multiple research studies and provides a quantitative measure of an intervention’s efficacy as a whole. Of 598 …

An Examination Of School Principals', Teachers', And Other Support Staff's Perception Of Stress In The School Setting, Shunji Quenae Brown-Woods

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Job stress in school staff is a concern for school systems and has an impact on many organizational factors within the school setting. The extent to which school personnel are aware of their stress, coping mechanisms and coping strategies is the focus of this study. The literature review highlights various aspects of stress including the physiology of stress, economic implications, specific job stressors in the field of education, burnout indicators for teachers, principal's awareness of stress, and coping strategies available and reportedly used by school staff.Three job type groups participated in the study: principals, teachers, and support staff. The study …

Avoidant Coping Behavior As A Mediator Of The Effects Of Various Forms Of Intimate Partner Abuse And Posttraumatic Stress Disorder In Women Who Are Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence, Nathali Blackwell Ms.

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored whether avoidant coping served a meditational role in the association between three forms of intimate partner abuse (sexual coercion, physical aggression, and psychological aggression) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among women who had experienced intimate partner violence (IPV). Eighty nine female IPV survivors were involved in the current study. Results indicated that in the case of sexual coercion and PTSD, avoidant coping was a mediator. Avoidant coping was not found to have a mediating effect between the remaining types of abuse (physical and psychological aggression) and PTSD. However, it was found that physical aggression had a relationship …

Correlates Of Help-Seeking Following Stalking Victimization: A Study Of College Women, Saige E. Jutras, Katie Edwards, Kateryna Sylaska

Honors Theses and Capstones

The current study explored factors related to college women’s coping processes associated with stalking using an online survey methodology. Results (N= 305 college women reporting stalking victimization within the last three years) showed that 85% of women disclosed their stalking experiences most commonly to female friends. Additionally, women used a variety of coping mechanisms in response to their stalking victimization; although avoiding thinking about or acting on the stalking experience were the most common strategies, victims rated direct forms of coping as more effective in deterring the stalking behavior. Women’s coping responses to stalking were related to a …

Sensory Modulation Disorder: Impact On Coping And Occupational Performance, Audrey E. Kane

Theses and Dissertations

Occupational therapists theorize that behavioral responses to sensory stimuli are reflective of a child’s underlying ability to process sensory information in a manner that allows the child to engage in childhood occupations meaningfully. If a child’s ability to process sensory information is compromised, then occupational performance is compromised. Similarly if coping skills are less than adequate, successful engagement in occupations is limited. What is less clear is how sensory modulation and coping interact to influence occupational performance. This study examined the interplay between sensory modulation, coping, and occupational performance in a sample of children referred for sensory processing difficulties. Two …

Exploration Of Coping Styles Utilized By Students During Study Abroad Re-Entry, Michelle I. Thrasher

Theses, Dissertations, and Projects

This quantitative study asked the question: what are the coping styles utilized by study abroad students during the re-entry period? The exploratory nature of the study then examined the relationship of eight variables on coping styles; gender, age, previous travel experience, number of languages spoken, having other family members who studied abroad, how supported they felt by home institution, race and coping style in relationship to the biggest challenge they faced. This research was conducted using an anonymous online survey made available to any past study abroad students. The survey asked for information about family history, travel experience and demographic …

Acculturative Stress And Coping Strategies Used By Asian Indians Living In The United States: A Quantitative And Qualitative Inquiry, Ritu V. Thaker

Dissertations

The present research addressed acculturative stress experiences and coping strategies used by Asian Indians residing in the United States. The organizing research question was "What are the acculturative stress experiences and coping strategies used by first generation Asian Indians living in the United States?" The research question was explored through fourteen hypotheses.

A mixed method approach was employed. For the first phase, 54 first-generation Asian Indians were recruited from four sites using a purposive convenience sampling method, the SAFE-R standardized questionnaire was used to measure acculturative stress, the COPE scale to measure coping strategies, and a culturally grounded Socio-Demographic Information …

The Relation Of Executive Functions To Active Coping Strategies And Internalizing Symptoms In A Community Sample Of African-American Youth, Arie Zakaryan

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine the relations between stressor appraisals, active coping, executive functions, and internalizing symptoms in a community sample of low-income African-American youth. There is a dearth of studies assessing how executive functions influence the connection between coping and internalizing symptoms, notably in community and minority populations. When faced with distressing, uncontrollable settings straining the capacity to self-regulate, youth with executive functioning deficits may encounter greater challenges in coping with stressors. Yet, since typically adaptive active coping strategies do not benefit some youth and can result in negative outcomes, it is important to identify what …

Psychometric Properties Of The Coping Inventory For Stressful Situations In Individuals With Traumatic Brain Injury, Hillary A. Greene

Wayne State University Theses

Although research suggests that coping style affects recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI), research on assessment of coping style after TBI is sparse. Prevalent theories in the general coping literature suggest a three-factor structure of coping style: task-, emotion-, and avoidance-oriented. However, this factor structure might not well characterize coping after TBI given the cognitive and emotional deficits associated with this population. Therefore, this study examined the psychometric properties of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) among persons with moderate to severe TBI using approaches from Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT; Rasch analysis). This study …

The Interactive Effects Of Coping Strategies, Gender, And Stress In The Prediction Of Internalizing Symptoms In African American Youth: An Application Of The Specificity Model, Cynthia Pierre

Master's Theses

The current study utilized a specificity framework in the examination of interactions among coping strategies, stressor domains, and participant gender in the prediction of depressive and anxiety symptoms. Participants were 273 African American adolescents (6th - 8th; mean age = 12.9; 58% female). Participants completed measures of universal and culturally-relevant coping strategies in response to a stressor. Stressors were coded by raters across dichotomous domains: interpersonality (interpersonal vs. non-interpersonal), duration (acute vs. chronic), controllability (controllable vs. non-controllable), and sexuality (sexual vs. non-sexual). T-tests were conducted to examine differences in reported coping across stress domains. Inconsistent with predictions, mean differences of …

Predictors Of Resilience Among Hispanic Adults: Stepwise Analyses From Late Adolescence To Adulthood, Katherine Marie Aguirre

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Background: The focus of this study was factors that affect resilience as a health outcome among Hispanic adults. Some Hispanics and other members of disadvantaged and vulnerable populations have developed remarkable ways of coping with adversity, such as positive reframing (Farley, Galves, Dickinson, & Perez, 2005). Purpose: This research aimed to examine various ways of coping in response to difficult life situations for Hispanic adults and identify those that are associated with resilient outcomes. Methods: The present sub-study focused on difficult life problem narratives from the semi-structured interviews conducted in Dr. Felipe González Castro's Corazón projects (Castro, Kellison, Boyd & …

Stress Appraisal, Coping Response, And Acculturation Level As Predictors Of Postpartum Depression Symptoms In Women Of Mexican Origin, Rena M. Digregorio

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Transition into motherhood may be a time of mixed emotion. Though most women embrace motherhood and are optimistic about the role, approximately 13% of all women who give birth suffer from postpartum depression (Beck, C.T., 2001; Beck, C.T., 1996; O'Hara & Swain, 1996). However, some studies report women of Mexican origin suffer postpartum depressive symptoms at much higher rates than other racial and ethnic groups (Diaz, Huynh-Nhu, Cooper, & Munoz, 2007). Understanding how and to what extent postpartum depressive symptoms affect mothers of Mexican origin remains incomplete. This 10 month prospective, repeated measures, proxy pretest study of pregnant and postpartum …

Experiences Of Coping With Injury In Division I Athletes From Low-To-Middle Socioeconomic Status Backgrounds, Matthew Philip Bejar

Master's Theses

Injuries inevitably occur in any sport at any level. The integrated sport injury model is one of the most extensive frameworks to address the psychological responses to athletic injury. While this model posits that socioeconomic status (SES) influences how an athlete cognitively, emotionally, and behaviorally responds to an injury, no research has substantiated this claim. Low SES individuals experience an exceptional amount of stress, which may complicate how they cope with a negative event. The coping strategies employed by an athlete can have major implications on rehabilitation adherence, recovery time, and psychosocial well-being. The purpose of this study was to …

Parents' Coping With Children's Newly Diagnosed Long-Qt Syndrome: A Qualitative Study Of The Function And Utilization Of An Online User Group, Allison Burns-Pentecost

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Long QT syndrome is a sudden death syndrome that occurs in about 1 in 2,000 births. LQTS is caused by genetic mutations that affect the electrophysiology of the heart, resulting in a prolonged QT interval and possible cardiac arrhythmia, syncope or sudden death. Treatments include medications, implantable cardioverter defibrillators and activity restrictions. Little research exists regarding the psychosocial factors of the illness or the ways in which families cope with diagnosis and management of the chronic illness. The current study used archival data from an online user group. Participants were members of the group who discussed concerns related to LQTS. …

Getting To The Other Side: An Exploration Of The Head And Neck Cancer Treatment Experience, Heather M. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations--Gerontology

Diagnosis of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents a multifarious problem. Late stage diagnosis, uncertainty regarding appropriate clinical treatment, as well as the high potential for disfigurement and functional loss resulting in diminished quality of life, contributes to anxiety, stress, fear, and uncertainty throughout the cancer treatment experience. This qualitative study sought to explore the cancer treatment experience of adults with newly diagnosed HNSCC, including laryngeal, esophageal, and oral cancers. Study participants were recruited from the University of Kentucky Ear Nose and Throat Clinic in Lexington KY. Participants agreed to be interviewed after receipt of their cancer diagnosis …