Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Nurse Burnout And The Effects Of Coping And Stress Management, Meghan Baranda

Senior Research Projects

Aim: To investigate the relationship among nurses and decrease in nurse burnout followed by primary research to compare the relationship of certain coping mechanisms and burnout levels. Setting and Subjects: Southern Adventist University and BS, MSN, DNP students. Results: Showed that practicing stress management and coping mechanisms contributed to a decrease in burnout levels, especially coworker support, family support, positive attitude/optimism, exercise/physical activity, and spirituality/religion. Conclusions: Primary research supported the findings from the initial research study, which gives further evidence that coping and stress management is important and effective in minimizing burnout levels.

How Do They Do It? A Phenomenological Description Of Stress And Coping In Radiation Therapists, Cheryl Turner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aimed to better understand and describe the lived experiences of job-related stressors and associated coping mechanisms of radiation therapists (RTTs). The study employed a phenomenological qualitative method as to explore the experiences of 11 radiation therapists in select regional cancer centers in the Southeastern United States. The following questions were explored: (a) How do radiation therapists describe job-related stress? (b) What factors do radiation therapists identify as contributing to job-related stress? (c) What mechanisms do radiation therapists employ to cope with job-related stress they described? and (d) How do radiation therapists find motivation to continue in their chosen …

A Novel Adaptation Of A Parent-Child Observational Assessment Tool For Appraisals And Coping In Children Exposed To Acute Trauma, Meghan L. Marsac, Nancy Kassam-Adams

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Background: Millions of children worldwide are exposed to acute potentially traumatic events (PTEs) annually. Many children and their families experience significant emotional distress and/or functional impairment following PTEs. While current research has begun to highlight a role for early appraisals and coping in promoting or preventing full recovery from PTEs, the exact nature of the relationships among appraisals, coping, and traumatic stress reactions as well as how appraisals and coping behaviors are influenced by the child's environment (e.g., parents) remains unclear; assessment tools that reach beyond self-report are needed to improve this understanding.

Objective: The objective of the current study …

A Simplified Technique For Implant-Abutment Level Impression After Soft Tissue Adaptation Around Provisional Restoration, Ahmad Kutkut, Osama Abu-Hammad, Robert Q. Frazer

Oral Health Practice Faculty Publications

Impression techniques for implant restorations can be implant level or abutment level impressions with open tray or closed tray techniques. Conventional implant-abutment level impression techniques are predictable for maximizing esthetic outcomes. Restoration of the implant traditionally requires the use of the metal or plastic impression copings, analogs, and laboratory components. Simplifying the dental implant restoration by reducing armamentarium through incorporating conventional techniques used daily for crowns and bridges will allow more general dentists to restore implants in their practices. The demonstrated technique is useful when modifications to implant abutments are required to correct the angulation of malpositioned implants. This technique …

Couple Resilience To Economic Pressure Over Time And Across Generations, April S. Masarik, Monica J. Martin, Emilio Ferrer, Frederick O. Lorenz, Katherine J. Conger, Rand D. Conger

Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Research suggests that economic stress disrupts perceived romantic relationship quality; yet less is known regarding the direct influence of economic stress on negative behavioral exchanges between partners over time. Another intriguing question concerns the degree to which effective problem-solving might protect against this hypothesized association. To address these issues, the authors studied two generations of couples who were assessed approximately 13 years apart (Generation 1: N = 367, Generation 2: N = 311). On average and for both generations, economic pressure predicted relative increases in couples’ hostile, contemptuous, and angry behaviors; however, couples who were highly effective problem solvers experienced …

How We Saved Ourselves: A Look At The Positive Coping Strategies The Orphans Of The 1994 Genocide Against Tutsis Implemented During Bereavement, Gregory Barber

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Recent estimates report that there are approximately 145 million children worldwide who have lost at least one parent as a result of various causes (Development, 2008). Parental death is one of the most traumatic events that can occur in childhood (Haine, 2006). Literature has also indicated that parental death places children at risk for many negative outcomes, including mental health problems, grief, lower academic success, self-esteem, and greater external locus of control (Lutzke, 1997). Between April and July 1994, 800,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans died in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis. Because of the 1994 genocide against Tutsis, nearly 75,000 children …

Willpower Versus “Skillpower:” Examining How Self-Efficacy Works In Treatment For Marijuana Dependence, Ronald M. Kadden, Mark D. Litt

UCHC Articles - Research

Self-efficacy has repeatedly been demonstrated to be a robust predictor of outcomes in the treatment of marijuana use disorders. It is not clear, however, how increases in confidence in ability to refrain from use get translated into actual improvements in drug-related outcomes. Marlatt, among others, viewed the acquisition and use of coping skills as the key to behavior change, and self-efficacy as a cognitive state that enabled coping. But that model of behavior change has not been supported, and few studies have shown that the effects of self-efficacy are mediated by coping or by other processes. The current study combined …

Research Brief: "Coping, Family Social Support, And Psychological Symptoms Among Student Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study is about coping styles among student veterans and what is related to various coping styles. For policy and practice, universities should understand veterans' stigmatization of mental health services and should improve cultural competence; the Department of Veterans Affairs should work with universities to ensure student veteran success. Suggestions for future research include using a larger, more representative sample and looking at the effects of actual versus perceived social support.

Research Brief: "Women At War: Understanding How Women Veterans Cope With Combat And Military Sexual Trauma", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This brief is about stressors during military service that OEF/OIF female veterans experienced and how they coped with the stress. In policy and practice, female veterans should tell healthcare providers of their healthcare needs, and should form support groups with other veteran women; family members should support returning female service members; the VA should adapt its services to address the needs of female veterans, policymakers should allocate funding toward creating non-VA mental health and substance abuse counseling, and the VA should offer gender-specific mental health programs. Suggestions for future research include analyzing differences between age groups and length of time …

Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Positive Affect Intervention To Reduce Stress In People Newly Diagnosed With Hiv; Protocol And Design For The Iriss Study, J T. Moskowitz, A W. Carrico, M A. Cohn, L G. Duncan, Cori Bussolari, K Layous, J R. Hult, A Brousset, P Cotten, S Maurer, M E. Pietrucha, M Acree, J Wrubel, M O. Johnson, F M. Hecht, S Folkman

School of Education Faculty Research

Increasing evidence suggests that positive affect plays an important role in adaptation to chronic illness, independent of levels of negative affects like depression. Positive affect may be especially beneficial for people in the midst of severe stress, such as the diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). As medical treatments for HIV have improved, the number of people living with HIV has increased, and prevention strategies tailored specifically to people living with HIV have become a priority. There is a need for effective, creative, client-centered interventions that can be easily disseminated to community treatment settings, but there are currently few established …

Dimensions Of Religiousness And Cancer Screening Behaviors Among Church-Going Latinas, Jennifer D. Allen, John E. Perez, Claudia R. Pischke, Laura S. Tom, Alan Juarez, Hosffman Ospino, Elizabeth Gonzalez-Suarez

Psychology

Churches are a promising setting through which to reach Latinas with cancer control efforts. A better understanding of the dimensions of religiousness that impact health behaviors could inform efforts to tailor cancer control programs for this setting. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between dimensions of religiousness with adherence to cancer screening recommendations among church-going Latinas. Female Spanish-speaking members, aged 18 and older from a Baptist church in Boston, Massachusetts (N = 78), were interviewed about cancer screening behaviors and dimensions of religiousness. We examined adherence to individual cancer screening tests (mammography, Pap test, and colonoscopy), …

The Relationship Between Collective Action And Well-Being And Its Moderators: Pervasiveness Of Discrimination And Dimensions Of Action, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

Given the negative impact of perceiving gender discrimination on health (e.g., Pascoe & Smart Richman, 2009), there is a need to develop interventions to attenuate this effect; collective action may be one such intervention. Study 1 (N = 185) used an experimental paradigm to investigate whether undergraduate women in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada perceived pervasiveness of discrimination would interact with their collective action-taking to predict negative mood and well-being. Results showed that among those perceiving pervasive gender discrimination, informing friends/family and informing the media led to greater well-being than doing nothing, whereas among those perceiving gender discrimination as isolated, doing nothing …

Coping Responses And Mental Health Symptoms In Incarcerated Juvenile Males, Jennifer Renae Newhard

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Coping responses develop throughout the lifespan of an individual. Unfortunately for some, difficult life circumstances may lead to the use of maladaptive forms of coping. This study investigated coping responses amongst male incarcerated juvenile offenders and examined which specific mental health symptoms may occur with specific coping responses. The goal of this study was to determine whether male incarcerated juvenile offenders utilize avoidant coping responses over approach coping responses. Also, this study investigated whether specific mental health symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, anger, and disruptive behaviors, were more prevalent amongst those who utilize avoidant coping responses. De-identified, archival data for …

Identifying Disease Characteristics, Parent Experience And Coping Strategies When Predicting Pediatric Illness-Related Stress In Parents Of Children With Mitochondrial Disease, Brenda Senger

Nursing Faculty Scholarship

Mitochondrial disease (mito) is a group of rare, inherited, chronic, life-limiting, incurable neurodegenerative disorders known to affect children early in life that result from failure of the mitochondria to turn food into energy. The diagnosis of mito is elusive and complex, with a variety of clinical manifestations, multisystem involvement and the lack of a reliable biological marker for screening and diagnosis. The unpredictable prognosis and erratic nature of this illness can be overwhelming to parents who bear the daily responsibilities of managing the child's care. Little is known about the experience of parents caring for a child with mito.

Objective …

Improving Function In Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Randomized Clinical Trial., Barry W. Rovner, Robin J Casten, Mark T Hegel, Robert W Massof, Benjamin E. Leiby, Allen C. Ho, William S. Tasman

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of problem-solving therapy (PST) with supportive therapy (ST) to improve targeted vision function (TVF) in age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

DESIGN: Single-masked, attention-controlled, randomized clinical trial with outcome assessments at 3 months (main trial endpoint) and 6 months (maintenance effects).

PARTICIPANTS: Patients with AMD (n = 241) attending retina practices.

INTERVENTIONS: Whereas PST uses a structured problem-solving approach to reduce vision-related task difficulty, ST is a standardized attention-control treatment.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed TVF, the 25-item National Eye Institute Vision Function Questionnaire plus Supplement (NEI VFQ), the Activities Inventory (AI), and vision-related quality of life …

Intimate Partner Violence And Mental Health Effects: A Population-Based Study Among Married Women In Karachi, Pakistan, Tazeen S. Ali, Ingrid Mogren, Gunilla Krantz

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is recognized all over the world for its association with mental health problems in women. In Pakistan, such violence occurs commonly, but detailed information on mental health effects is scarce. The purpose of this study is to focused on married couples in urban Karachi to investigate mental health effects associated with physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated by husbands towards wives. Disclosure rates and health care-seeking behaviour were also investigated.
Method: This cross-sectional study involved 759 women between the ages of 25 and 60 years, selected using a multi-stage random sampling technique. The women …

Psychological Resilience Of Western Australian Police Officers: Relationship Between Resilience, Coping Style, Psychological Functioning And Demographics, Gemma M. Balmer, Julie Ann Pooley, Lynne Cohen

Research outputs 2013

This study examines the relationships between resilience, coping style, psychological functioning and the demographic variables of gender, age, rank and length of service in a sample of 285 Western Australian Police officers. Regression analysis indicated that resilience was predicted by greater use of rational coping and less use of emotional coping, but not psychological functioning. Increased age, rank and length of service were all correlated with significantly lower resilience scores. Significant differences in coping styles were found for all demographic variables. Implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Racism And Illicit Drug Use Among African American Women: The Protective Effects Of Ethnic Identity, Affirmation, And Behavior, Danelle Stevens-Watkins, Brea Perry, Kathi L. Harp, Carrie B. Oser

Sociology Faculty Publications

Though recent evidence indicates that rates of illicit drug use among African American women are now higher than the national average, little is known about the etiology of substance use in this population. In addition, the effects of racism and other cultural factors are understudied and may be unique amongst African American women. This cross-sectional study explores risk and protective factors for drug use among 204 African American women. More specifically, associations between racism experiences and drug use are investigated in the context of potential moderating influences (i.e., psychosocial resources, social safety net variables, and cultural identity and practices). Findings …

Stress, Coping And Suicide Ideation In Chinese College Students, Xiaoyun Zhang, Haiping Wang, Yan Ruth Xia, Xiaohong Liu, Eunju Jung

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The study was to examine 1) whether stress and coping styles could significantly predict the probability of suicide ideation; 2) and whether coping styles were mediators or moderators on the association between life stress and suicide ideation. The survey was conducted in a sample of 671 Chinese college students. Approximately twenty percent students reported having suicide ideation. Life stress, active coping styles, and passive coping styles all had independent effect on the probability of suicide ideation. Passive coping styles, especially fantasizing, mediated the relation between life stress and suicide ideation. Moderation hypotheses were not supported. Implications of the findings and …

Risk Factors For Alcohol Problems In Victims Of Partner Violence, Howard A. Tennen

UCHC Articles - Research

Despite the high prevalence of alcohol problems and disorders among women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV), factors related to current alcohol use are understudied. We examined current risk factors for alcohol problems among 143 substance-using, IPV-exposed women recruited from an urban community from 2007-2010. PTSD symptom severity was associated with alcohol-related problems and a positive alcohol screen; physical IPV severity was related to alcohol dependence. Posthoc analyses revealed that PTSD symptom severity mediated relationships between physical IPV severity and hazardous, harmful, and dependent drinking. Focusing on managing PTSD symptoms and physical IPV in community-based interventions may halt the progression …

Women At War: Understanding How Women Veterans Cope With Combat And Military Sexual Trauma, Kristin M. Mattocks, Sally G. Haskell, Erin E. Krebs, Amy C. Justice, Elizabeth M. Yano, Cynthia Brandt

Public Health Resources

The wars in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom, OIF) and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom, OEF) have engendered a growing population of US female veterans, with women now comprising 15% of active US duty military personnel. Women serving in the military come under direct fire and experience combatrelated injuries and trauma, and are also often subject to in-service sexual assaults and sexual harassment. However, little is known regarding howwomen veterans cope with these combat and military sexual trauma experiences once they return from deployment. To better understand their experiences, we conducted semi-structured interviews with nineteen OEF/OIF women veterans between JanuaryeNovember 2009. Women …

Perceived Coping & Concern Predict Terrorism Preparedness In Australia, Garry Stevens, Kingsley Agho, Melanie Taylor, Alison L. Jones, Margo Barr, Beverley Raphael

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background In the aftermath of major terrorist incidents research shows population shifts towards protective behaviours, including specific preparedness and avoidance responses. Less is known about individual preparedness in populations with high assumed threat but limited direct exposure, such as Australia. In this study we aimed to determine whether individuals with high perceived coping and higher concern would show greater preparedness to respond to terrorism threats. Methods Adults in New South Wales (NSW) completed terrorism perception and response questions as part of computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) in 2010 (N=2038). Responses were weighted against the NSW population. Multiple logistic regression analyses …

Response To An Abnormal Ovarian Cancer-Screening Test Result: Test Of The Social Cognitive Processing And Cognitive Social Health Information Processing Models, Michael A. Andrykowski, Edward J. Pavlik

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

All cancer screening tests produce a proportion of abnormal results requiring follow up. Consequently, the cancer-screening setting is a natural laboratory for examining psychological and behavioural response to a threatening health-related event. This study tested hypotheses derived from the social cognitive processing and cognitive-social health information processing models in trying to understand response to an abnormal ovarian cancer (OC) screening test result. Women (n = 278) receiving an abnormal screening test result a mean of 7 weeks earlier were assessed prior to a repeat screening test intended to clarify their previous abnormal result. Measures of disposition (optimism, informational coping style), …

A Typology Of Coping In Couples Undergoing Fertility Treatment, Brennan Peterson, Matthew Pirritano, Lone Schmidt

Marriage and Family Therapy Faculty Presentations

Poster presentation about the use of cluster analysis to identify clinically meaningful groups of infertile couples, and how such profiles can be used by medical and mental health professionals.

Religiosity, Coping, And Psychological Well-Being Among Latter-Day Saint Polynesian In The U.S., Kawika Allen, P. Paul Heppner

Faculty Publications

There is limited knowledge about coping and psychological adjustment in Latter-Day Saint (LDS) Polynesians. This study examined religiosity, collectivistic coping, and psychological well-being among 94 LDS Polynesians residing in the Midwest. As hypothesized, religiously committed LDS Polynesians were more likely to have a healthy psychological well-being and were also likely to use collectivistic coping styles, such that high helpfulness ratings on family support and religion-spirituality coping styles were significantly correlated with a positive psychological well-being. Family support also moderated the relationship between LDS Polynesians’ religious commitment and psychological well-being. Implications are discussed in terms of religiosity, culture, coping, and psychological …

A Qualitative Study Of Coping In Mothers Of Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder, Heather Miller Kuhaneck, Tajhma Burroughs, Jamie Wright, Theresa Lemanczyk, Amy Rowntree Darragh

Occupational Therapy Faculty Publications

A significant body of research exists that explores the stressors of raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are fewer studies, however, that examine specific effective coping strategies of mothers of children with an ASD. This qualitative study explored mothers’ perceptions of effective coping strategies for their parenting stressors. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 mothers to inquire about their personal coping methods. Interviews were coded and emergent themes identified which included coping strategies such as “me time,” “planning,” “knowledge is power,” “sharing the load,” “lifting the restraints of labels,” and “recognizing the joys.” The information from …

Coping, Productive Time Use, And Negative Mood Among Adults With Severe Mental Illness: A Daily Diary Study, Philip T. Yanos, Michelle L. West, Stephen M. Smith

Publications and Research

Most studies on coping among persons with severe mental illness have relied on retrospective self-report methods; a limitation of this methodology is susceptibility to recall bias. The purpose of the present investigation was to expand the current understanding of the impact of coping among persons with severe mental illness by examining coping strategies, mood, and social functioning (operationalized as productive time use) using a daily process design. Twenty-seven adults diagnosed with severe mental illness completed baseline clinical interviews and up to 20 days of nightly telephone interviews addressing coping and daily life. A total of 198 coping efforts were reported …

Who Helps The Helper? Lessons On Grieving, Suanne Maurer-Starks, Kimberly A. Wise, James E. Leone, Jayne Kitsos

Movement Arts, Health Promotion and Leisure Studies Faculty Publications

Context: Grief is something that will touch all of us. We expect loss to occur in our personal lives and seem to be somewhat prepared for how to cope with it when it happens. In the profession of athletic training, we may not expect loss to occur as readily–especially if we are working with a young, seemingly healthy population. As such, when an athlete, student, or colleague suffers a catastrophic injury, illness, or death, we may not be able to process the loss and be left with unresolved grief.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to review theories on …

Predictors And Outcomes Of Postpartum Mothers' Perceptions Of Readiness For Discharge After Birth, Marianne E. Weiss, Lisa Lokken

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Objective: To identify predictors and outcomes of postpartum mothers' perceptions of their readiness for hospital discharge. Design: A correlational design with path analyses was used to explore predictive relationships among transition theory-related variables. Setting: Midwestern tertiary perinatal center. Participants: One hundred and forty-one mixed-parity postpartum mothers who had experienced vaginal birth or Cesarean delivery of normal healthy infants. Methods: Before hospital discharge, patients completed questionnaires about sociodemographic characteristics, hospitalization factors, quality of discharge teaching, and readiness for discharge. Three weeks postdischarge, mothers were contacted by telephone to collect coping difficulty and health care utilization data. Main Outcome Measures: Readiness for …

Perceiving Pervasive Discrimination Over Time: Implications For Coping, Mindi D. Foster

Psychology Faculty Publications

This study suggests the effects of perceived pervasiveness may be dynamic over time. The hypothesis was that participants who perceived discrimination to be highly pervasive would initially be more likely to engage in inactive coping strategies than those who perceived low pervasiveness. However, those who continued to perceive high pervasiveness over time would ultimately show greater evidence of using active strategies than those perceiving low pervasiveness. Using a 28-day diary, women and ethnic minorities described their daily experiences of discrimination and indicated their appraisals of its pervasiveness as well as their coping strategies. Results showed that participants who initially perceived …