British Journal of Social Work, 51(5), 2021, pp.1551-1567.
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
...was associated with higher psychological distress and with job demands. In addition, emotion-focused coping strategies were found to mediate the association between job demands and psychological distress, especially ventilation of emotion beyond other strategies, which relate to emotion-focused coping. These findings are discussed with relation to a stress and coping theory, suggesting that in social work
(Edited publisher abstract)
The consequences of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have raised many challenges in the social services workforce. The current study aimed to examine the associations between job demands, coping strategies (i.e. emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping) and psychological distress exhibited by social workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the mediating role of different coping strategies was investigated for the associations revealed. The participants were 615 social workers, working in various organisations and with diverse populations in Israel. Each completed a validated self-report questionnaire. Results revealed that job demands were significantly associated with higher psychological distress, and that coping strategies, especially emotion-focused coping was associated with higher psychological distress and with job demands. In addition, emotion-focused coping strategies were found to mediate the association between job demands and psychological distress, especially ventilation of emotion beyond other strategies, which relate to emotion-focused coping. These findings are discussed with relation to a stress and coping theory, suggesting that in social work practice there is a need for intervention measures to improve social workers’ coping strategies during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
(Edited publisher abstract)
Subject terms:
Covid-19, stress, coping behaviour, social workers;
Children and Youth Services Review, 118, 2020, p.105466.
Publisher:
Elsevier
Backgrounds and aims: As COVID-19 spreads rapidly, this global pandemic has not only brought the risk of death but also spread unbearable psychological pressure to people around the world. The aim of this study was to explore (a) the mediating role of rumination in the association between stressors of COVID-19 and stress consequences of college students, and (b) the moderating role...
(Edited publisher abstract)
Backgrounds and aims: As COVID-19 spreads rapidly, this global pandemic has not only brought the risk of death but also spread unbearable psychological pressure to people around the world. The aim of this study was to explore (a) the mediating role of rumination in the association between stressors of COVID-19 and stress consequences of college students, and (b) the moderating role of psychological support in the indirect relationship between stressors of COVID-19 and stress consequences of college students. Methods: Eight hundred and forty-one Chinese college students (Mage = 19.50 years, SD = 1.580) completed the measures of stressors of COVID-19, stress consequences, rumination, and psychological support. Results: Stressors of COVID-19 were significantly positively associated with stress consequences, and mediation analyses indicated that rumination partially mediated this association. Moderated mediation analysis further revealed that psychological support buffered the relation between stressors of COVID-19 and rumination, as well as the relation between rumination and stress consequences. Discussion and conclusion: Findings of this study demonstrated that stressors associated with COVID-19 is positively related to rumination, which in turn, is related to stress consequences in college students. However, psychological support buffered this effect at both indirect mediation paths, suggesting that college students with greater psychological support may be better equipped to prevent negative stress consequences.
(Edited publisher abstract)
British Journal of Social Work, 50(1), 2020, pp.62-80.
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Burnout, secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious trauma (VT) are three highly prevalent work-related stress reactions experienced in helping professions, but prevalence rates and protective/risk factors of these stress reactions in protective services workers have been understudied. The purpose of the current study was to examine coping mechanisms utilised by protective services workers...
Burnout, secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious trauma (VT) are three highly prevalent work-related stress reactions experienced in helping professions, but prevalence rates and protective/risk factors of these stress reactions in protective services workers have been understudied. The purpose of the current study was to examine coping mechanisms utilised by protective services workers and their relationship with the experience of burnout, STS and VT. Participants (N = 228) completed online measures of coping strategies and work-related stress reactions. Socially supported coping was the only adaptive coping skill that significantly predicted less burnout in protective service workers and none of the adaptive coping skills were associated with decreased STS or VT symptoms, suggesting that adaptive coping skills may not be effective enough to combat work-related stress reactions in protective services workers. Furthermore, child protective services (CPS) workers reported experiencing significantly more burnout, VT and STS symptoms than adult/elder protective services workers. Given the findings, there is a need for the testing of interventions that target increasing professionals’ protective factors, especially CPS workers, for experiencing work-related stress reactions, rather than focusing solely on teaching and strengthening traditional coping skills, or addressing inconsistent risk factors.
Subject terms:
social workers, stress, coping behaviour, resilience;
Personality type can influence the ways in which people cope with stress and pressure in the workplace. This article encourages health care and nursing staff to look at what they can influence and control so they can be more proactive and effective. Methods of coping, decision making and coping with change are briefly covered. Part one of the article discussed research and health and wellbeing...
Personality type can influence the ways in which people cope with stress and pressure in the workplace. This article encourages health care and nursing staff to look at what they can influence and control so they can be more proactive and effective. Methods of coping, decision making and coping with change are briefly covered. Part one of the article discussed research and health and wellbeing and provided useful resources on preventing stress.
Administration in Social Work, 34(5), November 2010, pp.405-422.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
Social workers are vulnerable to work stresses characteristic of occupations that involve ongoing contact with people. This study investigated the relationships between social workers’ experiences when interfacing with managed care organisations, coping strategies, burnout, and somatic symptoms associated with such stress. A sample of 591 social workers from New York State completed
Social workers are vulnerable to work stresses characteristic of occupations that involve ongoing contact with people. This study investigated the relationships between social workers’ experiences when interfacing with managed care organisations, coping strategies, burnout, and somatic symptoms associated with such stress. A sample of 591 social workers from New York State completed questionnaires that included demographic questions and measures of perceived competence in the context of managed care, coping strategies, burnout, and somatic symptoms. Multiple regression analyses revealed that coping had statistically significant correlations with several burnout dimensions and with workers' perceived competence in the context of managed care. As coping provided the most comprehensive influence on workers' psychological and somatic reactions associated with burnout, the paper concludes that agencies provide social workers with adequate training to promote workers’ use of effective coping styles that are appropriate when interfacing with managed care organisations.
British Journal of Health Psychology, 15(3), September 2010, pp.681-696.
Publisher:
Wiley
This study investigated whether approach coping, avoidance coping, or perceptions of available social support mediated the relationship between Type D personality and perceived stress, and whether Type D moderated the relationship between perceived stress and symptoms of burnout. Three hundred and thirty four undergraduate students completed the Type D Scale-14, the Brief Approach/Avoidance...
This study investigated whether approach coping, avoidance coping, or perceptions of available social support mediated the relationship between Type D personality and perceived stress, and whether Type D moderated the relationship between perceived stress and symptoms of burnout. Three hundred and thirty four undergraduate students completed the Type D Scale-14, the Brief Approach/Avoidance Coping Questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. Findings indicated that resignation and withdrawal coping, but not social support partially mediated the relationship between Type D and perceived stress. A small moderation effect was found with Type D individuals experiencing higher levels of disengagement at low and average stress levels. The correlations between variables provided support for most of the prediction from the literature with regard to Type D personality. Twenty five percent of the participants were classified as Type D, and these individuals tended to use more passive and maladaptive avoidance coping strategies such as resignation and withdrawal. The authors concluded that this is associated with higher levels of perceived stress and linked to increased levels of burnout symptoms.
Child and Youth Care Forum, 38(5), October 2009, pp.239-251.
Publisher:
Springer
The aim of this second phase of a larger study was to identify common stress factors and associated coping strategies among childcare providers in the United States. Qualitative data, using in-depth focus group interviews, involving 10 child care workers, of mixed race, age and years of experience, from 7 licensed childcare centres was analysed. Stressful work factors included, work conditions...
The aim of this second phase of a larger study was to identify common stress factors and associated coping strategies among childcare providers in the United States. Qualitative data, using in-depth focus group interviews, involving 10 child care workers, of mixed race, age and years of experience, from 7 licensed childcare centres was analysed. Stressful work factors included, work conditions such as noise or the lack of adequate trained help. Client factors such as meeting the demands of both parents and children as client were highlighted. Work specific events such as day-to-day hassles and life events outside work also played a role. Over 20 different coping strategies falling under the headings of emotion-focused and/or avoidant and problem-focused were identified. Praying, meditation, positive self-talk, distractions such as a hobby, playing on the computer or just talking to adults rather than children during breaks were given as examples of emotion and avoidance coping strategies. Problem-focused strategies were not as common, but included getting help from a mentor or more experienced, knowledgeable colleague. While walking outside was commonly used to work off stress, workers often described having moments of high energy and spirits when taking the children outside, or just playing with them. Both these activities broke the routine and future research, say the authors, should be conducted on intervention tactics which both relieve stress in the worker and actively engage the children.
Subject terms:
stress, child care workers, child day care, coping behaviour;
Children and Society, 23(3), May 2009, pp.203-213.
Publisher:
Wiley
The aim was to describe and develop an understanding of children's lived experiences of coping with stress. Twenty-three Swedish children, ages 10–12, wrote open letters and were interviewed. The phenomenological analysis resulted in three main themes: (i) depending on oneself, others and the world around, (ii) choosing to be a doer and (iii) being in the here and now. The children's lived...
The aim was to describe and develop an understanding of children's lived experiences of coping with stress. Twenty-three Swedish children, ages 10–12, wrote open letters and were interviewed. The phenomenological analysis resulted in three main themes: (i) depending on oneself, others and the world around, (ii) choosing to be a doer and (iii) being in the here and now. The children's lived experiences of coping with stress were understood as them being relaxed and powerful. The children chose to be active doers or inactive beings and their relationships, as well as their surroundings, helped or hindered their coping. Possible health promotion work is discussed.
GOULD Laura Feagans, HUSSONG Andrea M., KEELEY Mary L.
Journal article citation:
Journal of Adolescence, 31(5), October 2008, pp.641-657.
Publisher:
Academic Press
The way in which adolescents cope with stressors in their lives has been established as an important correlate of adjustment. While most theoretical models of coping entail unfolding transactions between coping strategies and emotional arousal, the majority of coping measures tap only trait-level coping styles, ignoring both temporal and affective components of the coping process. The current study fills this gap by establishing the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure, the Adolescent Coping Process Interview (ACPI), that is more in line with transactional and developmental models of coping. Results indicate that the ACPI displays good psychometric properties, captures significant intra-individual variability in coping over the process, and points to emotional arousal as informing several coping-adjustment relationships. Moreover, the ACPI and similar approaches may help promote the development of more adaptive patterns of coping in adolescents by helping to identify specific points within the coping process at which to intervene.
The way in which adolescents cope with stressors in their lives has been established as an important correlate of adjustment. While most theoretical models of coping entail unfolding transactions between coping strategies and emotional arousal, the majority of coping measures tap only trait-level coping styles, ignoring both temporal and affective components of the coping process. The current study fills this gap by establishing the psychometric properties of a newly developed measure, the Adolescent Coping Process Interview (ACPI), that is more in line with transactional and developmental models of coping. Results indicate that the ACPI displays good psychometric properties, captures significant intra-individual variability in coping over the process, and points to emotional arousal as informing several coping-adjustment relationships. Moreover, the ACPI and similar approaches may help promote the development of more adaptive patterns of coping in adolescents by helping to identify specific points within the coping process at which to intervene.
International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 10(3), August 2008, pp.34-41.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
...to help uncover their perceived coping experiences. For the mothers in this study, coping includes efforts to manage stressful, challenging or difficult events, and is affected by lifestyle changes experienced since the birth of a child, the general difficulty of the mothering role and social pressures to succeed in that role. The longer a woman has been a mother, the more persistence and lack
Much of the existing research on women's mental health has not clarified the nature of the coping experience, nor taken a grounded theory approach using the participant's own words and meanings to describe the experience. Nine mothers, working full-time at home with an average of two children, identifying themselves as well, participated in a series of two unstructured, in-depth interviews to help uncover their perceived coping experiences. For the mothers in this study, coping includes efforts to manage stressful, challenging or difficult events, and is affected by lifestyle changes experienced since the birth of a child, the general difficulty of the mothering role and social pressures to succeed in that role. The longer a woman has been a mother, the more persistence and lack of stressors encountered in the home setting ('context') were all nominated as conditions affecting perceptions of coping.