Speech-anxious students were assigned to self-administered treatment conditions: (1) systematic desensitization, (2) desensitization with meditation replacing progressive relaxation, and (3) meditation only. Treatment manuals included coping-skill instructions. Treatments were equally effective in reducing anxiety and produced a greater reduction…

This guide was designed to help individuals interested in developing caregiver support groups. It begins with an overview of the caregiving situation, identifying stresses associated with caregiving and factors which have been shown to moderate stress. Purposes of a support group are discussed; differences between support and therapy groups are…

This book is designed to help young adolescents cope with the reality of their parents divorcing. It speaks directly to young adolescents and attempts to answer questions that concern their worst fears and anxieties about what a divorce will mean for them. It provides strategies to help them resolve or handle the confusion, hurt, and conflict they…

Self-help groups of elderly persons (N=42), who had been blind for several years, met by phone for short-term problem solving and discussion of coping methods. Results indicated task-centered assignments helped the majority meet their goal of decreasing feelings of hopelessness and increasing social activities outside of the home. (Author)

"Aloneliness" includes such states as loneliness, solitude, alienation, and isolation. Resolution must be an individual issue with each client. Coping and conquering strategies can help individuals adapt and establish meaningful realtionships. (JAC)

Describes problem-solving training provided by the Discovery Program, a series of structured group discussions about common personal and social problems and how to cope with them. Discusses the program's advantages over other methods of teaching problem-solving skills. (SV)

Recent smoking treatment programs have shifted emphasis from initial cessation rates to long-term abstinence, with aversion therapy and coping response training having had the most success. A smoking cessation treatment consisting of rapid smoking and behavioral counseling was supplemented with two maintenance treatments. After completing the…

Studied effects of professionally led and peer-led family caregiver groups (N=56) on psychological functioning, informal support networks, and positive personal changes in handling of caregiver role. Found professionally led groups produced greatest psychological functioning improvement and peer-led groups produced greatest increases in informal…

This document presents a discussion of how to set up an on-campus peer support system designed to help college students cope with stress. The possible functions of a peer support center are outlined and features of a proposal for such a center are listed, including a clear mandate of the center, a rationale for the services to be provided, a list…

Alcohol abuse is a serious problem affecting not only the individual abuser, but also family, friends and society. The effectiveness of contracts as positive tools in the treatment of alcohol abuse was investigated for 15 current abusers randomly assigned to individual therapy sessions. Each subject completed a Personal History Questionnaire, the…

Burnout occurs when teachers are exposed to chronic stress without sufficient compensatory relaxation. Symptoms of burnout include physical, emotional, and attitudinal difficulties. Coping strategies for teachers include self-help groups and professional counseling. (JN)

This volume of studies which focus on women themselves is intended for persons who want to know more about what current research is revealing about women, their lives, and their mental health. The research topics address the following areas of concern: (1) sex roles and sex stereotypes; (2) women and work both inside and outside the home; (3)…

Members of two types of self-help groups assessed the occurence of various helping processes in their groups. Found self-help groups emphasized supportive and expressive processes while avoiding confrontive processes; and behavioral techniques were used more frequently by behavioral control groups than by stress coping groups. (RC)

This document addresses the problem faced by stress management programs in their attempts to increase self-awareness of stress response patterns and sources of stress. Drawbacks to the techniques of daily diaries and stress logs are noted and the use of computer-analyzed stress episode cards as a self-awareness feedback technique is explained. The…

A 5-week, 12-hour course given to the community emphasized understanding and coping with stress. At the beginning of the course several inventories were administered to the students, who also completed the instruments in a follow-up procedure 10-12 weeks after the end of the seminar. The course focused on recognition of stress signals and the…