The COVID-19 pandemic caused extreme hardships for K-12 schools throughout the United States, exacerbating existing challenges such as rising mental health concerns among students, teacher fatigue, and workforce shortages. This article examines the enduring impacts of the pandemic on students, school professionals, and school systems, and…

Background: Trauma is a ubiquitous and harmful public health concern. Much like individuals, organizations experience trauma and can embed it within their culture. Left unaddressed, trauma inhibits staff from confronting problems, communicating effectively, and generating solutions, factors that undermine organizational functioning. In response to…

This is a case study from Singapore. The purpose of the study is to critically enquire into the ways in which school counsellors working in Singapore's secondary school system describe and experience their role, and to identify key themes arising from the study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 participants, and an adapted grounded…

Biopsychosocial consequences of catastrophic events create an ongoing need for research that examines the effects of mass traumas, developing psychosocial interventions, and advocacy to address the needs of affected individuals, systems, and communities. Because it is neither possible nor necessarily desirable to intervene with all touched by…

General systems theory provides a theoretical framework for understanding stress and formulating problem-solving strategies. Both individuals and schools are systems, and general systems theory enables one to ask whether they are operating harmoniously and communicating effectively. (Author/RW)

This report offers a theoretical approach to the study of family adaptation to stress. Major works pertaining to family theory, research, and stress, published since 1979, are explored as a theoretical framework, and three conclusions are drawn from these sources: (1) Hill's ABCX model of family stress still influences family stress research; (2)…

Understanding and treatment of life stresses comprise a fundamental strategy that must be built into any program to maximize social functioning potential. (DM)

Presents a conceptualization of the process of divorce as a crisis of family transition. Rather than dissolving the family, divorce culminates in its redefinition from a nuclear to a binuclear system. Continuation of meaningful bonds between parents and children reduces major stresses associated with the process of family change. (Author)

Presents a family systems model for understanding the impact of chronic illness on family functioning and describes family-focused interventions related to reducing the stress involved during the adjustment process. (Author)

Knowledge gained from the theoretical and empirical literature on social support theory, family systems theory, and social ecology provide the foundation for a model which studies stress, support systems, and coping patterns within the family. Puerto Rican (N=87) and Italian (N=49) families were interviewed to identify stress factors and coping…

This paper presents an overview of systems theory as an introduction to the applications possible to a model of burnout. Literature dealing with burnout is reviewed and shown to be in an early, descriptive stage, with basic concepts largely unchallenged. Meier's (1982) expanded model of burnout, based on current cognitive-behavioral and vocational…

The 22 articles of this special issue focus on families with mentally, physically or emotionally disabled family members and discuss the importance of viewing the family as a system. Research studies and literature reviews report on family reaction, stress variables and coping techniques, placement decisions, and policy recommendations. (JAC)

Recent developments in family stress and coping research and a review of data and observations of families in a war-induced crisis situation led to an investigation of the relationship between a stressor and family outcomes. The study, based on the Double ABCX Model in which A (the stressor event) interacts with B (the family's crisis-meeting…

This literature review addresses perceived positive contributions of disabled persons to their families and proposes a new framework for such research. Considered first is the theoretical framework underlying Family Stress and Coping Theory, specifically the ABCX model of R. Hill and its modifications. Next, family research trends in the…