As an example of current trends in research on children's coping, this article reviews a small set of recent pediatric psychology studies that describe children's active, information-seeking styles of coping versus avoidant or information-denying coping. The review highlights the need for tighter, more complete concepts and improved methods.…

Compared qualitative aspects of problem solving among suicide attempters (N=13), suicide ideators (N=16), and nonsuicidal psychiatric patients (N=31). Found less versatility, more avoidance, less relevance, more negative affect and less reference to future in solutions of suicidal patients than nonsuicidal patients and more active solutions…

The excerpts from a speech to special educators suggest coping strategies for teachers: (1) adopt a consultative attitude; (2) develop the intellectual side of your professional identity; and (3) know your limits as a professional. (DB)

Discusses working with groups of cancer patients and the psychological problems of these persons. Discusses these issues for group work in cancer treatment: support; sharing feelings; building coping skills; information and education; and existential considerations. Discusses nature of participation, leadership, and membership considerations in…

A typology of adaptations to unemployment was constructed using data from a 15-week longitudinal investigation of the experiences of 153 unemployed people. The typology was split between low-stress and high-stress adaptation. Counseling implications are discussed for those in the high-stress adaptation groups. (Author/TE)

This article, written from the perspective of a special educator who has a daughter with mental retardation, describes the marital stress that having a child with a disability brings about. The article also notes the importance of parents getting away by themselves and offers suggestions for accomplishing this. (JDD)

Reports the effects of a hospital-to-home transitional support program for 47 mothers of infants who were treated in an intensive-care unit. Findings indicate positive effects of the program on the sense of competence, perceived control, and responsiveness of mothers who needed the most support. (RJC)

Sentence completion stems about coping were administered to 30 learning-handicapped adolescents and 30 nonhandicapped controls. Content analysis established 4 categories of stress: frustrated efforts, direct conflict, social injustice, and performance issues. Subjects did not identify performance issues as a source of stress; subjects gave more…

Describes the experiences of one farm family over an eight year period: loss of a farm, move to another distant farm, and accidental death of a family member. Discusses multigenerational expectations, feelings of failure, threats to self-esteem, locus of control conflicts, effects of grief and vulnerability, and coping resources. (SV)

Findings from a study based on interviews with 141 first-grade, third-grade, and kindergarten students indicate that the primary stressors perceived by these students are school work and peer relationships. The coping strategies most often mentioned by these children were social support and acceptance, direct action, and distraction. (IAH)

Discusses the ways in which nonhostile, self-accepting, realistic humor may be an important coping strategy for children. Offers practical suggestions for parents, teachers, and other caretakers to encourage the development of humor in children. (FMW)

Author explains why he disagrees with concept of rational suicide, asserting that what some see as basis for rational suicide, he sees as basis for therapy. Discusses particular circumstances of the very old, disabled, and terminally ill. Contends that effective psychotherapy is possible with terminally ill. Concludes that, although he opposes…

Two surveys of university students examined the behavior of diary-keeping. Indications of motives for diary-keeping and the material entered in diaries suggests the behavior is a means of organizing one's life and for expressing thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The organizing characteristic of diary-keeping was often a useful strategy for…

Logit results show suddenness of death contributes to likelihood parent will feel anger while anticipatory socialization to death or recency of death decreases odds of feeling anger toward child. All variables decrease likelihood parents will feel desire to punish someone for death of child. (BF)

Rather than avoid stress, superintendents need to control and use it to their advantage. They should become familiar with the stress cycle, which progresses from stress traps through perceived stress, coping responses, and consequences (burnout). Superintendents can avoid burnout by focusing on important matters, confronting conflict positively,…