Surveyed 37 Australian fictional works for young adults to determine how the main characters cope with health issues, and compared the findings with young people's real-life coping strategies. Results indicate that Australian authors present teenage readers with valuable insights into ways of dealing with abuse, illness, and sexuality. (AEF)

Assesses the impact of the 1992 Los Angeles (L.A.) civil disturbances on psychosocial functioning. The impact was worst in the south central communities of L.A. Higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were found among respondents who reported disturbance-related experiences. Exposure to an acute event was predictive of current PTSD…

Describes Critical Incident Stress Debriefing process (CISD) as model designed to mitigate impact of life-threatening crises on health care workers, to facilitate their return to routine functioning, and to prevent pathological responses to trauma that is inherent aspect of their profession. Examines development of CISD and explores its…

Examined coping and family adaptation in siblings (n=32) of cancer patients, their ill brothers and sisters (n=19), and control group of nonclinical children (n=10) with healthy siblings. Gender and age of sibling, birth order, and number of siblings were examined. Found better adaptation in larger families and decreased family involvement among…

Reacts to several exercise/stress reviews, examining critically what the authors suggested as implications for professional training and practice. (SM)

Psychometric properties of the Marital Coping Inventory (MCI) were evaluated by administering it and other measures to 120 newlywed couples, by observing spouses discussing marital problems, and by readministering the inventory to 104 spouses after 6 months. Results clarify coping in marriage. Implications for use of the instrument are discussed.…

Describes the threat of earthquakes, especially in southern California, and the development of a plan that would help parents, children, and staff cope with the emotions and trauma of earthquakes. Strategies include conducting monthly drills, stockpiling supplies, encouraging conversations about earthquakes, and holding a "Pretend Quake…

Data from 604 depressed patients in The Medical Outcomes Study showed improvements in measures of functioning and well-being associated with patients who were employed, drank less alcohol, had active coping styles and higher levels of social support, who had active and less avoidant coping styles, who were physically active, and who had fewer…

This article offers guidelines for applying creative thinking to modern life stresses, focusing on the organization of experience into meaningful patterns. Suggestions are drawn from typical adult life stages, changes in role perception, mental effects of physical exercise, the use of suggestive fiction, mental classification of experience, and…

A study of 107 15- and 17-year olds examined the relationship between adolescents' general coping styles (problem focused, emotion focused, or cognitive) and their perceptions of parental child-rearing practices (authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, or neglectful). Findings were consistent with the view that parents' child-rearing techniques…

It is important for early childhood professionals to learn about childhood fears so that they can help children cope with them. Children's fears are normal, the nature of preschoolers' fears is related to their cognitive development, and a child's temperament and sense of autonomy may influence the extent of and manner of reaction to a fearful…

Reports the results of testing the reliability and stability of a stress-coping model. Data was collected over a 1-year period from 230 managerial women; 1 year later, 135 of the subjects remaining completed 3 additional assessments. Over this two-year interval, the model reliably represented the relationships among the measures. (LKS)

The early education older adults received and current emphasis on recreational adult education will not prepare them for future challenges. Older adults need to be resilient, resourceful, and financially independent; they must learn to cope with sociocultural and technological change, maintain physical and mental health, and develop…

To study the relationship between parental rearing practices and coping dispositions, 75 female and 65 male college freshmen completed the Children's Report of Parental Behavior Inventory and the COPE instrument. Findings support the indirect influence of rearing style on coping dispositions through their impact on feelings of competence and…

Describes an information-processing task that assesses the degree of attentional bias toward words with abusive connotations. In a group of eating-disordered women, this instrument was used to demonstrate that reported sexual abuse was associated with a greater cognitive bias toward abuse-related information. Associated with self-denigratory…