Examined effects of incarceration on family life among 63 inmates and 38 inmate wives. Contrasted those who participated in Family Reunion (conjugal visits) Program with nonparticipants. Found that coping was in normal range for both groups of inmates and wives and, except for measures of wives' passive appraisal, did not differ according to…

Provides guidelines from social work perspective on how social workers and health care professionals can provide bereavement counseling for families whose relatives have died in emergency room. Discusses providing family with privacy and accessibility; keeping family informed; using understandable terminology; speaking directly about death;…

Reviews research concerned with stress and coping during adolescence, using depression as example of consequence of stress and coping processes. Hypothesizes that exposure to and appraisals of interpersonal stress combine with aspects of biological development and use of maladaptive coping strategies to account for emergence of significant gender…

Examined stress perceived by telephone intervention volunteers (N=80) at suicide prevention center. Only amount of experience in telephone intervention with suicidal persons predicted stress level before shift. Stress during high-urgency call was related to level of urgency of call; total length of all calls received; and coping mechanisms of…

Investigates relations between economic hardship, coping, and family relationships in African-American, Latino, and Euro-American families. Results indicate similarities in the families' experiences of economic distress, yet significant differences in the overall pattern of relations among the three ethnic groups. (Author/MKA)

Data pertaining to the reputations, self-concepts, and coping strategies of secondary-school Volatile Solvent Users (VSUs; n=31), ex-VSUs (n=44), and non-VSUs (n=48) in Western Australia were obtained. Findings reveal that differences between the groups were more attributable to reputation enhancement than to self-concept or coping strategies.…

The usefulness of the Five-Factor personality domains of the NEO Personality Inventory (P. Costa and R. McCrae, 1992) in identifying subtypes was studied with 3,256 substance abusers. Three groups, differing in coping style, psychopathological symptoms, and pattern of substance choice, were reliably identified. Implications for use of the measure…

Reviews the history of black-white intimate relationships in the United States and presents a model of the development of relationships for black-white couples. The postulated stages are: (1) racial awareness; (2) coping; (3) identity emergence; and (4) maintenance. (SLD)

Addresses the problem of stress and outlines the steps for self-hypnosis as an effective method of teaching inner-city college freshmen ways of coping with the pressures of higher education. The described method can be used in numerous settings with all populations. An appendix provides the Stress Identification and Evaluation Form. (Author/MKA)

Counselors in a variety of settings will most likely be faced with clients with a history of child sexual abuse. Counselors should be aware of what to expect in terms of their own personal issues when confronted with a sexual-abuse survivor. This article describes counselor reactions to sexual-abuse survivors and examines ways counselors can cope…

Camp Releaf, a weekend camp in North Carolina, uses therapeutic recreation to help children in grades K-8 develop positive coping skills for dealing with the recent death of a family member. The camp's therapeutic activities are described. Sidebars outline the nature of grief in different age groups and suggestions for working with grieving…

Examines the relative influences of family functioning (general) and family members' sense of competence (specific) on the community adaptation of 180 seriously mentally-ill adults. Although both variables were significantly associated with the ill family member's level of adaptation, sense of competence was the more powerful influence.…

Reports on an experimental study to address the gap in research literature about the effectiveness of school counselors' use of play-therapy intervention as a way for children to communicate conflicts. Findings suggest that children whose coping skills hinder personal learning can be assisted with six sessions of child-centered play therapy.…

Examined relationship between self-esteem and coping strategies in adolescents in grades 7 to 12. Found that adolescents with lower self-esteem and boys used more avoidance coping strategies; girls used social and spiritual supports. No age differences were found. Findings posed implications for intervention strategies. (JPB)

Studies show that people who volunteer are happier and healthier, perhaps due to enhanced social support, less self-focus, and fewer goal conflicts. Volunteering seems most beneficial for people whose social activities provide cognitive support for coping with major developmental challenges. (SK)