Examined whether positive and negative social ties moderate effects of negative daily events on psychological distress of 110 older adults. Effect of negative daily events on psychological distress significantly decreased as positive social ties increased. Negative social ties did not interact with negative daily events to influence psychological…

Discusses potential benefits of humor when it is integrated with guided imagery to alleviate stress. Indroduces the Humorous Imagery Situation Technique, a therapeutic method of systematically using humor for stress management which produces a method for the client to use humor to reflect on major problem areas. Includes a case example which…

Describes development and evaluation of workshop program to help people become more confident and effective as decision makers in which participants (N=76) learned about the major decisional coping patterns and the critical steps of decision making. Found workshops promoted increased confidence in decision making and less reported use of…

Suggests that illusions by clients about themselves and their environments could be purposeful and facilitative, perhaps serving as an effective coping mechanism against a painful experience. Presents counselors with several examples and one brief case study in a condensed synthesis of research and theory on the accommodating and positive reasons…

Distinguishes between unchosen transitions (children maturing and leaving, parents aging, companies downsizing) and chosen ones (moving, divorce, marriage, career changes). Describes the steps one goes through: uneasiness, renewed energy, complaining, exploration, partial transition, and the completed transition. (JOW)

Reviews long and short forms of self-report inventory designed to assess utilization of coping strategies as being either stable across differing problem situations or situation-specific. Describes inventory as carefully constructed with sufficient statistical properties. Suggests need for criterion-related validity examination. (CRR)

Considers some of the issues and concerns that confront academic counseling psychologists during the early professional years (6-10 years post-Ph.D). Tenure, competency, role overload/burnout, and mobility issues are also briefly discussed. Presents strategies or coping techniques for dealing with these issues and concerns where appropriate.…

Sixty cancer chemotherapy patients were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: relaxation training with guided relaxation imagery (RT), general coping preparation (PREP), both RT and PREP, or routine clinic treatment only. Found that PREP intervention increased patients' knowledge of disease and treatment, reduced anticipatory side effects,…

Explored critical events during adolescence and coping processes as dependent on the relationship with peers and on the type of peer groups teenagers join. Results with Italian adolescents (n=75) indicated the nature of the group adolescents joined was of minor importance, but the relationship established with peers was crucial. (Author/ABL)

Studied stress, strain, depression, and coping resources in nuns and clergywomen (n=254). Found nuns had less stress and strain, less depression, and better coping resources than female clergywomen. Female Reform rabbis experienced most stress, strain, and possible depression, with lowest coping resources. (Author/ABL)

Examined how women cope with physical and emotional abuse while remaining with their abusive partners. Of 130 women who had experienced conflict or violence in close heterosexual relationship, 44 were still involved in abusive relationship. Findings suggest that women who stay with abusive partners employ cognitive strategies that help them…

Familiarizes counselors with role of death fear as primary source of anxiety for all individuals. Attempts to define death anxiety and demonstrate how defense mechanisms used to deny it can affect development in young adulthood. Provides three examples of maladaptive modes of behavior resulting from ineffective defense mechanisms (addiction,…

Using middle school students (N=1,454), examines the factor structure of the Coping Resources Inventory Scale for Educational Enhancement (CRISEE), an instrument designed to measure coping resources in youth. Results provide evidence that the CRISEE may be a reliable measure of dimensionally distinct types of coping resources. (Author/MKA)

Naturalistic inquiry and content analysis were used to examine the lives of successful adult learners. When confronted with failure, these learners engaged in problem solving, visioning, objectifying, emotional, reflecting, partnering, and active learning behaviors that motivated them toward further achievement. (SK)

Examines coping and emotional distress in children (N=50) assisting an elderly mother hospitalized for depression. The hypothesis that maternal object-relations would be related to more adaptive coping and less emotional distress received partial support, whereas the idea that mothers' history of depression would be associated with the child's…