Life Skills Training with Mothers of Handicapped Children

This paper describes a life skills training intervention with 230 mothers of children with a variety of developmental disabilities. The study's design evaluated the effects of a skills-building method developed to improve coping and social support networks of mothers of handicapped children. In groups of 10-12, mothers of handicapped children participated in one of two intervention groups: a skills-building intervention or a comparison treatment intervention using traditional counseling methods. At posttest assessment participants in the skills-building sessions demonstrated improved coping and communication skills, greater satisfaction with social support networks, and a reduction in depression and stress levels.     

Marital Conflict and Children's Adjustment: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Children's Coping Strategies

This prospective, longitudinal study examined the role of children's coping strategies in the link between interparental conflict and children's psychological adjustment. Using a sample of 100 parents and children aged 11–14 years, this study investigated children's venting of negative emotion, social support seeking, and problem solving strategies as mediators and moderators of the relationship between marital conflict and child adjustment. Venting negative emotion mediated the long‐term effects of marital conflict on children's psychological adjustment. This coping response also moderated the relationship between marital conflict and children's anxiety‐depression. The role of non‐constructive coping strategies as a mechanism through which marital conflict affects children's psychological well‐being is discussed, together with the need for research to identify intervention strategies aimed at improving children's coping efficacy in the context of interparental conflict.     

Longitudinal associations between coping and peer victimization: Moderation by gender and initial peer victimization

Stress coping theories suggest that the effectiveness of coping depends on the level of stress experienced. Existing research shows that efforts to cope with high levels of peer victimization may not prevent subsequent peer victimization. Additionally, associations between coping and peer victimization often differ between boys and girls. The present study included 242 participants (51% girls; 34% Black, 65% White; Mage = 15.75 years). Adolescents reported on coping with peer stress at age 16 and on overt and relational peer victimization at ages 16 and 17. Greater use of primary control engaged coping (e.g., problem-solving) was associated positively with overt peer victimization for boys with higher initial overt victimization. Primary control coping was also associated positively with relational victimization regardless of gender or initial relational peer victimization. Secondary control coping (e.g., cognitive distancing) was associated negatively with overt peer victimization. Secondary control coping was also associated negatively with relational victimization for boys. Greater use of disengaged coping (e.g., avoidance) was associated positively with overt and relational peer victimization for girls with higher initial victimization. Gender differences and the context and level of stress should be considered in future research and interventions related to coping with peer stress.     

The Journey of Hope: A Group Work Intervention for Children Who Have Experienced a Collective Trauma

This article presents the Journey of Hope, a school-based group work intervention for children and early adolescents who have experienced a collective trauma such as a natural disaster. This broad-based intervention takes an ecological approach to prevention and treatment and focuses on normalizing emotions and building coping skills after a disaster. Through the use of group work interventions such as use of rituals, group problem solving, and experiential and reflective learning, children and early adolescents work toward enhancing protective factors to help them in their recovery. Considering the short- and long-term emotional strains children may experience after a disaster, such group programs should be more widely accessible in schools.     

Enhancing Psychosocial Competence Among Black Women: A Psycho-Educational Group Model Approach

ABSTRACT

The lack of social work intervention models targeted toward the specific mental health needs of Black women has been recognized as a major gap in our knowledge concerning effective treatment. More recently, group work has been recognized as a useful and effective method of treatment for this population. This paper discusses the utility of a culturally specific, group intervention with Black women aimed at enhancing psychosocial competence as an effective mechanism to assist Black women in coping with the tasks of life and contributes to their ability to master life events. The model incorporates the use of literary works, authored by Black women as an innovative tool for enhancing the group process. Case vignettes are offered.     

Family Psychoeducation for Hepatitis C Patients and Their Families: Recommendation for Clinicians

PsychoEducation Responsive to Families for Persons coping with Hepatitis C (HCV-PERF) is a multifamily psychoeducation group model designed to help patients with hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) and their families navigate the illness and improve their readiness for treatment. The purpose of this article is to provide information and recommendations for clinicians interested in using the HCV-PERF model. The article provides details of the intervention model and presents thematic categories that evolved from analysis of interviews with clinicians with experience conducting and facilitating HCV-PERF groups. Based on these findings, recommendations were developed to inform and guide the use of HCV-PERF.     

Associations between Sadness and Anger Regulation Coping, Emotional Expression, and Physical and Relational Aggression among Urban Adolescents

This study examined associations between self-reports of sadness and anger regulation coping, reluctance to express emotion, and physical and relational aggression between two cohorts of predominantly African-American fifth (N  =  191; 93 boys and 98 girls) and eighth (N  =  167; 73 boys and 94 girls) graders. Multiple regression analyses indicated unique associations between relational aggression and expressive reluctance and sadness regulation coping. In contrast, physical aggression, but not relational aggression, was associated with anger regulation coping. These relations did not differ across gender, but the strength of the association between anger regulation coping and physical aggression varied by grade. Sadness regulation coping moderated the association between expressive reluctance and relational aggression. Conversely, anger regulation coping moderated the relation between expressive reluctance and physical aggression; however, the strength of this relation differed by gender. These findings have important implications for intervention efforts.     

Time-Limited Cognitive-Behavioral Group Interventions with Suicidal Adolescents

ABSTRACT

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents in the United States-following accidents and homicide. This paper reports on group based activities using a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) framework targeted at variables most highly correlated with suicidal ideation and behaviors, including problems associated with self-esteem, cognitive rigidity, social skills deficits, and substance use. Instead of focusing exclusively on treatment of depressive symptoms, this paper presents a series of structured group activities applicable to time-limited groups and designed to increase self-esteem, reduce negative thinking, enhance coping abilities, delimit substance use, and reintroduce the ability to seek and enjoy pleasurable activities with peers. The activities are derived from experiences with adolescents in treatment and are devised to foster rapid group stage development for use in time-limited groups.     

Burden,Coping and Health Status

This study investigates caregiver health, burden and coping strategies of family caregivers to institutionalized and community-dwelling Alzheimer's disease patients. Patient residence was significantly related to caregiver health status, sources of burden and the efficacy of various strategies for reducing burden. Implications for intervention with family caregivers are discussed.     

The mediating role of coping self‐efficacy beliefs on the relationship between parental conflict and child psychological adjustment

The effect of parental conflict on children's psychological adjustment is variable. Coping self‐efficacy refers to a person's perceived ability to self‐motivate and access the required cognitive resources to take control of, or exert their coping efforts in a stressful situation. This study investigated the mediating role of children's coping self‐efficacy beliefs between parental conflict and children's psychological adjustment (internalizing, externalizing, anxiety, and prosocial behavior). The participants were 663 school students in grade 5 (M = 10.17 years, SD = .53) and grade 7 (M = 12.11 years, SD = .52). The ethnic composition of the sample was approximately 72% White, 20% Asian, 4% Middle Eastern, and 4% from other ethnic groups. Coping self‐efficacy for avoiding maladaptive cognitions mediated the effect of parental conflict on children's internalizing symptoms longitudinally. The higher the level of parental conflict, the lower the level of children's coping self‐efficacy for avoiding maladaptive cognitions and in turn the higher their levels of internalizing. These findings support the mediational role of children's coping self‐efficacy beliefs in the context of parental conflict. It is proposed that these beliefs should be considered in designing and implementing preventative interventions for children in the context of parental conflict.     

A Theoretical Perspective on Coping With Stigma

Stigmatized people have a vast array of responses to stressors resulting from their devalued social status, including emotional, cognitive, biological, and behavioral responses. This article uses existing theory and research on general stress and coping responses to describe responses to stigma-related stressors and to discuss the adaptiveness of these responses.     

Clinically Significant Effects of Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Spouse Caregivers' Mental Health and Cognitive Functioning: A Pilot Study

The objective of this pilot study was to investigate whether group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in caregiver mood, burden, and cognition. We screened 97 caregivers in Toronto, Canada, of whom 25 with DSM-IV disorders began the 13-week CBT intervention, and 12 completed therapy and the 3-month follow-up. Each caregiver experienced clinically significant improvement on at least 2 of the following outcomes: diagnostic criteria, mood, attention, memory, and caregiver burden. Despite effectiveness, the challenges of recruiting distressed caregivers for therapy suggest that CBT might be most useful as part of a stepped care model of treatment.     

Addressing Individual Differences in Mobility Transition Counseling With Older Adults

In the final phase of a 3-phase project, the Assessment of Readiness for Mobility Transition (ARMT) was clinically validated, emphasizing assessment/intervention. ARMT and coping, health/vision status, and social support measures were administered to 133 community-dwelling older adults. Concurrent validity is supported. Higher readiness to cope with mobility transition and self-confidence related to fall risk, higher self-rated health/vision, and fewer maladaptive behaviors, but not social support/adaptive coping, suggesting that those at risk can benefit from person-centered intervention to mobilize strengths for transportation/mobility planning. Older drivers may harbor unrealistic expectations regarding nonfamily mobility support. Implications for practice, education, research, and policy are presented.     

Bereavement in Old Age:

Major theoretical and empirical studies of the bereavement process and its outcomes are reviewed within a framework of therapeutic intervention. Findings on the impact of bereavement and variables associated with successful and unsuccessful coping are examined for bereaved elderly. Research needs in this area, based on the limitations of previous studies, are also discussed.     

Marginalized Mothers: Parenting Without a Home

The authors of this study used participatory and interpretive methods to capture the lived experience, strengths, and needs of homeless mothers. The interview data obtained challenge unfounded stereotypes and provide information about women's coping behaviors and resilience. The findings were developed in collaboration with shelter guests and staff and have important implications for public and university policy and shelter programs. For example, researchers need to become more aware of the limitations of current psychological theories and assessment tools designed to measure "effective coping" in disenfranchised individuals. To accomplish this goal, increased collaboration among researchers, activists, policy makers, and homeless families is recommended (e.g., by instituting roundtable discussions as a standard part of shelter programs). It is also suggested that professional staff who work with women living in poverty avoid using deficit-oriented, victim-based models of intervention, and that staff provide women with opportunities to participate in the development of the curriculum for parenting classes.     

Wisdom from Life's Challenges: Qualitative Interviews with Low- and Moderate-Income Older Adults Who Were Nominated as Being Wise

Previous wisdom research tended to focus on cognitive and intellectual aspects, highly educated professionals and/or prominent subjects, and wisdom as the outcome not process. In this study, based on in-depth interviews of 18 low- and moderate income older adults who were nominated as being wise by their aging-service providers, we explored the ways challenging life experiences and coping may have contributed to the development of their wisdom, their ideas/beliefs about the qualities of wisdom, and the ways they may be practicing wisdom in daily life. Their emphasis on interconnectedness and interdependence, forgiveness and patience, and gratitude appears to represent self-transcendental qualities of wisdom. Social work practice and research implications are discussed.     

Wisdom from life's challenges: qualitative interviews with low- and moderate-income older adults who were nominated as being wise

Previous wisdom research tended to focus on cognitive and intellectual aspects, highly educated professionals and/or prominent subjects, and wisdom as the outcome not process. In this study, based on in-depth interviews of 18 low- and moderate income older adults who were nominated as being wise by their aging-service providers, we explored the ways challenging life experiences and coping may have contributed to the development of their wisdom, their ideas/beliefs about the qualities of wisdom, and the ways they may be practicing wisdom in daily life. Their emphasis on interconnectedness and interdependence, forgiveness and patience, and gratitude appears to represent self-transcendental qualities of wisdom. Social work practice and research implications are discussed.     

Children's Illness Severity and Parent's Adaptation

This paper examines how parents cope with the stress of physical illnesses in their children. Three groups of parents, comprising 270 mothers and 106 fathers, whose children were either seriously ill, ill or from the control group, participated in this study. The variables examined included the parents' rating of the stress experienced, their satisfaction with coping, the family environment and the parents' adaptation. Implications of the findings for intervention are discussed.