When people experience painful or stressful situations, they attempt to cope by reinterpreting what's happening and search for a new positive understanding. A person will have to reassess their expectations in order to adjust to new situations.

Meaning-making coping model 

A model that proposes that one's ability to deal with and adapt to issues/stressors is a result of the coping strategies that were used. 

Transactional model of stress and coping 

When a person oscillates between different states of grief. 

Dual process model of loss

A style of coping that involves the management of emotional distress. These coping styles tend to be unhealthy, but there are some examples, like turning to religion, that are healthy in situations in which one has no control.

Emotion-focused coping

Problem-focused coping is a strategy that involves actively trying to alter or manage the source of stress. This approach is similar to everyday problem-solving and is most likely to be employed when individuals perceive the stressor as controllable.

Problem-Focused Coping and Controllable Stressors

Emotion-focused coping consists of efforts to reduce or manage the negative emotional responses associated with stress, rather than changing the stressor itself. This approach is more likely to be used when individuals believe they are powerless to change the stressful situation, making it particularly effective for dealing with uncontrollable stressors.

Emotion-Focused Coping and Uncontrollable Stressors

- Meaning-making coping model
- Emotion-focused coping
- Problem-focused coping 
- Transactional model of stress and coping 
- Dual process model of loss 


University of Illinois at Chicago

New York University

 A large percentage of people have Chronic Illness; the chronic illnesses have significant psychosocial ramifications for both the affected person and their family members. This in return creates new challenges for the field of psychology.


The Impacts of Chronic Illness

Coping refers to the conscious, deliberate, and purposeful regulation of emotions, especially in situations perceived as threatening or stressful.

Coping

Lee, S. M., Roen, K., & Thornton, A. (2014). The psychological impact of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia, 13(3), 289-305.

The psychological impact of a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease

There is a large percentage of the population experiences Chronic Illness. Due to a lack of relevant research and lack of diagnosis, the true amount remains unknown.

Prevalence of  Chronic Illness

• Work or School Absence
• Healthcare Utilization
• Temporary Disability

Different Impacts of Chronic Illness

- poor doctor and patient communication
- the patients personal beliefs 
- the patients personality traits
- the way the patients family interacts

Factors that Increase the Likelihood of Greater Chronic Illness impact

Due to the changes and stress associated with Chronic Illness, the patient is biologically and psychologically effected. This will also effect their environment and the people around them. 

Psychosocial Impacts of Chronic Illness

Parkinson's Disease is a chronic illness that impairs motor movement. Most research has focused on the physical aspects of the disease, but there have been observed psychological trends as well.

Parkinson's Disease (PD) Patient's Mental Health

Women who have breast cancer can feel an increase in psychological distress such as anxiety, depression, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, social isolation, sexuality concerns, and self-blame.

The Psychological Impact of Breast Cancer

When a physician discloses or communicates to their patient a new medical diagnosis. Regarding diagnosis disclosure in dementia (specifically Alzheimer's disease), a number of physicians have been hesitant to tell patients they have this disease in fear of their patients experiencing high emotional distress and feelings of suicidality.

Diagnosis Disclosure in Dementia

Coping Models/Strategies

- Accommodation
- Support-seeking
- Social Isolation
- Self-reliance
- Problem-solving
- Helplessness
- Escape
- Opposition
- Submission

Categorization of Loneliness Coping Strategies Among University Students

- Preventive Coping: coping with events far in the future such as age related milestones or expected functional losses
- Proactive Coping: coping that focuses on reducing the impact of events likely to occur - they are temporally removed from the stressor
- Anticipatory Coping: problem solving based methods that happen farther along the chain of coping when an event is imminent 
- Post - Impact Coping: can either be short term or long term; problem focused coping to resolve immediate impacts and cognitive coping to equip an individual for residual effects 

Temporal Aspects of Coping 

Coping flexibility is an individual's ability to cope in different ways, and change their method of coping (E.g. Reframing), towards various stimuli.

Coping Flexibility 

Maladaptive coping includes attack self, attack other, withdrawal, and avoidance. Adaptive coping focuses on restoring relationships. 

Coping with Shame

- Having a negative, past-oriented approach to coping can cause a person to be stuck 
- A positive, future-oriented approach gives an individual hope and shows them there are opportunities in the future that will improve their quality of life
- This positive approach has been linked to increased psychosocial outcomes in psychological and social QOL, perceived well-being, life satisfaction, and negatively linked to depression and anxiety

Coping and Adversity

Researchers have agreed that there are unhealthy and healthy ways of managing stress.

Ways of Coping with Stress

Ultimately, it is the individual's response to the high risk situation that affects whether or not they will relapse. For example, a person who uses effective coping skills, such as leaving the situation or positive self talk, is less likely to relapse than someone who does not use effective coping skills. A person who has coped successfully with a high-risk situation will experience a greater sense of self-efficacy, thereby decreasing their chance of relapse in the future.

Coping Skills and Relapse

- Seeking Connection
- Avoidance
- Support-seeking
- Cognitive Strategies
- Meaning-focused
- Distraction

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