Coping ability, stress, productive load, and symptoms.

Abstract

A study of 450 college students demonstrated (a) the importance of a distinction between self-produced and externally produced stressors, (b) the usefulness of a construct of productive load, and (c) stronger relations of the Constructive Thinking Inventory than of the Hardiness Questionnaire with productive load and with mental and physical symptoms. Because a major path through which coping ability influences symptoms is negative emotions, the widely recommended practice of partialing self-reported negative affect out of relations among coping, stress, and symptoms is often inappropriate. However, as total daily stressors (e.g., hassles) consist largely of self-produced stressors, it is highly confounded with coping ability, and it is therefore important to partial coping ability out of relations between total stressors and other variables.

Constructive thinking, rational intelligence and irritable bowel syndrome

“…The main CTI measure is defined as the ability to adapt the way of thinking to different situations (flexibility in thinking), while one of the main scales (emotional coping) is primarily described as the ability to appraise situations as a challenge rather than a threat. The relationship between physical symptoms and constructive thinking seems to be mediated by stress, mostly self-produced, through the generation of negative emotions [31] . Moreover, in a common stressful situation such as pregnancy, constructive thinking was shown to impact both on cognitive appraisal of stress (reducing the need for coping and adjustment) and on active coping responses, once the situation has been perceived as stressful [32] .…”

Coping em jovens frente à expectativa de inserção ocupacional e indicadores de depressão

“…De modo geral, as pesquisas apontam a importância do coping para a promoção de comportamentos ajustados e são muitos os estudos que tratam de como as pessoas lidam com dificuldades ou circunstâncias estressantes em suas vidas e a implicação desses eventos na saúde mental e física (Aspinwall & Taylor, 1997;Brissette & cols., 2002;Carver & Scheier, 1994;Epstein, 1992;Epstein & Katz, 1992;Epstein & Meier, 1989;Greenberger & McLaughlin, 1998;Katz & Epstein, 1991;Saidel & cols., 2001). Entretanto, a maioria desses estudos trata dos estressores de forma muito abrangente e refere-se a amostras de estrangeiros.…”

Characterizing stress tolerance: “controllability awareness” and its relationship to perceived stress and reported health

“…The concepts of ''constructive thinking'' (Epstein & Katz, 1992;Epstein & Meier, 1989) and ''adaptiveness'' (Kohn, 1996) led to the development of two measurement tools that are grounded in ideas that are akin to controllability awareness, the Constructive Thinking Inventory (CTI; Epstein & Meier, 1989) and the Personal Functioning Inventory (PFI; Kohn et al, 1998). The CTI was designed to assess the extent to which subjects are able to think automatically in ways that help them solve problems of everyday living efficiently and with minimal stress (Epstein & Meier, 1989).…”

“…For example, optimists tend to use problem-focused coping strategies when the situation is controllable and acceptance (an emotion-focused coping strategy) when the situation appears uncontrollable (Carver & Scheier, 1994;Scheier & Carver, 1992). The concepts of ''constructive thinking'' (the ability to solve everyday problems while minimizing experienced stress; Epstein & Katz, 1992;Epstein & Meier, 1989) and ''adaptiveness'' (coping consistently to reduce or not aggravate distress; Kohn, 1996) recognize, or at least imply, that the most effective ''style'' involves using multiple situation-dependent strategies. Thus, coping responses are probably a combination of styles and strategies.…”