Ineffective social problem solving.

Abstract

C onventional wisdom suggests that the experience of stress is ubiquitous and omnipresent. Conventional wisdom also posits that a modicum of stress is important for our daily lives-if we did not have it, we would not get up in the morning and go to school or work. A further truism (which research findings confirm; e.g., Vrshek-Schallhorn et al., 2020) indicates that too much stress can lead to negative consequences, such as depression. However, we opine that it is not the presence of stress per se that engenders psychopathology but how we handle or manage such stress that best predicts the likelihood of experiencing depressive reactions. As such, this chapter focuses on ineffective social problem solving (SPS) as one major risk or vulnerability factor for depression, as well as on how psychosocial interventions aimed at improving SPS can attenuate such distress. DEFINITION OF CONSTRUCTSWe begin by differentiating between the constructs of problem solving and social problem solving. The topic of problem solving has been the focus of many decades of research within the fields of cognitive and experimental psychology. As such, human problem solving has been conceptualized as a higher order set of cognitive processes and one major aspect of executive functioning. Such research generally addresses how individuals attempt to solve cognitive, mathematical, or intellectual problems, as compared with the types of problems that people experience in living (e.g., dealing with financial stressors,

Social problem‐solving in intimate partner violence victims: Exploring the relative contributions of shame and PTSD symptoms

“…| 1491 (e.g., Nezu, 1987;Nezu et al, 2004Nezu et al, , 2023. Given these findings, the current study examined both components of social problem-solving among women who experienced IPV with analyses organized into two models (i.e., one for problem orientation and one for problem-solving styles).…”

“…Social problem‐solving has been deemed an essential social skill, with higher levels of this ability associated with lower symptoms of anxiety and depression, less stress, and lower health risks (e.g., Nezu et al, 2004). Negative problem orientation has been shown to be strongly associated with depression and anxiety, although numerous studies have noted the importance of both impulsive and avoidant styles as well (e.g., Nezu, 1987; Nezu et al, 2004, 2023). Given these findings, the current study examined both components of social problem‐solving among women who experienced IPV with analyses organized into two models (i.e., one for problem orientation and one for problem‐solving styles).…”

Cognitive factors as mediators of the relationship between childhood trauma and depression symptoms: the mediating roles of cognitive overgeneralisation, rumination, and social problem-solving

“…People generate effective solutions to everyday problems through social problem-solving (Chang et al, 2004 ). Patients with depression may employ less effective strategies for interpersonal situations (Chang et al, 2020 ; Nezu et al, 2023 ). In a longitudinal study, Hasegawa et al ( 2018 ) found that rumination and impulsive/careless problem-solving styles intensified depression.…”