Health and well-being is underscored by how we deal with stress, that is coping. This paper provides an overview of the theory of coping, current conceptualisations, and ways of measuring the construct. It provides a frame-work within which we can understand human adaptation. Empirical data which contributes to our understanding of coping is presented. Implications for health and the development of resilience are addressed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BanduraA. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American Psychologist, 37 (2), 122–147.
2.
BanduraA. (1991). Self regulation of motivation through anticipatory and self-reactive mechanisms. In DienstbierR.A. (Eds.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation 1990: Perspectives on Motivation, 38, 6–164.
3.
BoekaertsM. (1993) The other side of learning: Allocating resources to restore well-being: An educology of stress and learning. International Journal of Educology, 7, 37–69.
4.
BoekaertsM. (1996). Coping with stress in childhood and adolescence. In ZeidnerM. & EndlerN.S. (Eds.), Handbook of coping (pp. 452–484). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
5.
Brotman BandE. & WeiszJ (1988). How to feel better when it feels bad: Children's perspectives on coping with everyday stress. Developmental Psychology, 24(2), 247–253.
6.
ChanD. (1998). Coping strategies and psychological distress among secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. American Educational Research Journal, 35,(1), 145–163.
7.
CannonW.B. [1939](1963). The wisdom of the body. New York: Norton.
CompasB.E. (1987). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence. Psychological Bulletin, 101 (3), 393–403.
10.
CompasB.E., MalcarneV.L. & FondacaroK.M. (1988). Coping with stressful events in older children and adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56 (3), 405–411.
11.
Dise-LewisJ. E. (1988). The Life Events and Coping Inventory: An assessment of stress in children. Psychosomatic Medicine, 50, 484–499.
12.
EbataA. & MoosT. (1991). Coping and adjustment in distressed and healthy adolescents. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 12, 33–54.
13.
EndlerN. & ParkerJ (1992). Coping with coping assessment: A critical review. European Journal of Personality, 6, 321–344.
14.
FallonB., FrydenbergE. & BolderoJ. (1993, September ). Perceptions of family climate and adolescence coping. Paper presented at the 28th Annual Conference of the Australian Psychological Society, Gold Coast.
15.
FolkmanS. (1997). Positive Psychological States and Coping with severe stress. Social Psychology Medicine, 45, (8) 1207–1221.
16.
FolkmanS. & LazarusR. (1985). If it changes it must be a process: A study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, 150–170.
17.
FolkmanS. & LazarusR. (1988a). The relationship between coping and emotion: Implications for theory and research. Social Science Medicine, 26 (3). 309–317.
18.
FolkmanS. & LazarusR.S. (1988b). Ways of Coping Questionnaire Test Booklet. Consulting Psychologists Press.
19.
FrydenbergE (1997). Adolescent Coping: Research and theoretical perspectives,. London: Routledge.
20.
FrydenbergE. & LewisR. (1997). Coping with stresses and concerns during adolescence: A longitudinal study. American Educational Research Association Conference, Chicago.
21.
FrydenbergE. & LewisR. (1993a). Boys play sport and girls turn to others: Age gender and eathnicity as determinants of coping. Journal of Adolescence, 16, 252–266.
22.
Frydenberg.E. & LewisR. (1993b). Manual: The Adolescent Coping Scale. Melbourne: Australian Council for Educational Research.
23.
FrydenbergE. & LewisR. (1994). Coping with different concerns: Consistency and variation in coping strategies used by adolescents. Australian Psychologist, 29, 45–48.
24.
FrydenbergE. & LewisR. (1996). The Adolescent Coping Scale: Multiple forms and applications of a self report inventory in a counselling and research context. European Journal of Psychological Assessment. 12 (3), 216–227.
25.
FrydenbergE., LewisR., ArdilaR., CairnsE., & KennedyG. (1997). Adolescent concern with social issues: A comparison between Australian, Colombian and Northern Irish students. Paper presented at the Fifth International Symposium on the Contribution of Psychology to Peace, Melbourne.
26.
GarmezyN. (1985). Stress-resistant children: The search for protective factors. Recent research in developmental psychopathology (pp. 213-233). Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. (Book supplement No. 4). Oxford: Pergamon Press.
27.
Gibson-KlineJ. (1996). Adolescence: From crisis to coping. A thirteen nation study. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.
28.
GoodyerI. M.1990). Life experience, Developmental and childhood psychopathology. Chichester: John Wiley.
29.
HarringtonR. (1993). Depressive disorder in childhood and adolescence. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.
30.
HobfollS.E. (1989). Conservation of re-sources: A new way of conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44 (3), 513–524.
31.
HobfollS. E., SchwarzerS. & ChonK. (1996). Disentangling the stress labyrinth. Interpreting the meaning of stress as it is studied. Japanese Health Psychology, 14, 1–22.
32.
HolahanC. J. & MoosR. H. (1987). Personal and contextual determinants of coping strategies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 946–955.
33.
LazarusR. S. (1974) The psychology of coping: issues of research and assessment. In CoelhoG.V., HamburgD.A. & AdamsJ.E. (Eds.), Coping and Adaptation (pp. 249–315). New York: Basic books.
34.
LazarusR.S. (1991). Emotion and adaption. New York: Oxford University Press.
35.
LazarusR.S. & FolkmanS. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer.
36.
LazarusR.S., SpeismanJ.C., MordkofA.M. & DavidsonL.A. (1962). A laboratory study of psychological stress produced by a motion picture film. Psycho-logical Monographs, 76, 1–35.
37.
McCraeR.R. (1984). Situational determinants of coping responses: Loss, threat and challenge. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 912–928.
38.
MoosR.H. (1993). Coping Responses Inventory. California: Psychological Assessment Resources Inc.
39.
MuldoonO. T. (1997) Stress; Appraisal and coping in childhood. Descriptions and predictions. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Northern Ireland Branch of British Psychological Society.
40.
ParkerJ.D. & EndlerN. (1992). Coping with coping assessment: A critical review. European Journal of Personality, 6, 321–344
41.
PattersonJ.M. & McCubbinH.I. (1987). Adolescent coping style and behaviors: Conceptualization and measurement. Journal of Adolescence, 10 (2), 163–186.
42.
RutterM. (1985). Resilience in the face of adversity: Protective factors and resistance to psychiatric disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 589–611.
43.
RutterM (1994). Stress research: Accomplishments and tasks ahead. In HaggertyR. J., SherrodR. R., GarmezyN. & RutterM. (Eds.), Stress, risk, and resilience in children and adolescents: Processes, mechanisms, and interventions (pp. 354–386). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
44.
RudolphK., DennigM. & WeiszJ. (1995). Determinants and consequences of children coping in a medical setting: Conceptualisation, review and critique. Psychological Bulletin, 118 (3), 328–357.
45.
SchwarzerR. & SchwarzerC. (1996). A critical survey of coping instruments. In ZeidnerN. & EndlerN. S. (Eds.), Hand-book of coping (pp 107–32). New York: Wiley.
46.
Seiffge-KrenkeI. (1995). Conceptual approach for studying stress, coping and relationships in adolescence. Stress, coping and relationships in adolescence. (pp. 26–43). Hove: Erlbaum.
47.
Seiffge-KrenkeI. (1993). Coping behaviour in normal and clinical samples: More similarities than differences?Journal of Adolescence, 16, 285–303.
48.
Seiffge-KrenkeI. & ShulmanS. (1990). Coping style in adolescence. A cross-cultural study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 21 (3), 351–377.
49.
SeligmanM. E. (1995). The Optimistic Child.NSW: Random House Australia.
50.
SelyeH. (1976). Stress in health and disease. Reading, Massachusetts: Butterworth.
51.
SpiritoA., StarkL.J. & WilliamsC. (1988). Development of a brief coping checklist for use with pediatric populations. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 13 (4), 555–574.
52.
StarkL.J., SpiritoA., WilliamsC.A., GuevremontD.C. (1989). Common problems and coping strategies I: Findings with normal adolescents. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 17 (2), 203–212.
53.
WeiszJ. R.RothbaumF. M. & BlackburnT. C. (1984). Standing out and standing in: The psychology of control in America and Japan. American Psychologist, 39, 955–969
54.
WertliebD.CaplanM. & HarwoodR. L. (1991). Promoting competent young people in competence enhancing environment: A systems based perspective on primary prevention. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 59, 830-41.
55.
YoungsB.B. (1985). Stress in children. How to recognize, avoid and overcome it. New York: Arbor House.
56.
ZimmermannT. (1995). Psychosocial factors and chronic illness in childhood. European-Psychiatry, 10(6) 297–305.