Although smoking cessation techniques have been effective, few programs have long term results. To investigate the effectiveness of a tobacco dependence relapse prevention program, 123 adult smokers (51 male, 72 female) voluntarily participated in one of four small group treatment conditions (6 or 30 second aversive smoking plus skill training, or…

This study used an interpersonal model of defense to examine children's understanding of how defense affects ongoing interactions. Participating were 62 New York City public school children, ages 7 to 8 years and 10 to 11 years, who were identified as intellectually gifted. Students were asked to respond to structured questions about interpersonal…

Little evidence exists about either the short or long-term effects of coping strategies on the reduction of emotional distress or the lessening of problems. To examine the predictors and effectiveness of four marital coping efforts (negotiation, optimistic comparison, selective ignoring, and resignation), data derived from a panel study of 758…

This study aimed to describe demographic, seizure, and family characteristics associated with good and poor adaptation to childhood epilepsy and contrast them with demographic, asthma, and family characteristics associated with good and poor adaptation to childhood asthma. Children with asthma were selected as a comparison sample because epilepsy…

The relationships among demands, coping resources, experienced stress, and well-being were studied in a cross-sectional survey of 210 reentry and 102 traditional women at the University of California, Irvine. The analysis was based on psychosocial stress theory and contextual analysis. Reentry women ranged in age from 26 to 66, with a mean age of…

This paper reports on a study to develop a scale of stress measurement and its use with undergraduate students (N=269) at a large land grant mid-Atlantic university. Students, within the classroom setting, were given a questionnaire containing 52 potentially stressful hypothetical situations and were asked to indicate the degree of stress they…

A study examined the effectiveness of group and self-directed interventions for developing stress-coping resources among students in three associate degree nursing programs. The 46 students in the modified curriculum group received instruction in two stress-monitoring techniques and three tension control exercises. The second group (n = 61)…

Knowledge gained from the theoretical and empirical literature on social support theory, family systems theory, and social ecology provide the foundation for a model which studies stress, support systems, and coping patterns within the family. Puerto Rican (N=87) and Italian (N=49) families were interviewed to identify stress factors and coping…

It has been estimated that about 30% of children will spend some time in a stepfamily and that 10% of children will experience two divorces of the custodial parent before they are 16 years of age. While there exists a substantial amount of research on divorce, there is a paucity of studies on remarriage. A longitudinal study was conducted to…

Stress, coping, and psychological adjustment were compared in single (N=37) and first-time married (N=179) mothers and their young adolescent children. Adolescents completed their questionnaires in school and parents completed theirs at home. Questionnaires measured adolescent stress, behavior problems, perceived competence, and coping; parental…

This study assessed Alcoholics Anonymous (Al-Anon) participation as a factor in stress of wives of alcoholics. Additional data focused on attitude and behavior variables. Two groups of 20 subjects each were enlisted from Al-Anon, personal contacts, treatment centers, and referrals in three urban areas in the southeastern United States. Group A…

Occupational status is a key component of identity and self-worth for men. But little research has been done on the influence of working status on women, particularly during life cycle transitions or periods of crisis. To examine the impact of employment status on the self-esteem, psychological well-being and physical health of women at mid-life,…

This longitudinal study examined the effect of being placed in foster care versus remaining at home upon the psychological functioning of 64 black, sexually abused girls aged 5 to 16 years. Only subjects molested by persons well known to them were included in this study. The children were initially evaluated using a multi-method assessment…

The Double ABCX Model of Family Adjustment and Adaptation, a model that predicts adaptation to chronic stressors on the family, was extended by dividing it into attitudes, coping, and adaptation of parents and child separately, and by including variables relevant to child adaptation to epilepsy or asthma. The extended model was tested on 246…

Current research indicates that hospitalized children may profit best from preparation for surgery that is individually suited to their particular way of responding to hospitalization. It is likely, however, that preparation treatments will be provided for children in groups. Therefore, an attempt has been made to design and test information and…