Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-5g6vh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-30T04:35:30.770Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Stress and coping in early psychosis

Role of symptoms, self-efficacy, and social support in coping with stress

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 August 2018

Elspeth M. MacDonald ,
Simone Pica ,
Shelley McDonald ,
Robyn L. Hayes  and
Anthony J. Baglioni Jr
Elspeth M. MacDonald
Affiliation:
School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University Bundoora, Australia
Simone Pica
Affiliation:
Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
Shelley McDonald
Affiliation:
Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Parkville, Australia
Robyn L. Hayes
Affiliation:
Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
Anthony J. Baglioni Jr
Affiliation:
Social Sciences Group, University of Queensland, Queensland, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background Although coping with stress is important in early psychosis, little is known about how this population copes with the range of stressors they encounter in their daily life. This study aims to identify how people with early psychosis cope with a range of stressful situations and to identify what factors might influence their use of coping strategies.

Method Participants included a clinical group of 50 people with early psychosis and a non-clinical group of 22 people matched on age and gender. Data were obtained on symptomatology and social support for the clinical group, and stress and coping, and self-efficacy for all participants.

Results The clinical group reported coping less well than the non-clinical group and they most commonly used emotion-focused coping. For the clinical group, effective coping correlated with less severe negative symptoms, greater perceived self-efficacy social support and greater use of problem-focused coping. Self-efficacy and social support predicted increased frequency of the use of problem-focused coping.

Conclusion People with early psychosis who have greater feelings of self-efficacy and perceived social support, and the flexible use of problem-focused coping strategies, appear to be more likely to cope with day-to-day stressors.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 172 , Issue S33: Verging on reality , June 1998 , pp. 122 - 127
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aldwin, C. M. (1994) Stress, Coping and Development. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edn) (DSM–IV), Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Andreasen, N. C. (1983) The Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS). Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa.Google Scholar
Andreasen, N. C. (1984) The Scale for the Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS). Iowa City, IA: The University of Iowa.Google Scholar
Barnes, T. R. E. (1994) Issues in the clinical assessment of negative symptoms. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 7, 35–38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, A.T. & Steer, R. A. (1987) BDI: Beck Depression Inventory Manual. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.Google Scholar
Birchwood, M., Macmillan, F. & Smith, J. (1992) Early intervention. In Innovations in the Management of Schizophrenia; Assessment, Treatment, and Services (eds Birchwood, M. & Tarrier, N.), pp. 115–145. Chichester: John Wiley and Sons.Google Scholar
Birchwood, M., McGorry, P. & Jackson, H. (1997) Early intervention in schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry 170 2–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Breier, A. & Strauss, J. S. (1983) Self-control in psychotic disorders. Archives of General Psychiatry 40, 1141–1145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carr, V. (1988) Patients’ techniques for coping with schizophrenia: An exploratory study. British Journal of Medical Psychology 61, 339–352.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, C. I. & Berk, L. A. (1985) Personal coping styles of schizophrenic outpatients. Hospital and Community Psychiatry 36, 407–410.Google ScholarPubMed
Falloon, I. R. H. & Talbot, R. E. (1981) Persistent auditory hallucinations: Coping mechanisms and implications for management. Psychological Medicine, II, 329–339.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Falloon, I. R. H., Kydd, R. R., Coverdale, J. H., et al (1996) Early detection and intervention for initial episodes of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin. 22, 271–282.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Folkman, S. & Lazarus, R. S. (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.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., et al (1986a) Dynamics of a stressful encounter: Cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 50, 992–1003.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Gruen, R. J., et al (1986b) Appraisal, coping, health status, and psychological symptoms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50, 571–579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jackson, H. J., McGorry, P. D., Edwards, J., et al (1996) Cognitively orientated psychotherapy for Early Psychosis (COPE). In Early Intervention and Preventative Applications of Clinical Psychology (eds Cotton, P. & Jackson, H. J.), pp. 131–154. Brisbane: Australian Psychological Association.Google Scholar
Lazarus, R. S. & Folkman, S. (1984a) Coping and adaption. In: Handbook of Behavioral Medicine (ed Gentry, W. D.), pp. 282–325. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Lazarus, R. S. (1984b) Stress, Appraisal, and Coping. New York: Springer.Google Scholar
Lipton, F. R., Cohen, C. I., Fischer, E., et al (1981) Schizophrenia: A network crisis. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 7, 144–151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macdonald, E. M., Madden, C. & McKendrick, G. (1996) The Adolescent Social Relationship Scale: A Scale to Measure Social Support in Young People. Melbourne: La Trobe University.Google Scholar
Madden, C., James, J. & Paton, A. (1992) A Coping Skills Training Program (Skills) for Adolescents. Melbourne: La Trobe University.Google Scholar
Madden, C., James, J., Hayes, R., et al (1995) A Coping Skills Training Program (Coping with Stress) for Mental Health. Melbourne: La Trobe University.Google Scholar
Maughan, B. & Champion, L. (1990) Risk and protective factors in the transition to young adulthood. In Successful Aging: Perspectives from the Behavioural Sciences (eds Baltes, P. B. & Baltes, M. M.), pp. 296–331. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McFarlane, A. H., Neale, K. A., Norman, R. G., et al (1981) Methodological issues in developing a scale to measure social support. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 7, 90–100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McDermott, B. E. (1995) Development of an instrument for assessing self-efficacy in schizophrenic spectrum disorders. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 320–331.3.0.CO;2-#>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGlashan, T. H., Levy, S.T. & Carpenter, W.T. (1975) Integration and sealing over: Clinically distinct recovery styles from schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 32, 1269–1272.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGlashan, T. H. & Johannessen, J. O. (1996) Early detection and intervention with schizophrenia: Rationale. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 22, 201–222.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGorry, P. (1992) The concept of recovery and secondary prevention in psychotic disorders. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 26, 3–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGorry, P. (1994) The influence of illness duration on syndrome clarity and stability in functional psychosis: Does the diagnosis emerge and stabilise with time? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 28, 607–619.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McGorry, P. & Singh, B. S. (1995) Schizophrenia: risks and possibilities. In The Handbook of Preventative Psychiatry (eds Raphael, B. & Burrows, G. D.), pp. 491–514. New York: Elsevier.Google Scholar
McGorry, P., Edwards, J., Mihalopoulos, C., et al (1996) EPPIC: An evolving system of early detection and optimal management. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 22, 305–326.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strauss, J. S. (1989) Subjective experiences of schizophrenia: Toward a new dynamic psychiatry–II. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 15, 179–187.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strauss, J. S., Harding, C. M., Hafez, H., et al (1987) The role of the patient in recovery from psychosis. In Psychosocial Treatment of Schizophrenia: Multidimensional Concepts. Psychological, Family and Self-Help Perspectives (eds Strauss, J. S., Böker, W. & Brenner, H. D.), pp. 160–166. Toronto: Hans Huber.Google Scholar
Tabachnich, B. G. & Fidell, L. S. (1996) Using Multivariate Statistics. (3rd edn). New York: Harper and Collins.Google Scholar
Thoits, P. A. (1986) Social support as coping assistance. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 416–423.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
van den Bosch, R. J., van Asma, M. J. O., Rombouts, R., et al (1992) Coping style and cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenic patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161 (suppl. 18), 123–128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiedl, K. H. (1992) Assessment of coping with schizophrenia: Stressors, appraisals, and coping behaviour. British Journal of Psychiatry, 161 (suppl. 18), 114–122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiedl, K. H. & Schotter, B. (1991) Coping with symptoms related to schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 17, 525–538.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.