Handbook of Coping: Theory, Research, Applications

"...howamanralliestolife'schallengesandweathersitsstormstellseverythingofwhoheisandallthatheislikelytobecome."—St.AugustineIthaslongbeenunderstoodthathowapersonadjuststolifestressesisamajorcomponentofhisorherabilitytoleadafulfillinglife.Yetitwasn'tuntilthe1960sthatcopingbecameadiscretetopicofpsychologicalinquiry.Sincethen,copinghasrisentoapositionofprominenceinthemodernpsychologicaldiscourse—especiallywithinthepersonality,cognitive,andbehavioralspheres—and,withinthepastdecadealone,manyimportantdiscoverieshavebeenmadeaboutitsmechanismsandfunctioning,anditsroleinongoingpsychologicalandphysicalhealthandwell-being.Abookwhosetimehascomeatlast,theHandbookofCopingisthefirstprofessionalreferencedevotedexclusivelytothepsychologyofcoping.Reportingtheobservationsandinsightsofnearlysixtyleadingauthoritiesinstressandcopingfromawiderangeofaffiliationsandschoolsofthought,itbringsreadersthestateoftheartincopingtheory,research,assessment,andapplications.Inorchestratingthebook,theeditorshavescrupulouslyavoidedimposinganyparticularslantorpointofview,otherthantheneedtofostergreatereclecticismandcooperationbetweenresearchersandcliniciansconcernedwiththephenomenonofcoping.TheHandbookofCopingisdividedintofiveoverlappingparts,thefirstofwhichservestolaytheconceptualfoundationsofallthatfollows.Ittracesthehistoryofcopingfromitsoriginsinpsychoanalytictheoriesofunconsciousdefensemechanisms,andprovidesanexhaustivereviewofthelatestconceptualizations,models,andconstructs.Thefollowingsectionprovidesanin-depthexplorationofcurrentresearchmethodology,measurement,andassessmenttools.PartThreeexploreskeyfacetsofcopinginabroadrangeofspecificdomains,includingeverydayhassles,chronicdisease,cataclysmicevents,andmanyothers.Thepenultimatesectionfocusesonindividualdifferences.Amongimportanttopicscoveredherearecopingstylesanddispositions;theroleoffamily,socialsupport,andeducation;andcopingbehaviorsacrossthelifespan.Thefinalsection,PartFive,isdevotedtocurrentapplications.Clinicalparametersaredefinedandanumberofspecificinterventionsaredescribed,asareproventechniquesforhelpingclientstoimprovetheircopingskills.Acomprehensiveguidetocontemporarycopingtheory,research,andapplications,theHandbookofCopingisanindispensableresourceforpractitioners,researchers,students,andeducatorsinpsychology,thehealthsciences,andepidemiology.Ofrelatedinterest...EGODEFENSES:TheoryandMeasurement—EditedbyHopeR.ConteandRobertPlutchikThisbookexploresthenatureandmanifestationsofdefensemechanismsandtracesegodefensetheoryandresearchfromFreud'sinitialconceptualizationthroughrecentworkinobject-relationstheoryandotherpsychoanalyticallyorientedapproaches.Itprovidesclinicalguidelinesfordiagnosing,assessing,anddealingwithdefenses,reviewsempiricalresearchtechniques,andindicatestheirvalueindevelopmentandinpsychotherapy.Thisvolumeshouldbeofvaluetotheoreticians,clinicians,andresearchersinterestedinfindingappropriatetoolsformeasurementofdefensemechanisms.1994SOCIALSUPPORT:AnInteractionalView—EditedbyBarbaraR.Sarason,IrwinG.Sarason,andGregoryR.PierceThestudyofsocialsupportanditsrelationshiptopersonality,health,andadjustmentisoneofthefastestgrowingareasofresearchandapplicationinpsychology.Thisbookcontainsintegrativesurveysofclinicalandfieldstudies,experimentalinvestigations,andlife-spanexplorations.Itapproachessocialsupportasanimportantfacetofinterpersonalrelationshipsandshowsitsundesirable,aswellasitspositive,features.1990(0-471-60624-3)528pp.