Anxiety and styles of coping with occupational stress resulting from work with ‘dangerous’ prisoners in prison service officers

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 297-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Tsirigotis ◽  
Wojciech Gruszczyński ◽  
Sebastian Pęczkowski

ObjectivePrisoners categorised as ‘dangerous’ are a category of prisoners that require and/or force into using special measures of caution, protection and security. The aim of the study was to examine the intensity of anxiety (as a state and as a trait) experienced by officers working with ‘dangerous’ prisoners and styles of coping with stress they adopt.MethodsA total of 40 officers working with ‘dangerous’ prisoners (the study group, SG) and 60 officers of the security department not working with ‘dangerous’ prisoners (the reference group, RG) were studied. The intensity of anxiety was assessed applying the Polish version of ‘State-Trait Anxiety Inventory’ (STAI); styles of coping with stress were explored employing the Polish version of ‘Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations’ (CISS) and the author’s own questionnaire. Data were analysed using the mean, standard deviation, difference testing (the Mann–Whitney U test), correlation–regression procedure (Kendall’s tau, τ correlation coefficient and forward stepwise multiple regression).ResultsOfficers in the SG faced verbal and physical aggression; nevertheless, scores of officers in both the groups were within the interval of mean scores for all the studied STAI and CISS variables. Officers in the SG achieved significantly higher scores on the state-anxiety scale and the Emotion-Oriented Style (EOS), and lower scores on the Task-Oriented Style (TOS) and Social Diversion (SD). The correlation-regression procedure indicated that there were relationships between anxiety and styles of coping with stress but they differed slightly between the groups.ConclusionsOfficers in the SG feel state anxiety stronger and display a stronger preference for the EOS than officers in the RG. Officers in the RG more strongly prefer the TOS and SD. State anxiety is a variable negatively explaining the TOS in the SG, whereas anxiety as a trait is a variable explaining the EOS in both the groups. The coping styles of warders dealing with dangerous prisoners are different and may need specific psychological counselling and training programmes.

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewa Łodygowska ◽  
Natalia Hendzelewska ◽  
Martyna Tyl

Introduction: Aggressiveness and aggression are important factors contributing to the functioning of young people and their adaptation to the environment. Despite numerous studies on aggression, there are actually no studies on methods of coping with stress among aggressive adolescents. Therefore, the aim of the presented research was to verify whether adolescents with different levels of aggressiveness/aggression reveal different tendencies in the use of styles of coping with stress.Materials and methods: We studied 135 adolescents (aged 16–18), using: 1) the Psychological Inventory of Aggression Syndrome (IPSA) by Gas – enabling identification of three main dimensions of aggression: S – self-aggression, U – internal aggression, and Z – external aggression; and 2) the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) by Endler and Parker, in the Polish adaptation by Strelau et al.Results: Based on their level of aggression, the participants were divided into three groups. Compared to their more aggressive peers, in stressful situations, adolescents scoring low on S, U, and Z significantly more frequently use task-oriented and significantly less frequently use emotion- and avoidance-oriented coping styles. There is a link between the level of aggressiveness/ aggression and the tendency to prefer emotion-focused coping and avoidance-oriented coping in the form of distraction, described as a tendency to engage in substitute activities.Conclusions: Elevated aggressiveness/aggression significantly limits the individual’s ability to use constructive methods of coping with stress.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-173
Author(s):  
Justyna Szrajda ◽  
Malwina Tudorowska ◽  
Sławomir Kujawski ◽  
Magdalena Weber-Rajek ◽  
Ewa Sygit-Kowalkowska ◽  
...  

Abstract Selecting specific professional activities (e.g. a brigade officer) and methods for coping with difficult situations may result from personal predispositions of a given person. Personality is founded on the innate temperament. The way of dealing with stress depends on personality traits whose influence is manifested, amongst other things, in the selection of specific coping styles. The current study aim to examine the level of correlation between personality and temperamental traits with manifested coping styles. The study covered 58 volunteers – male fire brigade officers. The following tools were used: Personality Inventory, NEO-FFI, Formal Characteristics of Behaviour: Temperament Inventory – Revised Version, FCZ-KT (R) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations, CISS. Emotion-focused coping style for stressful situations correlates with the following traits: positively, with perseveration (r=0.5115) and with emotional reactivity (r=0.4927), and negatively, with briskness (r=-0.3926) and endurance (r=-0.5408). The task-oriented coping style for stressful situations correlates positively with extraversion (r=0.3236) and conscientiousness (r=0.3088), and negatively with neuroticism (r=-0.3368) in the NEO-FFI. The emotion-focused coping style for stressful situations is positively correlated with neuroticism (NEO-FFI) (r=0.4150). In fire brigade officers, As far as personality traits were concerned, fire brigade officers scored relatively high in extraversion, conscientiousness and low in neuroticism and were likely to demonstrate the task-oriented coping style for stressful situations. Lower level of perseveration and high level of briskness and endurance were associated with emotion-focused coping style for stressful situations. Similarly, the tendency to focus on emotions experienced in stressful situations were associated with high level of neuroticism in the study group. 


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 500-514
Author(s):  
Anna Gagat-Matuła

The article presents the correlation between marital communication and the coping styles of parents of a child with ASD during the SARS CoV-2 pandemic. The study involved 46 married mothers and 34 married fathers raising children with autism spectrum disorders. The following tools were used: The Marital Communication Questionnaire (KKM) by M. Plopa and M. Kazmierczak and the Polish version of the CISS Coping Questionnaire by Endler and Park.                The results of the research showed that respondents more often prefer constructive coping with stress using the task focused style (SSZ) if a spouse assesses both themselves and their spouse as more supportive and engaged in communication and less depreciation. The respondents more often prefer non-constructive coping with stress using and the emotion-focused style (SSE) or the avoidance-focused style (SSU), if the spouse assesses both themselves and their spouse as depressed. The greater the difference between their own assessment and the assessment of their spouse in supportive communication, the more often the respondents prefer the style focused on emotions (SSE) and the style focused on avoidance (SSU). Moreover, the greater the difference between self-assessment and that of the spouse in depreciation communication, the less often the task-focused style (SSZ) was preferred. The results are statistically significant.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Rutkowska ◽  
Józef Bergier ◽  
Zbigniew Witkowski

AbstractPurpose. The objective of the present study to analyse the styles of coping with stress and the locus of control (LOC) in specific sporting situations of female football players and seeking relationships between the analysed variables. Methods. The study included 50 female football players aged 16-18 years. Two psychological instruments were administered: the Polish language Questionnaire for Examining Locus of Control in Sports Activity (PKSPwS) and the Polish version of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Results. The mean level of the investigated LOC dimensions as well as the styles of coping with stress showed that behaviour associated with avoidance and emotions predominated over task-oriented style. However, taskoriented style was positively related to the locus of control in specific situations that occur in sport. Conclusions. The results of the study suggest that social support and educational initiatives adapted to female athletes are required. These include mental training and the psycho-pedagogical intervention of coaches, where emphasis should be placed on enhancing internal locus of control as well as the development and improvement of effective stress-coping styles.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (8) ◽  
pp. 95-100
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Rutkowska ◽  
Dariusz Gierczuk

Introduction. The study was designed to measure emotional intelligence of elite male and female wrestlers and to analyse their stress coping styles. Material and methods. A group of elite male and female wrestlers aged 18-26 years was studied. The psychological factors were analysed using two research tools: the Two-Dimensional Inventory of Emotional Intelligence (DINEMO) and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Results. The study participants achieved average scores for emotional intelligence and for particular stress-coping styles. Measurements of the selected psychological factors showed that male wrestlers and female wrestlers were significantly different from each other. The female wrestlers had a lower level of intrapersonal emotional intelligence. The male wrestlers had higher scores for the task-oriented style of coping with stress while the female athletes scored higher on the avoidance style. Conclusions. Emotional intelligence and stress-coping styles are among psychological factors that influence the functioning of male and female wrestlers in sport and personal life. A need has been identified to shape and develop their emotional intelligence and adaptive stress coping styles.


PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Iwanicka ◽  
Aneta Gerhant ◽  
Marcin Olajossy

Background The problem of coping with stress is an important one in the context of development and persistence of alcohol dependence. In the literature to date very little attention has been paid to coping patterns construed as a configuration of specific coping styles, particularly as regards the functioning of addicted individuals. The aim of the study was to verify whether individuals with alcohol dependence characterized by different coping patterns differ with respect to the severity of psychopathological symptoms, defense mechanisms and time perspectives. Methods Participants were given a battery of psychological tests—Coping Inventory for Stresfull Situations (CISS), Defense Style Questionnaire (DSQ 40), Syndrom Checklist (SCL-90) and Short Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (SZPTI-PL). The sample comprised 112 individuals with alcohol dependence, aged 20 to 63 years old, the average age was 37.86; 78 percent were men. There were identified three sub-groups of individuals characterized by a distinctive patterns of coping with stress —“emotional-avoidant”, “task oriented” and a “mixed one”. Results Individuals with the predominant emotional-avoidant coping pattern are characterized by significantly higher severity of psychopathological symptoms, less mature defense mechanisms and past time perspectives. Subjects reliant on task-oriented coping pattern were characterized by the highest level of adaptation and the most constructive way of functioning in the face of difficulties. Conclusion It is worth regarding the examination of patterns of coping as an indispensable element of collecting medical history from alcohol dependent individuals.


Family Forum ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 165-190
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Maria Rogowska ◽  
Barbara Zmaczyńska-Witek ◽  
Ilona Łatka ◽  
Zofia Kardasz

Although much research on emotional intelligence (EI) and coping with stress has been performed in recent years, little is known about these dimensions of individual differences in both foster and biological parents. The main purpose of this study is to examine emotional intelligence and coping styles in foster parents in comparison to biological parents. The study included 124 individual participants aged between 30 and 64 years old (M = 45.18, SD = 8.72), including foster parents (n = 63, 50.81%) and biological parents (n = 61, 49.19%). The cross-sectional survey study was conducted using the Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT) and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). In comparison to biological parents, foster parents demonstrated significantly higher levels of emotional intelligence (EI), more frequently used task-oriented coping styles, and less often pursued emotional and avoidant coping strategies to deal with stress. EI was positively correlated with task-oriented coping and negatively so with emotional coping. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that EI was a strong predictor of task-oriented coping. Training focused on the enhancement of both EI and coping with stress should be considered as an effective way to improve parents’ competence.


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (1) ◽  
pp. 134-159
Author(s):  
Karol Konaszewski ◽  
Łukasz Kwadrans

The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between the sense of coherence and resilience and the styles of stress coping and to determine which of the studied variables (comprehensibility; manageability; meaningfulness; optimistic attitude and energy; perseverance and determination in action; sense of humour and openness to new experiences; personal competences and tolerance of negative affect) was more important in predicting coping styles with stressful situations in the group of juveniles who had been referred to probation centres. Participants in this study were 210 juveniles from probation centres. The following research tools were used in the research: A. Antonovsky’s Orientation to Life Questionnaire, Resilience Scale by N. Ogińska-Bulik and Z. Juczyński, and Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations by N. S. Enlder and J. D. A. Parker. The research results show that sense of coherence and resilience play a predictive function for the style which focuses on the task, emotions, avoidance and strategy related to engaging in substitute activities and seeking contact with people. Building (by probation officers) the sense of coherence and resilience among juveniles involves better understanding of the surrounding world and the stimuli which come from it, understanding internal signals and increasing the sense of manageability and comprehensibility, enhancing the ability to use the own and the environmental resources as well as working on the sense of meaningfulness, i.e. the motivational aspect of functioning. Supporting components of resilience (optimistic attitude and energy; perseverance and determination in action; sense of humour and openness to new experiences; personal competences and tolerance of negative affect) through psychoeducational activities (in probation centres) enables better understanding of the own self and, consequently, using stress management strategies aimed at finding a positive solution to a particular situation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-172
Author(s):  
Piotr Próchniak

Several scales were used to assess the levels of coping with stress and pain of 97 Polish hard adventure mountain athletes (Mage = 30.50, SD = 9.45), who climb in winter using mountain ice axes, harnesses, hooks or ropes in high mountains, and 103 Polish soft adventure mountain athletes who summer hike in low mountains (Mage = 28.30, SD = 6.50). The results indicated significant differences between soft and hard adventure climbers in the ways climbers react to stress. The hard adventure climbing group had significantly higher means on the Preventive Coping, Proactive Coping, Task-Oriented Coping, Diverting Attention, Reinterpretation of Pain, Ignoring Pain, Coping Self-Statements and Behavioural Strategies than the soft adventure mountain athletes, but lower means on Emotion-Oriented Coping, Catastrophising and Praying/Hoping compared to the soft mountain athletes group. This study also examined the factor structure of the coping scales in the climbers’ samples. The results suggested that the coping scales contain the following three factors: Passive-Oriented Coping, Future-Oriented Coping and Appraisal-Oriented Coping. The extracted factors discriminate between soft and hard adventure mountain athletes. The hard adventure mountain athletes had significantly higher means on the Future-Oriented Coping and the Appraisal- Oriented Coping, and a lower mean on Passive-Oriented Coping than the soft mountain athletes group.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoxiao Shan ◽  
Yangpan Ou ◽  
Yudan Ding ◽  
Haohao Yan ◽  
Jindong Chen ◽  
...  

Objective: Internet addiction (IA) has become a global public health issue. Although previous studies revealed several risk factors related to IA, most of them focused on the western societies. The present study assesses the relationships between gender and other factors with IA in university freshmen in the South China.Methods: A total of 3,380 first-year college students (1,995 males and 1,385 females) participated in an evaluation of their experiences surfing on the Internet. We investigated the severity of IA in the participants by considering their psychological characteristics, such as acceptance, anxiety levels, and coping styles. Then, we compared the results between males and females and between those in addiction group (Chinese Internet Addiction Scale, CIAS, scores≥64) and non-addiction group (CIAS scores ≤27). We also conducted a logistic regression analysis to detect the relationships between severity of IA and psychological characteristics and gender differences.Results: We observed that males showed significantly higher scores in CIAS than females. The addiction group exhibited significantly higher state anxiety and trait anxiety, and experienced less acceptance of self and others and acceptance by others, and adopted less positive coping style and preferred negative coping style than non-addiction group. The logistic regression analysis revealed that three factors (negative coping styles, acceptance of self and others, state anxiety levels) had a significant association with more severe IA.Conclusion: Gender differences affect the severity of IA in the first-year students in South China. Males with state anxiety and negative coping styles deserve attention because they are likely to be addicted to the Internet. Thus, health practitioners should perform efficient strategies while considering gender differences to precaution first-year college students with the risk factors for IA.


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