Psychometrics Properties of Ways of Coping Questionnaire-Korean among College Students

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire-Korean (WCQ-K) among college students.Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed to validate psychometrics properties of the WCQ-K among 248 students from a university-affiliated health-care center in Suwon, Korea. Structured questionnaires were used for psychometric evaluation. Item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and known-groups validity were performed for validity. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were used for reliability.Results: A seven-factor model with 36 items explained 50.8% of the variance. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.90; the ICC for 2-weeks test-retest reliability was 0.80. Students with stable ways of coping tended to have a lower score on the perceived stress and depressive symptoms than their counterparts (all P<0.05).Conclusions: The findings of this study provide evidence for the adequate psychometric properties of the WCQ-K. The WCQ-K may be used in school or clinical settings to examine the potential role of stress-coping strategies in enhanced stress management among Korean college students.

Comparing coping styles, personality traits, and resiliency in multiple sclerosis patients

Background and aims: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a common neurological disorder with complex etiology, which is highly affected by psychological factors. These factors should to be identified to help patients with MS (PwMS). This study aimed to compare coping styles, personality traits, and resiliency in PwMS and healthy subjects. Methods: In this case-control study, we selected 75 PwMS from the members of Tehran MS Society in 2016 as case group and 75 healthy subjects as control group. To collect data, we used the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WOCQ), Big Five Factor Inventory–Revised, and Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and independent T-Test were used to analyze the data. Results: The results indicated that PwMS use emotion-focused coping styles more often (44.53±9.13, P=0.008) and problem-focused coping styles less often (39.84±5.79, P=0.001) compared to control group. Also, they showed higher scores in neuroticism (32.10±4.80, P=0.001) and lower scores in extraversion and conscientiousness (27.46±7.12, P=0.005 and 32.98+±5.72, P=0.008, respectively). The resiliency levels in these patients were also lower than healthy subjects (68.13±13.90, P=0.021). Conclusion: Our findings indicated that PwMS are more likely to use emotional coping strategies in stressful situations compared to healthy individuals. Moreover, data confirmed that a maladaptive personality configuration, which is specified by high neuroticism, along with low extraversion, conscientiousness, and agreeableness are somehow related to MS.

Coping as a Mediator of the Relationship between Stress and Anxiety in Caregivers of Patients with Acute Stroke

According to Lazarus and Folkman’s theory, stress and coping affect an individual’s anxiety, which is an adaptive outcome. This study examined the mediation effects of stress-coping strategies on the relationship between stress and anxiety in caregivers of patients with acute stroke. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to analyze a total of 131 caregivers caring for patients with acute stroke at a university hospital. The Caregivers Stress Scale, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, and Korean Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to quantify the participants’ responses. Our results revealed that emotion-focused coping (β = .56, p < .001) partially mediated the relationship between stress and anxiety ( Z = 3.30, p < .001), suggesting its ability to exacerbate anxiety in the short term by acting as a mediator between stress and anxiety. Developing appropriate coping strategies for caregivers of patients with acute stroke is therefore critical for reducing their anxiety.

Копінг-стратегії у зв’язку з психофізіологічними характеристиками кваліфікованих спортсменок- гандболісток

Спортсмен у своїй діяльності стикається з різними стрес-факторами: наражаєтьсяна небезпеку травми, стрес, що пов’язаний з травмою та ситуацією одужання, переживаннямпоразки та інших труднощів. Водночас відновлення постстресових станів ще є недостатньовивченим, оскільки не завжди враховується стать людини. У цілому, гендерні відмінності в по-доланні психологічного стресу невеликі і пов’язані головним чином з відмінностями в характерістресових ситуацій.Мета. Оцінка психофізіологічних характеристик кваліфікованих спортсменок-гандболісток увзаємозв’язку із стратегіями подолання стресу.Методи. Дослідження проведено на базі Олімпійського навчально-спортивного центру «Кон-ча-Заспа» та Науково-дослідного інституту НУФВСУ. У дослідженні брали участь 19 кваліфіко-ваних гандболісток (КМС, МС) віком 19–35 років, спортивний стаж – від 8 до 23 років. Для виз-начення психофізіологічних властивостей нервової системи спортсменок було використанодіагностичний комплекс «Діагност-1» (М. В. Макаренко, В. С. Лизогуб). Для вивчення стратегійповедінки подолання стресу (копінг-стратегій) і визначення пріоритетного стилю подоланнястресової ситуації або проблем у спортсменок було використано «Опитувальник способів пси-хологічного подолання» (WCQ, The Ways of Coping Questionnaire) R. Lazarus і S. Folkman.Результати. У обстежених спортсменок виявлено переважання конструктивних копінг-стра-тегій: «Самоконтроль», «Пошук соціальної підтримки», «Прийняття відповідальності», «Пла-нування вирішення проблеми» і «Позитивна переоцінка». Зі збільшенням стажу спортивноготренування, у більш досвідчених спортсменок, вибір таких стратегій подолання стресу, як«Конфронтативний копінг» та «Пошук соціальної підтримки» дещо зменшувався. Спортсменкиз більшою функціональною рухливістю нервових процесів віддавали перевагу конструктивнійкопінг-стратегії «Прийняття відповідальності», та меншою мірою використовували неконструк-тивну стратегію «Конфронтативний копінг». Більш витривалі гандболістки із конструктивнихстратегій обирали стратегію «Самоконтроль», а менш витривалі – «Пошук соціальної підтрим-ки», «Планування вирішення проблеми», «Позитивна переоцінка». Із неконструктивних страте-гій більш витривалі гандболістки обирали стратегії «Дистанціювання», «Втеча–уникнення», аменш витривалі – «Конфронтативний копінг». Висновок. Виявлені взаємозв’язки конструктив-них і неконструктивних копінг-стратегій з психофізіологічними характеристиками спортсме-нок-гандболісток можуть мати прогностичну цінність та використовуватися для оптимізаціїспортивного вдосконалення молоді в даному виді спорту.

Examination of Coping Strategies among On-Site Paramedics

The occurrence of physical and psychological symptoms that negatively influence everyday activities, efficient job performance, and professional patient treatment are common among paramedic workers. Aim: We uncovered the characteristic coping strategies applied by on-site paramedics and searched for correlations between these strategies and demographic, socio-economic characteristics, as well as factors related to work, workplace, and health behaviours. Sample and methodology: The survey was conducted between March 1, 2018, and February 28, 2019, among employees of the DG National Ambulance Service and participants of the Chamber of Hungarian Health Care Professionals. We used an abbreviated version of the Ways of Coping Questionnaire that contains 22 items (WOC-22). Descriptive statistics, independent samples T-tests, correlation calculations, analysis of variance with the Games-Howell post-hoc test were also carried out. Results: Tension reduction was a more common coping strategy among female and/or single paramedics as well as also being characteristic of people who work as paramedic officers. Problem-oriented coping stood out as a characteristic of people who have a higher level of education and/or are more satisfied with their financial situation. Risk-seeking appears dominantly among those who are not religious and/or have a lower level of education. Conclusions: Although paramedics are basically characterized by problem-oriented coping strategies, they quite often apply non-adaptive strategies as well; consequently, the chance of developing anxiety remains higher for them. Our aim is to use effective intervention methods for curbing the development of anxiety conditions among the ambulance personnel that have long-lasting negative effects on health care. To achieve this goal, we recommend including a questionnaire about coping strategies into the admission process of would-be paramedics; also, completing such questionnaires among the whole emergency workforce.

The Features of Coping with a Specific Challenging Situation (COVID-19 pandemic)

The empirical results of the research devoted to the problem of coping behavior with stressful and the pandemic situations among youth (n=100) are discussed. The instruments are the following: Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (Endler N.S., Parker J.D.A.) and Ways of Coping Questionnaire (Lazarus R., Folkman S.). The problem-oriented coping style is predominant among participants aged 17-31. Significant differences in coping strategies related to pandemic between the respondents who have been exposed to COVID-19 and respondents who were not infected with COVID-19 were not found (p>0.50). Respondents who have been exposed to COVID-19 demonstrated social avoidance style in stressful situations (p=0.021). The structure of coping behavior in group of participants who have been exposed to a new coronovirus infection included a greater number of correlations between stable coping styles and strategies for overcoming the pandemic situation. The female respondents demonstrated higher rate of avoidance behaviour and tend to seek social support more often than male respondents.

Peculiarities of Ideas of Graduate Students about to Coping Difficult Life Situations in Their Future Professional Activity and about Ways to Overcome Them

The article actualizes the problem of the specifics ideas of University graduate students about coping difficult situations that they may encounter in their future professional activities. The purpose of the article is to present to the professional community the results of the study of the peculiarities of the presentation of students in the humanitarian and technical areas of training about difficult life situations and ways to overcome them. The authors predict the emergence of difficult life situations in the future professional activities of students. The sample consisted of 75 people, 36 people direction of preparation “Technosphere Safety” and 39 people direction of preparation “Teacher Education”. The data were collected using the methods: “Ways of overcoming negative situations” (S. Goncharova), “Ways of Coping Questionnaire” (R. Lazarus), “Life Style Index” (L.I. Vasserman et al.), and incomplete sentences. It has been established that for university graduates the concept of a “difficult life situation” is defined as some state of concern about the result. It is proved that they have the peculiarities of psychological readiness to overcome difficult life situations in their future professional activities. The identified peculiarities can be used in the preparation of a program for ensuring labor safety and protecting the health.

Perfectionism Among Young Female Competitive Irish Dancers: Prevalence and Relationship with Injury Responses

This study investigated the prevalence of perfectionism among young female competitive Irish dancers and examined the relationships between perfectionistic tendencies and coping strategies used when experiencing injury. Sixty-eight female dancers (Mean age: 14 ± 2.3 years) completed the Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire and provided a record of injuries incurred during their championship careers. Participants reported 189 injuries, mostly involving the lower extremities. Seventy-nine percent of dancers reported perfectionistic tendencies (mixed perfectionism 40%, pure self-oriented perfectionism 29%, pure socially prescribed perfectionism 10%), and most frequently adopted “planful problem-solving,” “seeking social support,” “distancing,” and “self-controlling” strategies to cope with injury. Perfectionism and two coping strategies were found to be significantly related (p = 0.03); “planful problem-solving” was typically used “quite a bit or a great deal” by the mixed perfectionism group, but only “somewhat” by the non-perfectionism group, whereas “confrontive coping” was typically not used by the non-perfectionism group but was used “somewhat” by the mixed perfectionism group. Given the presence of such a large degree of perfectionism and the simultaneous employment of problem- and emotion-focused strategies when coping with injuries, it is suggested that medical practitioners acknowledge such tendencies when supporting their dancers in order to reduce the likelihood of negative psychological impact.

Teacher coping strategies as factor of child’s success in educational process

The authors analyze various approaches to the problem of factors that determine a child’s success in the educational process. The contradictory nature of modern research on this issue is established. There is no consensus on the impact of coping strategies on a child’s academic and creative success. The purpose of the study is to determine coping strategies of teachers with various experience levels and specialties that affect the success of children in the educational process. The sample consists of 314 teachers in Irkutsk with various experience levels and specialties. The authors utilize the methods “The Ways of Coping Questionnaire” by R. Lazarus and S. Folkman, “Methodology for determining individual coping strategies” by E. Heim as well as the analysis of the teachers’ professional results submitted for certification. It is found that the success of students depends on the coping strategies used by their teachers of various experience levels and specialties. In general, students are more successful if pedagogues use productive coping mechanisms. However, in some cases, due to the specialty and experience of teaching staff, unproductive copings can be efficient for learning. For subject teachers, the “Distancing” strategy can be efficient, which is an unproductive coping strategy. At the same time, the strategy “Seeking social support”, which is a productive coping mechanism, is inefficient for teachers of additional education. The results obtained are compared with other authors’ conclusions (W.F. Admiraal, K.C. Herman, M.M. Kashapov, etc.). The authors explain the discovered features of coping mechanisms for the success of children. The limitations of the study and possible further research areas are discussed.

Psychological Response and Mechanisms of Adaptation to Stress Caused by Covid-19 Pandemic

The article presents the results of a study aimed at analyzing the emotional state of participants (levels of anxiety and depression), their psychological strategies for coping with stress, and their level of perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online study, conducted in March-May 2020, involved 629 people aged 18—67 (М=33.27, SD=10.6). Demographic and psychosocial data of the respondents were obtained by means of a structured interview. The methods also included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Spielberger’s Test Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (WCQ). It was found that 30.3% of the interviewed respondents had anxiety, and 4.7% had depressive symptoms that required psychological intervention. The results revealed that healthcare providers who were not directly involved in working with COVID-19 patients were less prone to depression (p&lt;0,05) than respondents with other professions; they had a tendency to use problem-focused coping strategies and were more inclined to follow WHO guidelines for preventing the spread of COVID-19.