Coping with Illness and disability

Question 1

describe the crisis theory of coping with illness

Answer 1

• serious illness = crisis
• interferes with Equilibrium –> so like homeostasis –> adaptive response / maladaptive response ( good / poor adjustment)

Question 2

Transactional definition of stress (definition and application)

Answer 2

Stress is a condition that results when the person / environment transactions lead the individual to perceive a discrepancy between the demands of the situation and the coping resources available.

Question 3

Define:

a) Procedural information

b) sensory information

Answer 3

Procedural information – Information about the procedures to be undertaken

Sensory information – Information about the sensations that may be experienced.

Question 4

Problem focussed coping (definition and examples)

Answer 4

Problem Focussed coping: Efforts directed at changing the environment in some way or changing one’s own actions or attitudes.

e.g
Seeking relevant information about an illness
Learning specific illness related procedures eg pacing activities
Changing behaviour eg diet

–> better than emotion focussed coping –> as EMFC = lower adjustment + depression

Question 5

define emotion focussed coping

Answer 5

Emotion focussed coping: Efforts designed to manage the stress-related emotional responses in order to maintain one’s own morale and allow one to function.

Question 6

Strategies for helping patients cope with treatment

Answer 6

• prepare patients with information (e.g on post operative pain)

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Question 7

Auerbach (1983) Amount of information and distress

Answer 7

• Studied effect of info given vs patient desire for info
• Patients undergoing dental extraction given general or specific info on the procedure.

= Those with a higher desire for info experiences less distress when given specific info, and those who had a low desire for info experiences less distress with general info

Question 8

Dual process hypothesis (definitions)

Answer 8

Proposes that procedural and sensory information are both helpful because they work in different ways.

procedural = allowing patients to match ongoing events with their expectations in a non-emotional manner.

sensory = helps map a non-threatening interpretation on to these expectations.

Question 9

Langer and Rodin (1976) – Nursing Home Study

Answer 9

• Study on the effect of perceived control of health

2 floors of a nursing home – one given more choice than the other
Floor given more choice = reported greater engagement in activities, had a better general wellbeing and lower 18 month mortality rate

Question 10

Helping children cope with illness / treatment

Answer 10

• Tell: use simple language and matter-of-fact style, the child is told what is going to happen before the procedure
• Show: procedure is demonstrated using an inanimate object, a member of staff or the clinician themselves
• Do: procedure does not begin until the child understands what will be done, prompt distraction strategies used during the procedure

Question 11

Helping children cope with illness / treatment

Answer 11

• Tell: use simple language and matter-of-fact style, the child is told what is going to happen before the procedure
• Show: procedure is demonstrated using an inanimate object, a member of staff or the clinician themselves
• Do: procedure does not begin until the child understands what will be done, prompt distraction strategies used during the procedure
• -> coping skills training
• -> modelling intervention

Question 12

NOTE: if parents = anxious - not beneficial for children coping with distress

Answer 12

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