Coping with Illness and Disability

Question 1

What is the transactional definition of stress?

Answer 1

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 2

What is the transactional definition of application?

Answer 2

can be applied to hospitalisation for medical/surgical procedure. For the patients, there are mental demands of the threat to wellbeing from hospitalisation (including the severity, pain etc) and there may be limited coping resources as there is little they can do.

Question 3

What is procedural information?

Answer 3

information about the procedures to be undertaken

Question 4

What is sensory informations?

Answer 4

information about the sensations that may be experienced

Question 5

What is the dual process hypothesis?

Answer 5

proposes that procedural and sensory information work in different ways.
-Procedural info allows patients to match ongoing events with expectations in a non-emotional manner, whereas sensory info works by “mapping” a non-threatening interpretation onto these expectations

Question 6

What is the effect of perceived control on distress?

Answer 6

Perceived control reduces symptom distress

Question 7

Describe problem focused coping giving an example

Answer 7

Definition: efforts directed at changing the environment in some way or changing one’s own actions or attitudes

Examples: seeking health information, learning procedures, pacing activity, changing behaviour

Question 8

Describe emotion focused coping giving an example

Answer 8

Definition: efforts designed to manage the stress-related emotional responses in order to maintain one’s own morale and allow one to function

Examples: meditation, relaxation techniques, deep-breathing, distraction, praying

Question 9

List some strategies for helping children cope with treatment

Answer 9

1. Tell: using simple language and a matter-of-fact style, the child is told what is going to happen before each procedure
2. Show: the procedure is demonstrated using an inanimate object, a member of staff or the dentist himself/herself
3. Do: the procedure does not begin until the child understands what will be done. Use prompt distraction strategies

Question 10

Describe the Auerbach (1983) amount of information and distress study

Answer 10

• Study on the effect of information given vs individual desire for information
• Patients undergoing a dental extraction are given either general information or specific information regarding the procedure
• Patients with a high desire for information experienced less distress when given specific information
• Patients with a low desire for information experienced less distress when given general information

Question 11

Describe the Langer and Rodin (1976) nursing home study

Answer 11

• Floor 1: in a meeting, residents told they had choice about movies, furniture and free time and responsibility for a plant: showed greater engagement in activities. Better general well-being. 15% died 18 months later.
• Floor 2: in a meeting, residents told staff would be in charge, have responsibility for the plant. 30% died 18 months later.