Search Results (64)

Background: Lung cancer carries a high psychosocial burden. Tobacco use, the stigma attached to the disease, and coping strategies are thought to interact and shape psychological outcomes, yet they have rarely been examined together. This review aimed to synthesise the evidence on the relationship between tobacco use, lung cancer stigma, and coping, and how these factors interact and influence patients’ psychological outcomes. Methods: Following the PRISMA 2020 guideline, PubMed/MEDLINE and Dialnet were searched (window 2014–April 2026) for empirical studies conducted in adults with lung cancer that addressed stigma, coping, or relevant psychological outcomes (e.g., anxiety, depression, distress, or quality of life). Study selection and data extraction were performed independently by two reviewers, with discrepancies resolved by consensus and, where needed, by a third reviewer. Methodological quality was appraised with design-specific tools (JBI for cross-sectional and cohort studies, CASP for qualitative studies, and COSMIN-oriented criteria for the psychometric study). Given the clinical and methodological heterogeneity, a structured narrative synthesis was conducted following the SWiM guideline. The protocol was registered in the Open Science Framework. Results: Twenty-four studies were included. Stigma was prevalent and consistently associated with depression, anxiety, distress, and poorer quality of life, with longitudinal evidence indicating that stigma precedes and predicts distress. Internalised stigma (guilt, shame, self-blame) was the facet most strongly linked to depression and anxiety. Smoking history graded stigma intensity (current > former > never smokers) but did not determine it, since clinically significant stigma also affected never-smokers. Adaptive coping (e.g., fighting spirit, positive reappraisal) and social support were consistently associated with better psychological adjustment and quality of life, while maladaptive coping (e.g., helplessness, avoidance, anxious preoccupation) was associated with worse outcomes; cross-sectional evidence further indicated that coping modes mediated the relationship between stigma and quality of life and that social support and self-compassion attenuated the impact of stigma on distress. Conclusions: Internalised stigma is a central, modifiable psychosocial stressor in lung cancer that affects smokers and never-smokers alike. Systematic screening for stigma, coping, and social support, together with non-stigmatising care, is warranted. Full article

Suicide is a substantial contributor to global mortality, with suicidal ideation (SI) a significant predictor of suicide. Research has demonstrated relationships between dispositional coping styles and SI. This study aimed to advance this research by examining the specific coping strategies people use when experiencing SI. Further, it assessed predicted use of coping strategies of people with a history of SI would differ from the actual coping strategies employed by people have experienced SI. Seventy-seven help-seeking adults (Mage = 31.6, SD = 10.4) with (n = 49) or without (n = 28) history of SI completed the Brief Coping Orientations to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE) adapted to SI-related coping and current emotional distress measured by the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). An ANCOVA, while controlling for current emotional distress levels, showed a greater predicted Problem-Focused coping use than actual use reported by participants with SI history. Facet-level ANCOVAs attributed this to differences in Active Coping, Use of Informational Support, and Planning strategies. There were no group differences in emotion-focused or avoidant coping. The preliminary findings suggest individuals without a history of SI may prognosticate more frequent use adaptive coping strategies, relative to how frequently people actually employ them during these times. Future research may examine the factors explaining these differences to help inform programs related to SI and coping. Full article

Objectives: Fear of falling (FoF) is a common psychological phenomenon in later life and is often accompanied by avoidance behavior and activity restriction. Although FoF is associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, reduced self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy, older adults with FoF may differ substantially in the configuration of these characteristics. The present study aimed to identify data-derived profiles of older adults based on FoF, avoidance behavior, self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy, and to examine profile-specific psychological predictors of FoF and avoidance behavior. Methods: The main analytical sample included 217 older adults aged 60–97 years (M = 76.45, SD = 10.14) with Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 20 or higher. Latent profile analysis was conducted using FoF, avoidance behavior, self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy. Anxiety components, depressive symptoms, coping strategies, pain catastrophizing, and loneliness-related indicators were examined in class-specific regression models. The stability of the class solution was tested across different MMSE cut-off scores. Between-class comparisons were conducted for functional, fall-related, socio-demographic, and psychological indicators. Results: A three-class solution was selected and interpreted as adaptive, vulnerable, and maladaptive profiles. The profile structure remained relatively consistent across MMSE cut-off scores, including in the broader sample with MMSE ≥ 15. The classes did not differ significantly in postural balance or number of falls, suggesting that the profiles could not be fully explained by objective fall-risk indicators. Significant between-class differences were found for age, daily pain level, and state social defense. Class-specific regression models suggested that psychological variables associated with FoF and avoidance behavior differed across profiles. Pain appraisal and emotion-related coping were more relevant in the adaptive profile, phobic anxiety and anxious appraisal of future events in the vulnerable profile, and anxiety-related, depressive, interpersonal, and coping-related factors in the maladaptive profile. All reported associations remained significant after false discovery rate correction. Conclusions: FoF and avoidance behavior are related but not identical phenomena and vary across data-derived psychological profiles. A profile-oriented approach may provide a more differentiated understanding of activity restriction in older adults and help identify profile-specific targets for psychological support. Full article

Objective: The aim of the study was to devise and validate a new questionnaire—Psycho-Vox—for diagnosis of muscle tension dysphonia and develop normative data for Polish-speaking adults. The tool was designed to measure 10 key psychological and social dimensions that have a bearing on functional voice disorders (FVDs), namely perseverance, coping with stress style (task-oriented or avoiding-oriented), mental well-being, resilience, burnout, family and social relationships, and tendency to project a positive self-image, tendency to exaggerate symptoms. Methods: The validation study involved 164 participants (46.3% were patients with muscle tension dysphonia and 53.7% were in good health; 92.7% were women). Their ages ranged from 18 to 76 years (M = 40.2; SD = 13.1). The Psycho-Vox questionnaire comprised 80 items, which participants rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Construct validity was tested using factor analysis with principal component rotation and confirmatory factor analysis. Reliability was determined using Cronbach’s α, and linguistic comprehension was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES, Polish version) and the Jasnopis indicator. Sten norms were developed for the entire sample. Results: Factor analysis confirmed the 10-factor structure of the questionnaire, consistent with theoretical assumptions (KMO = 0.734; χ²(3160) = 8643.41; p < 0.001), with 89.2% classification agreement. Cronbach’s α for individual scales ranged from 0.705 to 0.837, confirming high internal reliability. The results of the FRES and Jasnopis tests indicate that the tool is understandable to adults with secondary or higher education. Significant differences were found between the patient group and the control group in terms of family relationships (p < 0.001), social capital (p = 0.003), mental well-being (p = 0.007), tendency to project a positive self-image (p = 0.004), and tendency to exaggerate symptoms (p = 0.005). A logistic regression model (χ²(10) = 62.27; p < 0.001; Hosmer–Lemeshow χ²(8) = 5.00; p = 0.757) showed that belonging to the patient group was positively associated with higher scores on the scales of family relationships, mental resilience, mental well-being, tendency to project a positive self-image, and symptom exaggeration, while negatively associated with perseverance and task-oriented coping with stress. The classification accuracy of the model was 73.2%. Sten norms were developed for all diagnostic scales. Conclusions: The Psycho-Vox questionnaire is characterised by good construct validity, high reliability, and practical clinical usefulness. The tool can be used in the differential diagnosis of muscle tension dysphonia and in monitoring the progress of treatment and rehabilitation. Full article

School burnout is a detrimental factor contributing to a decline in students’ well-being. Coping strategies are frequently mentioned among factors associated with school burnout; however, no analyses have yet examined the possible relationship between school burnout and repression–sensitization proneness, understood as a generalized coping tendency oriented toward avoidance of or vigilance for threatening stimuli. It is hypothesized that repression–sensitization proneness functions as a mediator between risk factors and the development of school burnout by influencing the way individuals perceive their school demands and their own well-being. Based on a scoping review, a general description of the concepts of school burnout and repression–sensitization proneness is presented, together with a brief discussion of the role of coping in the development and maintenance of school burnout. The hypothetical role of repression–sensitization proneness in the development and maintenance of school burnout is also discussed. The article proposes directions for future research on repression–sensitization proneness in the context of school burnout, including the assessment of the prevalence of repressive and sensitizing tendencies among students. Several hypotheses for future empirical verification are formulated, along with practical implications for preventive interventions. The article provides a theoretical foundation for future empirical studies and practical preventive programs and contributes to broadening the discussion on students’ mental health at different educational levels in the context of school burnout predictors. Full article

Background: A paediatric cancer diagnosis is a profound stressor for the entire family system. Although coping strategies are well-studied, their link to the quality of the parent–child attachment relationship remains less explored. In this study, we investigated whether dyadic attachment dynamics—specifically closeness and conflict between parent and child—are associated with the use of adaptive or maladaptive coping strategies in caregivers of children undergoing active treatment for oncohaematological diseases. Methods: We conducted a multicentre, cross-sectional study across three Italian paediatric oncohaematology centres. A total of 165 caregivers of 91 paediatric patients aged 3–17 years completed self-report measures assessing parent–child relationship quality (Child–Parent Relationship Scale-CPRS), coping strategies (COPE-NVI), perceived social support (MSPSS), and resilience (RS-14). We tested whether the quality of the parent–child attachment relationship is associated with caregivers’ coping strategies. We hypothesised that Attachment Closeness would be associated with adaptive coping (Positive Attitude, Social Support, Problem Orientation), whereas Attachment Conflict would be associated with maladaptive coping (Avoidance). We conducted multiple linear regression models, adjusted for key covariates and with robust standard errors clustered at the family level, to test these hypotheses. Results: Higher levels of emotional closeness (CPRS) were significantly associated with greater use of adaptive coping strategies, specifically Positive Attitude (β = 0.20, p = 0.049) and Problem Orientation (β = 0.26, p = 0.002), even after controlling for sociodemographic factors, social support, and resilience. Conversely, higher levels of relational conflict were significantly associated with greater use of the maladaptive Avoidance strategy (β = 0.14, p = 0.015). The hypothesis linking closeness to Social Support seeking was not supported. Conclusions: The findings suggest that the parent–child attachment relationship is a significant correlate of caregiver coping strategies in caregivers of children with cancer. Interventions aimed at supporting the caregiver–child dyad by fostering emotional closeness and reducing conflict may promote more adaptive parental coping mechanisms, thereby enhancing family resilience and psychological adjustment throughout the treatment journey. Full article

Coping serves as a protective function in students’ responses to school bullying. Previous studies have proposed several models to explain how victims cope with school bullying, but most of these frameworks were developed in Western contexts. Grounded in these frameworks, this qualitative study explores how victims cope with different developmental stages of school bullying within the Chinese cultural context. Using grounded theory and constant comparative analysis, we analyzed retrospective self-reports from 67 Chinese university students who described bullying experiences from elementary to high school. The analysis identified four key coping categories: emotional response, endurance and avoidance, cognitive reconstruction, and action-oriented resistance. Based on these coping strategies, we developed a Victims’ Coping Strategies Model structured along two axes: engagement–disengagement and a cognitive–emotional to cognitive–behavioral continuum. By capturing the complex interplay of internal and external strategies influenced by Chinese sociocultural norms, the model demonstrates the developmental and context-dependent nature beyond static classifications of coping strategies. The findings contribute to cultural and developmental understandings of victim responses and inform practical implications for intervention. Full article

Recent collective stressful events have influenced adolescents’ perceptions of the future; however, their impact on future-thinking and the coping strategies used to manage these challenges remain unclear. This study examines adolescents’ future-related concerns in response to collective stressful events and the strategies they adopt to cope with them. In spring 2024, 12 focus groups were conducted with 97 high school students (46.4% females; Mage = 15.34; SDage = 1.06) in Italy. Participants discussed experienced collective stressful events, their main concerns about the future, and related coping strategies. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Students identified four major events: war, climate change, economic crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. These events triggered concerns such as ‘uncertainty about future plans and goals,’ ‘limitations on personal freedom,’ ‘deteriorating survival conditions,’ ‘the outbreak of sudden events and natural disasters,’ and ‘job loss and increase in prices.’ Five coping strategies emerged: ‘taking action,’ ‘staying informed,’ ‘avoiding overthinking,’ ‘seeking social support (from family, friends, and teachers),’ and ‘seeking support from institutions.’ Findings highlight adolescents’ future-related concerns and underscore the need for interventions promoting adaptive future-oriented thinking. Full article

Culinary culture shock (CCS)—the discomfort and ambivalence travelers feel when encountering unfamiliar foods—remains underexplored from a short-horizon, trip-bounded perspective. While prior work notes both attractions and impediments of food in tourism, a process-oriented account of how ordinary travelers experience and navigate CCS during brief trips is still limited. This study examines CCS in Guangzhou, China and delineates how it shapes travelers’ evaluations of place. We adopt a qualitative design, combining 30 semi-structured interviews with in situ ethnographic observations across markets, street-food settings, restaurants, and guided food tours, supplemented by document analysis (e.g., visitor materials and menus). Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identify three recurrent coping trajectories—avoidance, gradual adaptation, and immersion—that unfold nonlinearly as travelers recalibrate expectations, manage sensory dissonance, and renegotiate comfort boundaries. We integrate expectancy–disconfirmation theory (EDT) with an embodied view of tasting to develop the Palate Adaptation Spiral Model (PASM), which explains CCS as recursive cycles of appraisal, strategy enactment, and re-appraisal within the span of a trip. Social influence (peers, guides, and service staff) operates as a cross-cutting mechanism that can accelerate adaptation or entrench avoidance depending on cue valence and credibility. The study clarifies the scope of CCS as general travel encounters (not restricted to culinary-motivated tourists) and specifies contextual conditions under which negative reactions are reversible. Theoretically, we connect EDT to short-term culinary adaptation through PASM; practically, we outline design levers—pre-trip expectation management, pictorial/transparent menus, and guide-mediated tasting sequences—to reduce anxiety and support constructive exploration. Full article

Background: The symptoms of chronic spontaneous urticaria can be exacerbated or even induced by psychological stress. Assessing the severity of symptoms using the recommended Urticaria Control Test is an important diagnostic step before deciding on the type of pharmacological treatment to be used. Due to the possibility of urticaria symptoms affecting patient’s emotional condition, the authors attempted to analyze if the way of coping with stress has an impact on urticaria symptom control as assessed with this questionnaire. Methods: The study included 61 (37 female; 60,6%;) patients with symptoms of chronic spontaneous urticaria without other coexisting diseases. All patients were treated with antihistamines. In the analyzed group of patients, the Urticaria Control Test and the Polish version of Endler and Parker’s Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations questionnaire were conducted. Results: The average score on the Urticaria Control Test in the analyzed group was 8.5 (±3.9) points. In our group, the most common coping style was a mixed style based on emotions and avoidance—32 (53%) respondents. Next, 11 (18%) patients reported an emotion-based style. A task-oriented style of coping with stress was observed in 8 (13%) respondents. In the study group, we found no statistical significance in the correlation between the UCT results and the patient’s coping style. Conclusions: Emotions play a significant role as a stress-coping style in chronic spontaneous urticaria patients. The lack of relation found between the Urticaria Control Test result and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations questionnaire confirms the objective usefulness of the Urticaria Control Test in assessing the control of spontaneous urticaria. Full article

This research applies the stress appraisal framework to examine how perceived status threats, triggered by high-performing new employees, affect incumbent employees’ work engagement and withdrawal behaviors. The investigation proposes that coping approaches, specifically proactive adaptation strategies and disengagement tactics, serve as mediating mechanisms, with stress perception orientation playing a moderating role. By reversing traditional research perspectives to concentrate on incumbent employees rather than new employees, this analysis identifies the key drivers of perceived occupational vulnerability and investigates their behavioral consequences. Through a time-lagged research methodology, we garnered responses from 266 incumbent employees spanning multiple sectors. The results demonstrate a strong positive correlation between the competence of new employees and incumbent employees’ perceived status of threat, which subsequently elevates work engagement via approach-focused strategies, while simultaneously increasing disengagement behaviors through avoidance mechanisms. Notably, employees’ fundamental beliefs about stress significantly weaken the association between perceived competitive threats and passive coping methods. These discoveries highlight critical implications for managing workplace dynamics and optimizing team performance through an enhanced understanding of perceived status challenges. Full article

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with long-term disturbances in stress regulation, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress and reduced psychological coping capacity. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between selected neurobiological biomarkers (Insulin-like Growth Factor 1—IGF-1; Caspase-9—CASP-9; Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase—nNOS; and Interleukin-10—IL-10) and coping styles evaluated using the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE) questionnaire in men with trauma experience. Particular emphasis was placed on analyzing the effect of PTSD chronicity (≤5 years vs. >5 years) on these relationships. The study included 92 adult men with a history of life-threatening situations. Participants were divided into three groups: PTSD within the past ≤5 years (n = 33), PTSD within the past >5 years (n = 31), and a No PTSD group (n = 28). Biomarkers were measured in blood serum. Coping strategies were assessed using the Brief-COPE questionnaire, which includes four subscales: task-oriented, emotion-oriented, avoidant, and general coping. Due to the lack of normal distribution, the Kruskal–Wallis test and Dunn’s post hoc test were used. Correlations between biomarkers and Brief-COPE subscales were calculated using Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient (Rho). Significant differences between groups were found in all four biomarkers (p < 0.001). IGF-1 and IL-10 reached the highest values in the No PTSD group and the lowest in the PTSD ≤ 5 years group, indicating neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory deficits in PTSD. Conversely, CASP-9 and nNOS levels (markers of apoptosis and oxidative stress) were highest in PTSD ≤ 5 years, with partial normalization in the PTSD > 5 years group. In terms of coping strategies, the No PTSD group displayed a highly adaptive profile (task-oriented: 30/32; emotion-oriented: 43/48; and avoidant: 12/32). Individuals with PTSD ≤ 5 years presented a maladaptive pattern (task-oriented: 13/32; avoidant: 26/32; and emotion-oriented: 27/48), while in PTSD > 5 years, a further decline in emotion-oriented (21/48) and general coping (59/112) was observed, suggesting progressive depletion of psychological resources. The strongest correlations between biomarkers and coping strategies occurred in PTSD groups. Low IGF-1 levels in PTSD ≤ 5 years correlated negatively with emotion-oriented coping (Rho = −0.39) and general coping (Rho = −0.35). High CASP-9 levels were associated with reduced task-oriented coping in PTSD > 5 years (Rho = −0.29). Similar trends were observed for nNOS and IL-10, indicating a disturbance in neurobiological balance that favors persistence of PTSD symptoms. PTSD, both in its acute and chronic phases, is associated with an abnormal profile of neuroprotective, apoptotic, and inflammatory biomarkers, which correlates with impaired adaptive coping capacity. Although partial normalization of biological parameters is observed in chronic PTSD, deficits in emotion-oriented and task-oriented coping persist. The Brief-COPE questionnaire, combined with biomarker analysis, may serve as a useful clinical tool for assessing psychophysiological balance and designing early interventions. These results highlight the potential of IGF-1, CASP-9, nNOS, and IL-10 as biomarkers of stress adaptation and therapeutic targets in PTSD. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cerebral hemorrhage (CH) has physical, cognitive, and emotional consequences. Recovery requires a complex rehabilitation process in which coping strategies play a fundamental role in supporting psychological adaptation. The aim of this study is to investigate and understand the extent and manner in which coping strategies have been assessed in the CH population within the scientific literature. Methods: Studies were identified through searches in the PubMed, Scopus, and Embase databases. Eight studies published between 2014 and 2024 were selected. Results: The most frequently adopted coping strategies include task-oriented coping, avoidance, emotion-focused coping, acceptance, planning, and emotional support. Task-oriented strategies and acceptance are associated with better psychological outcomes. Conversely, avoidant and emotion-focused strategies correlate with higher levels of anxiety, depression, and poorer adaptation. Resilience and social participation emerge as protective factors. Finally, Action/Distraction is associated with a better quality of life, while Trivialization/Resignation is linked to lower levels. Conclusions: Coping seems to represent a modifiable, patient-centered lever that can mitigate the psychosocial sequelae of intracranial hemorrhage when assessed systematically and addressed through tailored rehabilitation programs. Our findings lay the groundwork for evidence-based, coping-focused interventions and highlight critical avenues for future longitudinal and mechanistic research. Full article

Background: The aim was to explore the association between coping strategies (CSs) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in breast cancer (BC) survivors and to analyze the role of relevant sociodemographic and clinical variables. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 305 women under follow-up for surgically treated BC in Spain. CSs were measured using the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Scale and the HRQoL with the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12). Results: The mean age at BC diagnosis for participants was 57.4 years, with 60.3% of diagnoses at the local stage. Most frequent complementary treatments were radiotherapy (53.4%) and chemotherapy (33.1%). Adaptative CS scores were positively associated both with higher physical HRQoL (adjusted regression coefficient: 2.19; 95% confidence interval: 0.11; 4.27, p-value: 0.039) and mental HRQoL scores (coef.: 2.65: 95%CI: 0.25; 5.04, p-value: 0.030). Maladaptive CS scores were inversely associated with mental HRQoL scores (coef.: −3.92; 95%CI: −6.62; −1.22, p-value: 0.005). The effects were stronger among women with a favorable BC prognosis. Conclusions: Adaptive CSs positively affected the physical and mental HRQoL, while maladaptive CSs negatively affected the mental HRQoL. Therefore, psychosocial interventions that promote adaptive CSs and avoid maladaptive ones could improve the well-being of women with a favorable BC prognosis. Full article

The increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the coping strategies used by children and parents who adapted to a diagnosis of central precocious puberty (CPP). This study aimed to explore whether the coping mechanisms of parents and their daughters diagnosed with CPP differed before and after the COVID-19 lockdown and if certain factors could be associated with these mechanisms. Specific questionnaires were completed by 174/524 girls with CPP enrolled at four different pediatric endocrinology centers in Italy. All girls filled in the questionnaire about the Children’s Coping Strategies (CCSs), and their parents completed the Coping Orientation to the Problems Experienced (COPE-NVI-25) questionnaire. Cronbach’s test was performed to check the reliability of answers. Despite increased stress-related coping behaviors among girls with CPP after the lockdown, parents presented more functional coping behaviors related to problem-solving strategies and seeking social support. After the lockdown, children showed stronger associations with their parents’ adaptive strategies, emphasizing the important role of parental behaviors in shaping the responses of children to stressful events. Additionally, coping strategies were found to differ by country of origin: families of non-Italian origin showed a greater reliance on transcendence, while girls from these families had lower avoidance scores, suggesting the use of alternative adaptive strategies in stressful situations. Full article