International Journal of Stress Management

The mediating role of coping: A cross-sectional analysis of the relationship between coping self-efficacy and coping effectiveness among athletes.
This study examines the relationship among global coping self-efficacy, coping, and coping effectiveness within athletes. We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between coping self-efficacy and coping effectiveness, which would be mediated by coping. It was also predicted that coping strategies within the task-oriented coping dimension would be positively associated with coping effectiveness, whereas strategies from the disengagement- and distraction-oriented coping dimensions would be negatively associated with coping effectiveness. Participants were 353 athletes between the ages of 18 and 29 years, who completed a measure of coping self-efficacy the night before they competed, in addition to a measure of the athletes' use of coping strategies and their perceived coping effectiveness, which was completed immediately after the competitive event. Results revealed that higher global coping self-efficacy scores were significantly (r = .33, p <.01) associated with coping effectiveness. Furthermore, task-oriented and disengagement-oriented coping partially mediated this relationship, but distraction-oriented coping was not a significant partial mediator of the relationship between global coping self-efficacy and coping effectiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Sleep and cognitive failures improved by a three-month stress management intervention.
Work-related stress is a major occupational health problem. Prominent symptoms are impaired sleep and cognitive ability. Participants (N=102) were randomized to either an intervention or a wait-list control group. Outcomes, measured at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months, were the Basic Nordic Sleep Questionnaire, Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, and Digit Span test. Data were analyzed using repeated measures analyses of variance. Self-reported quality of sleep improved in the intervention group. Relative to the control group, an effect size of d=−0.64, CI [−1.05, –0.24], was found. For cognitive failures, an effect size of d=−0.57, CI [−0.90, –0.24], was found, favoring the intervention. Gains were maintained at follow-up. Digit Span scores did not differ between groups. In conclusion, the intervention had medium effects on self-reported sleep and cognitive errors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Confidentiality as a barrier to social support: A cross-sectional study of Norwegian emergency and human service workers.
The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate confidentiality as a possible barrier to emotional support in a sample of 464 Norwegian nurses, rescue workers, police officers, chaplains, and undertakers. Informal discussions more than formal meetings were settings where emotional work experiences could be aired. The most important sources of emotional support were partners and colleagues. The need to maintain confidentiality was associated with lower utilization of personal support network. Confidentiality, the need to demonstrate emotional capability, and professional integrity were identified as barriers for seeking support. These barriers were present regardless of organizational strategies to support each other in formal and informal meetings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Occupational stress in Canadian universities: A national survey.
Stress surveys in U.K. and Australian universities demonstrated high occupational stress levels among faculty. This study investigated whether the same occupational stressors and stress outcomes applied at Canadian universities. Randomly selected staff (n = 1440) from 56 universities completed a Web-based questionnaire. The response rate 27%, was similar to those in the U.K. and Australian studies, as were most of the results. With respect to strain, 13% of the respondents reported high psychological distress and 22% reported elevated physical health symptoms. Less secure employment status and work-life imbalance strongly predicted job dissatisfaction; work-life imbalance strongly predicted increased psychological distress. Overall study participants were satisfied with their jobs and emotionally committed to their institutions. These results warrant consideration of contemporary academic work by both academic staff associations and university administrations with respect to the implementation of changes in policies and procedures that might lead to reductions in work-related stress and strain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
Stress appraisal in women with spinal cord injury: Supplementary findings through mixed methods.
A study was conducted to examine how women with spinal cord injury (SCI) perceive the stressors they encounter, and how cognitive appraisal is associated with coping and life satisfaction. Fifty women with SCI were interviewed regarding their experience with stress and coping. The interviews were then coded using a framework based on stress and coping theory (transactional model). The systematic application of quantitative methods to the coded interview data allowed for statistical analyses, which demonstrated that the context in which the women spoke about their experiences with various stressors was associated with coping strategies, time since injury, and life satisfaction. Although stress and coping are commonly seen as interacting constructs that influence quality of life outcomes, current findings suggest that appraisal of stressors in the context of loss (more common among women more recently injured) may have a direct impact on life satisfaction apart from any coping strategies put into effect. Interventions designed to facilitate coping with loss and enhance problem-solving skills, along with education about available resources, may foster a sense of empowerment after SCI and ultimately change how stressors are perceived and managed in order to dampen their negative impact on life satisfaction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)

International Journal of Stress Management - Vol 17, Iss 3