They work best when the person can control the source of stress (e.g. Problem focused approached will not work in any situation where it is beyond the individual’s control to remove the source of stress. Dealing with the feeling of loss requires emotion-focused coping. For example, when someone dies, problem-focused strategies may not be very helpful for the bereaved. However, it is not always possible to use problem-focused strategies. Problem-focused strategies are successful in dealing with stressors such as discrimination (Pascoe & Richman, 2009), HIV infections (Moskowitz, Hult, Bussolari, & Acree, 2009) and diabettes (Duangdao & Roesch, 2008). In general problem-focused coping is best, as it removes the stressor, so deals with the root cause of the problem, providing a long term solution. Problem focused strategies aim to remove or reduce the cause of the stressor, including: Problem-focused coping targets the causes of stress in practical ways which tackles the problem or stressful situation that is causing stress, consequently directly reducing the stress. Gender differences have also been reported: women tend to use more emotion-focused strategies than men (Billings & Moos, 1981). However, they can be a good choice if the source of stress is outside the person’s control (e.g. The same pattern exists in relation to dental health and financial problems.Įmotion-focused coping does not provide a long term solution and may have negative side effects as it delays the person dealing with the problem. denying they were very ill, deteriourated more quickly then those who faced up to their problems. (1994) found that patients with cancer who used avoidance strategies, e.g. The type of stressor and wether the impact was on physical or psychological health explained the strategies between coping strategies and health outcomes. Such strategies are ineffective as they ignore the root cause of the stress. In general people who used emotion-focused strategies such as eating, drinking and taking drugs reported poorer health outcomes. J., & Pennebaker, 1988).Ī meta-analysis revealed emotion-focused strategies are often less effective than using problem-focused methods in relation to health outcomes(Penley, Tomaka, & Weibe, 2012). Suppressing emotions over an extended period of time compromises immune competence and leads to poor physical health (Petrie, K. Suppressing (stopping/inhibition of) negative thoughts or emotions.That changes its emotional impact (Lazarus & Alfert, 1964). This is a form of cognitive change that involvesĬonstruing a potentially emotion-eliciting situation in a way writing a gratitude diary (Cheng, Tsui, & Lam, 2015). This is an important part of psychotherapy. This involves expressing strong emotions by talking or writing about negative events which precipitated those emotions (Pennebaker, 1995)
keeping yourself busy to take your mind off the issue. Other emotion focused coping techniques include: Negative emotions such as embarrassment, fear, anxiety, depression, excitement and frustration are reduced or removed by the individual by various methods of coping.Įmotion-focused techniques might be the only realistic option when the source of stress is outside the person’s control.ĭrug therapy can be seen as emotion focused coping as it focuses on the arousal caused by stress not the problem. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) suggested there are two types of coping responses emotion focused and problem focused:Įmotion-focused coping is a type of stress management that attempts to reduce negative emotional responses associated with stress. Some people will pace around or tell you how worried they are, others will revise, or pester their teachers for clues. Their effectiveness depends on the type of stressor, the particular individual, and the circumstances.įor example, if you think about the way your friends deal with stressors like exams, you will see a range of different coping responses. There are many ways of coping with stress. Perceive a discrepancy between the physical or psychological demands of a situation and the resources of his or her biological, psychological or social systems (Sarafino, 2012).
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