stress and resilience

deployment

- highest level of stress across wartime deployment service member is physically absent but psychologically present -Relational partners experience emotions, such as anger, loss, loneliness, and feelings of abandonment- the intensity of thse emotions varies w/ length of sepration and the feelings surrounding it -This period of emotional disorganization is relatively short-lived, lasting up to 6 weeks -Families often report feeling a sense of relief when the deployment has begun as they begin the adjustment process -Stressors Families Face: -Psychological - worrying, sadness, lonliness -Logistical -taking care of house, communicating w/ deployed memer -Social- media, unhelpful support from network members Relational -role struggles Economic -rearranging employment -Families report stress during service members' return to their families during their rest and recuperation, often as a result of unfulfilled expectations

Stressors unique to Military life

-Frequent separations and reunions • Conformity to military life • Frequent relocation • Separation from nonmilitary or military community • A structured and hierarchically organized social system -deployment is one of the most widely documented stressors for military families- lots of negative mental, emotional, and physical effects that deployment of a loved one has on military fams----increased risk of divorce, etc---but succsesful adaptation benefits fams by increasing their resilience----some marriages can improve bc of deployment, wives can get an increased sense of independence -important to look at stressors according to the 3 phases of deployment: pre deployment, deployment, and reuinion.

Coping Strategies and Outcomes

-Military families adapt successfully to stress by developing a range of coping behaviors -Maintaining family stability -Individual anxiety -Getting support from family, friends, and the community Two important factors to family resilience & for coping: -Establishing independence and self-sufficiency by the remaining parent---wives in non distressed couples used strategies like beliving in the lifestyle and optimism and developing self reliance and self esteem more than distressed couples. -Maintaining family integrity-- communicating with deployed member does this -problem focused coping was better than emotion focused coping- these r seen with a decrease in well being.

relational perspective

-believes that coping should be considered seperatly from resources (like how in abc-x model its grpuped together, this doesnt agree with that) ---- because just bc a family has resources doesnt mean theyll actually use them---SO based on that, coping is another factor that determines if a fam will succsessfully adapt to crisis.----- believed that coping impacts all of the factors, not just xX. -it looks at the family or groups management of a stressful situation; a: coping in families- -if a fam can succsessfully cope with a stressor then it will never reach crisis status! -BUT, if one person is stressed or if the coping process harms 1 family member then the family is not coping well which can lead to crisis= systems perspective; -----but crisis isnt bad bc it means familieis can reorganize their system and develop new rules b: coping in couples- -coping includes a dyadic component-the actions and reactions of others affects our coping process 1. a partners choice of coping strategy can influence the strategy choice of the other partner by modeling coping responses 2. the way a partner deals w distress can cause distress in the other partner----- a result of interdependence -so, partners may need to coordinate their coping efforts to preserve relationship & manage stress 3. when the stressor affects both people= dydaic coping (aka mutual coping)= for mutual coping to happen, both partners have to agree that the situation is stressful to both of them so they can share the burden of coping----dydaic coping strategies= a) positive dyadic coping (support) b) common dyadic coping (joint problem solving) c)negative dyadic coping (support w/ mockery) ^^ these all use communication aka interaction is at the center of the dyadic coping process!!!!!! -also, just like in individual coping methods, the liklihood that a couple will actually use dyadic coping can depend on their developmental stage in life (ie: older couples r more mature and can collaborate better and more likely to engage in dyadic coping) -relationships play a greater level in coping than the individual level recognizes; -Many stressors are interpersonal or have an interpersonal component. -Individual coping efforts have potential social consequences. -The act of coping often requires interaction with others

Contextual model of family stress

-came about because Boss thought that abc-x and double abc models were both too linear to describe the process of fam life, and that the process was actually more circular. -defines family stress as an experience caused by disturbances in the family system. - fam stress can be pos or neg, it is normal and sometimes beneficial part of fam life.- stress becomes problematic when the fam or a person begins to feel dissatisifed or disturbed. -says cannot understand family stress without understanding the internal and external contexts in which the family operates -the center of the "circle" has the family stress process (the ABC-X model)- level of stress is included in the X factor but its still seperate from crisis like in the double abc-x model -boss believed that the C factor was very important bc she thought that family perception is central to understanding the processes in distressed families- founded on 6 assumptions:

not all people experience the negative consequences of prolonged stress

-causes practioners to wonder why some people experience suppressed immune system, increased BP, etc, and some dont= where psychology comes into play

Family Adjustment and adaptation model

-clarifies post-crisis period - shows how families attempt to adjust to stressors or demands before they enter into a crisis and when they do enter a crisis how they adapt to their new situation. going off of the double-abc-x model, they realized that the post crisis adaptation process was more complex- labeled it a 2 step process 1. adjusment to the origianl crisis 2.adaptation during the post-crisis period

communication as a resource

-communication is important for family resilience -a family's ability to use communication as a resource during a stressful time may depend on their interal working models or schemata of communication ad relationships -conversation oriented= a fam who is concerned with open discussion of ideas b/w parents and children; everyone shares ideas, everyone participates in decision making and everyone expresses concerns. ----predicted oucomes=good mental health, good self esteen, family cohesion, and relational satisfaction bc it gives kids the neccessary tools aka communicaton behaviors for coping with stress. -conformity oriented= concerend with the homogenity of attidues, beliefs, and values among their fam members; tends to have heirarchal family structures that prioritize fam interests above indiviudal ones---these families may pressure members to hide family secrets which results in less closesness and commitment to eachother.

Family systems theory

-communication= the glue that binds familieis together - a family unit exsists based on the interactions of its members - a system = "a set of components that interrelates with one nother to form a whole. when individuals come together to form relationships, the result is larger and more complex than the sum of the indviduals or components" -so a family isnt a collection of people but an aggregate of relationships, memories, successes, failures, and aspirations. -the fam systems theory helps scholars understand how stress that affects 1 person can influence the rest of the fam unit and also how the stress the fam experiences is diff from the stress the individual experiences and how the fam adjusts and adapts to the stressors it faces -7 charactersitcs w/ family systems theory

communication as a source or symptom of stress

-conflict is studied greatly within communication bc its the part of communication that members find difficult -hurtful interactions, troubled relationships, etc, all produce communication as a source/symptom of stress -the way a message is communicated determines how the recipient will respond -negative encounters and stuff can be how communication is a source of stress. -communication can also be a symptom of underlying stress in the family system- ie: fam members may distance themselves from eachother to cope with their feelings of distress or act out agaisnt one another which can mean there is stress going on in the system. -increases in chronic stress increased physical aggresssion -chronic stress demands more emotional resources leaving couples less able to interact with eachother in a positive way

Individual perspective of coping

-coping in terms of how animals surive=behaviors like escape or avoidance that control the enviornment in order to lessen any psychophysiological disturbances that might occur. -ego psychology model says coping= realistic and flexible thoughts and acts that solve problems and thereby reduce stress.------this is critized as too simplistic --- trait measures of coping are not good predictors of actual coping behaviors in specific circumstances -the preferred definition of coping= constantly changing congitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external/internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of a person- this definition is preferred because its contextual- it acknowleges that our encounter w/ a situation affects coping thru our appraisal of the actual demands in the encounter and our available resources- also, the definition doesnt say that a strategy is maladapitve or adapative, it labels coping as neutral from the start- and it considers how coping may change as the encounter w/ the stressor unfolds -cognitive apprasials- are encounters w/ enviro beneficial to our wellbeing or not -personality aslo influences the coping process -high hope people (people who hasve goal pursuits) are able to better cope w stressors bc they appraise it as a challenge that can be met -where we are in our lifespan influences how we cope w/ stress-bc we have diff coping strategies (ie: crying) and diff resources available to us at diff points in time- maladaptive strategies like agression increase w/ age

communication as a coping strategy

-coping strategies are often enacted via communication -communication that can be used as coping strategy= topic avoidance, journaling, information-seeking, protective buffering, etc -expressing affection to a close relational partner during a stressful epsiode either verbally or in wiritng has a moderating effect on physiological stress. -expressing love and affection in a letter to a loved one accelerates recovery from stress more than just thinking about the loved one or sitting quietly-----so, saying "i love you" actually helps their stress and your own too. -these coping strategies can be maintence focused----so engaging in prosocial communicaton during stressful times to strenghten their relational bond----like being open and assuring about the relationship -some commmunication coping strategies can have neg effects--- a coping paradox that usuually happens in interdependent groups like fams---ie: if someone is getting deployed then they may withdraw beforehand to prepare; or protective buffering is said to have worse outcomes for the wives -communicative effects like venting and catharsis are actualy bad and increase negative feelings and acts of violence---aka MALADAPTIVE in social relationships -another study shows that its the supression not the expression of anger that is associated with negative long term health problems in marriage like higher mortality. -spousal communication coping patterns= depends on their level of comfort with sharing/recieving cognitive info-- 1. talkers (both value open communication), 2. moderate talkers (value open communication but in a limited way) 3.- nontalkers (both value closed rather than open communication) 4.minor discrepent couples (when they vary slightly on their values about communication) 5.majorly discrepent couples (disagree greatly about spousal communication) ---------- the biggest factor in determining a couples adjustment to stress and their percieved relational satisfaction was how similar their opionons about open communication were;;;; so communicaton was good for couples who both agreed on that but for discrepent couples it was bad. -demand/withdrawn cycle===== demand= an approach behavior (desire to change a partner), withdrawl= avoidance behavior can develop coping patterns where one person wants to address the situation but the other wants to avoid it; associated w/ negative outcomes like more distress and marital disastisfaction and child unhappiness in post divorces------ its also a symptom of family dysfunction aka that the family isnt adjusting to the stress

continuous stress

-duration -ongoing problems that affect daily life -recurring demands that require adjustments over a long period & are usually a result of individual sources (ie alcoholism or diabetes), environmental sources (ie living in bad area), occupatinal sources (low job security), relational sources (domestic abuse), or sociological sources (poverty. -these stressors can be considered "background stress" bc they are charactersitics of the enviro; even if their effects arent always felt they are still always there. -when timing and resolution of the stressor are uncertain, chronic strains become problematic -can be either chronic or hassles -hassles and chronic stresss are predictive of stress-related pyshcial and psychological symptoms bc we have little control over resolving the stressor.

Discrete stress

-duration of stress -acute/discrete stressors involve sudden changes within a short period of time that require diff amounts of readjustment -have a specifc onset and offset- aka u can say when they start and finish -even if an event is labeled as discrete/acute, it can continue to have a neg effect on stress level long after the onset of the event or it can lead to more stressors - ie: a divorce can lead to chronic stress

Cognitive Apprasial Process-

-evaluative cogivitie processes that affect the encounter and the reaction- through cognitive apprasial process the person evaluates the significance of what is happening for their well being -cognitive apprasials can take 2 diff forms: 1= primary apprasials= these determine whether the encounter w/ something in the enviro has no effect on our well being, if its begnign-positive (aka the outcome has the potential to enhance well being), or stressful (aka the outcome is bad) -----when we appraise the situation as stressful we have to do something to manage it 2= secondary appraisals= determine what coping options we have available to deal with a stressful situation and the liklihood that we take action. -the interaction b/w primary and secondary apprasials shapes the degree of stress we experience and our emotional reactions to envirionmental encoutners. -cognitive apprasial of a stressful situation can predict our emotioanl reaction - aka the way u appraise a situation will determine how u respond to it-

Double ABC-X model

-expands on Hill's abc-x model by including what happens after the post-crisis period; hill focused on crisis as the primary outcome variable where as this model says that u have to consider the resulting family stress or distress that results from interactions b/w ABC before determining if a fam has reached crisis stage or not. -made 4 changes from hills model: 1.add family stress to the equation 2.identify 4 additional factors that influence fam adaptation to crisis over time 3. seperating coping from fam resources 4.taking out the adaptation factor -says that family stress= a state that arises from an actual or percieved demand-capability imbalance in the fam's functioning & characterized by a need for adjustment -family distress= when the fam appraises or defines the percieved imbalance in family function as bad -if the fam is able to meet the demands of a situation and/or define it in a way that maintains family stability then crisis can be averted.

communication based coping model

-has a focus on communicxation within each 5 factors: 1. communication as a source of stress 2. communication as a symptom of stress 3. communication as a meaning making 4.communication as a resource 5. communication as a coping strategy 6. communication as an outcome

external context

-helps w/ the understanding of family stress - the things in the environment that we cannot control- the "time" and "place" of family life. -the family is situated in a broader cultural context that provides cannons by which families define the way they live-cultural meaninging affect how a family interprets and responds to a stressor & available resources. ie: differences in how north american and carribean caregivers view escape from stress as an important coping mechanism- north americans said that caregivers should get away from loved ones or ask someone outsdie fam to provide care, the carribean caregivers would turn to family as a way to cope. -cultural context also afffects the availnle resources- if a fam lives in a tight knit community then they might feel better to handle a crisis -also important to undersand the historical point when a stressor occurs- like if its a past even that has a lasting impact like the holocaust or slavery or a current event like a natual disaster - the historical context influences the perceptions and meanings a family assigns to a stressor. -also, economic context influences fam stress interpretations bc it affects the resources availble during a crisis; -hereditary context also influences stress interpretation -where the family is in the family lifecycle also influences this; like a fam whos kids are young and a parent gets sick will interpet that differntly than a fam whos kids are all grown up

ABC-X model of family crisis

-identifies some fundamental components of family stress theory -started with the recognition that not all families expereinced crisis when faced with the same event (ie: seperation and reunion durign WW2) - some families fell apart while others were able to cope and emerge stronger than before- so Hill identified 3 variables that determine why some families thrive and others fail in stress: a) the hardships of the actual situation b)the resources of the family, its role structure, flexibility, and histroy w/ crisis c) the definition the fam makes of the event; aka how they percieve it the interactions of A, B and C produce X (the crisis)

Autonomic nervous system

-physiological stress response -the ANS governs the functioning of heart, lungs, stomach, blood vessels, and glands- its 2 parts the SNS and PNS work together to create allostasis- the SNS takes over during the time of stress and the PNS helps our bodies recover from that and maintain normal functioning

General Adaptation Syndrome

-physiological stress response physiological changes our bodies experience (chemical and bodily changes) as a result of a wide varitey of causes -has 3 stages: 1= the alarm reaction; the body releases hormones and energery to prepare for action 2= resistance or adaptation phase: the body recovers from action and restores energy 3= exhaustion stage= the body becomes fatigued and overwhelmed from too long or extremem alarm reaction - this stage can lead to permamnent harm or even death -we experience stages 1 and 2 frequently but we usually dont ever reach stage 3 -the alarm response can help preform at best preformace; ie with firefighters, every time they get a fire call they exerience the alarm reaction which helps them preform at their highest level - this is good, the problem occurs when our bodies arent given the time they need to recover fully from demanding situations-

levels of coping

-the level at which they take place----social or solitary - traditional researchers see coping as an individual affair but people who study dydadic coping see it as a social affair that involves other people 1. solitary 2.social 3.communal

B factor

-the resources the family has to respond to the crisis- this determine whether the fam will experience a fulll blown crisis or not- if a fam has the resources neccessary for facing the stressful event, they are less likely to fall into crisis -resources include: emotional interdependence, egaltarian roles in fam, strong affectional ties within fam, acceptance of fam members in preforming fam duties

Adjustment phase

-the same as the first part of the double abcx model where the family attemps to meet the demands of a stressor with its exisiting capabilities -a stable period bc the fam isnt making big changes; only makes minor ones which makes family interaction predictable -if the fam cant meet the demands of the situation w. exisiting capabilities then it enters a state of disequilibrium or crisis which is disruptions in typical fam interaction patterns- this does not mean the fam has failed in coping, just that it needs to make major changes like restructure the fam system to meet the demands of the situation. `

Adaptation phase

-the second half of the double abc-x model -the family attempts to recover from the crisis and the restructuring that happened during the post-crisis recovery. -this could lead to a higher or same level of functioning but it could also indicate continued maladaptation that requires altering family meanings or reducing the pile up of stressors or findign new resources and developing new coping strategieies to restore balance to the system.

coping as an outcome

-when family fucntioning is better or similar than it was before the stressor happened, improved fam communication can be a long term outcome of the coping process

components of Double ABC-X model

1. aA factor= the pile up of additional stressors and strains 2. bB factor= family efforts to use new resources from within the family and community 3. cC factor= changes in the family fefinition of the situation with a diff meaning attachted to the fam's predicament 4. d= fam coping strategies designed to bring out changes in fam structure and in effort to positively adapt

Valence stressors

1. eustress= "good stress" or "healthy tension"; enhances functioning in our time of need- helps us stay safe and reach a higher level and leaves us feelign excited and fufilled; eustress can also come from happy events like a wedding- looking at the "human function curve" shows that increased stress can increase our ability to preform aka eustress (but only up to a certain point.) 2. distress= bad stress= once stress reaches a certain level or lasts for too long, it becomes distress; leaves us feeling exhausted and overwhlemed -stress pile up= many stressors combined can lead to a pile up which has been linked w/ bad coping responses like binge drinking and can reduce a familys ability to adapt to stress.

6 assumptions of Contextual Model of Family Stress

1. even strong families can be stressed to the point of crisis and therefor be immobilized. 2. there are diff values and beliefs that influence how a family defines what is distressing and how it takes meaning from what is happening. 3. the meaning we construct about an event or situation is influenced by our gender, age, race, ethnicity, and class. 4. mind and body are connected; psychological stress can make us physically sick and this process can affect the whole family system 5.some fam members are stronger in withstanding stress than others 6. its not always bad for a fam to fall into crisis bc sometimes a fam has to hit bottom to move onto recovery- those that fall apart become strong again

coping approach and family stress models similarities

1. they both stress the importance of CONTEXT and understanding the stressor at hand 2. say meaning-making is a determinant in the coping process 3. they differentiate coping strategies from coping resources and coping outcomes 4. they include the time element to show that the process evolves over time

Psychological stress

= a particular relationship between the person and the environment that is percieved by the person as taxing or too much for his resources to handle and endangering his or her well being -some researches look at stress from a stimulus approach- saying that stress is an event that impinges on us- these psychologsits focus of major changes that affect alot of people like war or natrual disaster, life events that happen to multiple people, like the birth or death of a child, or daily hassles for life like traffic - BUT looking at stress from just a stimulus approach ignores how people respond to stress -so, the relational definiton of stress takes into account both the stressor and the meaning we give to a stressful situation. - aka why people respond to stress differently- ie: 1 employee who got fired may be depressed and in shock while another may be excited for new oppurtunities; both ppl experienced the same stressor but their interpretations of it was different

defining communication

= a symbolic process through which meaning is made -saying its symbolic means that people can have diff meanigns for the same words -saying process means that communcation is always changing; at one moment something can mean something diff than in another moment -saying meaning making shows how important the understanding about things emerge with our interactions with other s

C factor

= the fam's subjective definition of the stressor event- aka how they define the event -Hill says that the way a fam defines an event reflects the value system held by the fam, and its previous experience in dealing w/ crisis, and the mechanisms used in previous definintions of events. this is what the crisis means to the fam and the interpretation made from it. -so if the fam sees the crisis as omg terrible then they will prob fall into crisis mode EVEN if it has the resources to face the event. - christine's fam looks at these events as oppurtunities which is why they are able to overcome the events without falling into crisis

d factor

=coping factor -the fam's behavioral and cognitive activities influence its ability to adjust after crisis- these coping efforts could be aimed at managing the problem, helping fam integrity and morale, avoiding stressors, getting resources, or changing the family system. -its the interaction of the coping factor along with the other 3 that determines the fam's level of funtioning after the crisis has passed. (xX factor) - if all goes well then the fam can emerge at a level of functioning that meets(adaptation) or exceeds(bonadaptation) the level before the crisis. -maladaptation happens if the fam continues to have problems post-crisis in the form of deteriorated fam integrity and or reduced funcitoning of it / members.

Physiological definition of stress

=our body's reaction to a change or challenge in our environment =the NONSPECIFIC response of the body to any demand - this is based off of the bodily and chemical changes described in the GAS

aA factor

=the pile up of additional stressors -added bc family crisis evolves over time which results in the accumulation of additional stressors -can be stuff from an old stressor, stuff that changes the fam life like a new child, prior strains like a demanding job, bad coping efforts, or ambigouous family strucutre or social resources.

problem focused coping

FUNCTION of coping= so looking at the strategy based on how its intended to help -behaviors aimed at managing or altering the problem thats causing distress -happens when we appraise situations as possible to change -similar to problem solving strategies--- taking on new roles, thinking about alternatives, etc -problem focused coping strategies can also be focused inward like learning a new skill or behavior -broad minded coping= problem focused coping; = when someone is able to explore diff pathways of adressing a stressor- this is faciliated bu postive emotions- when people experience thse good emotions during distress they are more likely to think outside the box which helps coping and psychological well being. -these types of coping depend partly on the types of problems we are trying to solve, which highlights the context-dependent nature of coping!!! -fails to rexognize the diversity of strategies within these categories or that certain strategies can fufill multiple functions at the same time

Maladaptive coping

Maladaptive Strategies-Avoiding or resolving disabling expressions of emotion. -Passivity. -Forms of avoidance. Maladaptive strategies are not effective ways to resolves concerns.

Military members and fam members

Military member: -Individuals currently in armed forces. -Active duty or reserve member -Coastguard included in times of war Family members -Husband, wife, partner, parent, child, etc. -Marines allow for member to identify anyone as "family" who they want to receive official communication

Three Waves of Resilience Research

Wave One-Shift from a focus on factors that place us at risk of harm to protective factors. Wave Two-The process of acquiring resilient qualities. Wave Three-Understanding the process through which we acquire resilience.

coping paradoxes

When helpful coping efforts make the effects of the stressor even worse. Likely to occur when: -One partner's stress starts to affect the other. -One's choice of coping response causes distress in others. -Discrepant views about the role of communication in the coping process.

active behavioral

a FORM of coping -behavioral attempts to deal directly with the problem ie: actively confronting the situation, exercisisng, looking for social supoort, social joining, talking about the problem, etc

active-cognitive

a FORM of coping -efforts to manage how we appraise the stressor or event; ie: reframing or reinterpreting the situation, accpeting it, praying, having self control.

Avoidance

a FORM of coping -these strategies avoid confronting the problem ie: hiding infor from partners or from ourselves or reducing tension indirectly by eating, smoking, or taking it out on others.

1. interdependence

a change in one part of the system affects the entire system -so fams are interdependent

solitary coping

a coping level -strategies that we enact @ the individual level as we find ways to face the problem and manage emotions -one way to assess coping at this level= revised way of coping quetioaire- includes a bunch of strategies ie: confontive copingm distancing, self control, seeking social support, accepting responsiblity, etc. family research on seperation in families shows mothers employing 1. establishing self independence and self-sufficency an 2. maintainign family integrity

emotion focused coping

a function of coping -cognition or behaviors directed at regulating our emotional response to the problem -these strategies happen when we see a sitation as our of our family's control- aka there is nothing we can do to fix the bad situation---- the greater the threat, the more primitve or regressive emotion focused forms of coping are and the more limited the problem-focused coping is

relationship focused coping

a function of coping -goes beyond the problems and emotions and focuses on how relational partners deal w/ eachother -strategies couples use to deal with eachothers presence and emotional needs when a spouse becomes ill----2 types of strategies: 1. active engagement (like direct convos) 2. protective buffering (hiding bad news from wife) -ie: empathetic coping- percieving the situation of an affected person and communicating accurately that ur understandig that theyre affected -these strategies involve the partner either directly as an active particpant or indirectly as the focus of the repsonse. -

meaning focused coping

a function of coping -cognitive strategies used to manage the meaning of a stressful event -meaning-making plays a big role in this and plays a big role in the primary appraisal process when the appraised meaning of a situation is diff than the global meaning --like if ur mom gets cancer u feel hopefull instead of hopeless. -ie: changing how we define the situation, altering perspectives, beliving in god, and reframing all make the stressor more manageable

social coping

a level of coping -we seek support from others in our social network to help us deal with stress -one of the most important coping resources available to individuals and families -can be looked at as a resource instead of a stragetgy by looking at the direct effects of being a member of a social group -also looked at from a more functional perspective that looks at how social support helps people in times of need

communal coping

a level of coping -when multiple people affected by a stressor bring together their resources and efforts to face adversity -when a stressful event is acted upon in the context of close relatoonships -for this to happen, one or more members of the family has to see the situation as "our problem" and not just "your problem" -when commmunal coping happens, it expands the familys resources and capacity to deal with stress bc it represents an investment in the relationship -but, this may not be the best for a family bc some stressors may be more individually oriented and so communal coping might not be effective. -this type of coping is better in cultures that take a community approach to solving problems -communal coping can have a neg affect on families who had diff views on the function of openness in relational communication. - these coping efforts differ based on whos problem and whos responsibility----ie: our problem, my responsibility= not communal ie::or- my problem, our responsibility= fam member asks for help with a problem or when their stress spills over to the rest of the fam

directive coping

a type of social coping -asking other family members to assume responsibility for a stressor- -when a fam member appraises the stress as "your/our problem and your/our responsibility" but doesnt think that others see it that way so they tell the others what to do to cope.

adrenaline & noradrenaline

aka epinephrine and norepinephrine -increase heart prate and blood pressure to speed up reaction time -these hormones divert energy away from non esstenstial body processes like digestion, reproduction, and immune response so that the heart and lungs can function at a high level and allow fight or flight to occur.

a stressor is

any enviornmental, soccial, or internal demand that requres the individual to readjust his/her normal behavior patterns -even tho people may respond to a stressor differently, our bodies are likely to react in a similar way if the situation is considered stressful, regardless of the source of that stress.

Internal context

aspects of family life that members can control -structural dimension= how fam life is organized; the roles, rules, patterns, boundaries that fams create through their interactions- these keep a system stable but also often have to change to help a fam recover from crisis -psychological dimension- the fam's perceptions of stressful event at cognitive and affective (feeling) levels. - like the c factor, it involves the meanign that the family gives to a stressful event which in turn affects the fams stress level and ability to mobilize resources ------Boss thinks this level is so important----- -philosophical dimension- family values and beliefs at the family level aka the family culture- if these differ from the larger culture it can cause conflict

reunion

at first is very happy but then can be very stressful (one of the msot stressful for military fams) because they have to renogiate relational roles, together time, and tasks. -service members are back home but may by psychoogically distant bc they are coping with the war. -eventually family regains a new sense of normalcy as it becomes reintergrated after sepatation

Functions of coping

categorizes coping strategies based on how they are intended to help 1. problem focused 2.emotion focused 3. meaning focused 4. relationship focused

4. interactive complexity

cause and effect associations are difficult to pinpoint bc each action simultaneously triggers new behaviors and responds to a previous one

3. patterns/regularities

communication rules and rituals make life predicatble and manageable for family members

Types of coping strategies

coping strategies are classified based on 1. form of the strategy 2. function of the strategy 3. the level of the strategy -coping strategies are the behaviors we use to protect ourselves from psychological harm and manage stress

X factor

crisis= situation that creates a sense of sharpened insecurity or that block the usual patterns of action and call for new ones. -this happens when the fam doesnt have the resources neccessary to face that crisis or percieves the stressor as beyond their ability to cope. -when a fam is in crisis they become disorganized and the normal roles of their interactions are disrupted which leads to intra-famoy conflict and strained relations b/w fam members and inability to work together to face adversity -once a fam hits bottom it can start to recover by creating new routines and patterns and the ability to look towards the future instead of dwelling on the past- when the fam emerges from the crisis it is in a new state of reorganization that will guide future family functioning -some families dont emerge from crisis, and they remain in the state of disorganization ---> leads to post crisis, double ABC-X model

Military life culture

culture= "socially constructed and historically transmitted pattern of symbols, meanings, premises, and rules"-----the -US military fufills many of the definitions of culture bc Is learned, broadly shared by its members, and symbolic in nature.

Forms of coping

differentiating coping strategies based on if they are active and orientated towards confronting the problem= approach strategies or if they are avoidant and geared towards reducing tensions=avoidant strategies 3 types: 1. active behavioral 2. active cognitive 3. avoidance -many researchers use this approach to understand coping BUT its not the best bc many times its hard to determine if a particular behavior is approach or avoidance oriented----like do we seek support in order to confront problem or take a break from that problem? ----also, it leaves out other forms of coping that dont fall into those categories

Sympathetic nervous system

during a stressful situation the SNS takes over- it activates the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis aka our brain's stress circuit -this prepares our body for action

7. equifinality

families are considered to be goal oriented, and these goals can be accomplished in many diff ways

6. complex relationships

families are organized into many interpersonal subsystems of 2 or more people and these interactions b/w and among them

communication as meaning making

families construc meanings thru interactions as they share experiences and talk about them with eachother -storytelling is important bc it helps construct meaning both for individual and famliy identity and fam health -ie: family stories of stressful situations show how they respond to stress typically but also shows if the fam has let go of the stressful experience of if they have woven it into their family idenity. -story telling lets people let go of the stressful experience

5. openness

families permit interchanges with the surrounding environment to manage growth and change

Eustress

good stress -when we have a positive psychological response to a stressor- ie when stress is caused by a happy event like the birth of a child or if we succsessfully cope w/ a stressor -eustress shows how cognitive apprasial of a situation can benefit individual -eustress helps peoples ability to cope and helps familieis cope during difficult times

distress

happens when we have a negative psychological response to a stressor -in these situations, we believe that the demands of the situation exeed our ability to cope with stress -distress can leave one feeling tired but also can worsen health by lowering immune functioning and increasing hypertension or chronicn dpression. -distress can also harm close personal relationships -so, people experiencing distress must find a way to manage the situation to lessen the phsyical and psychological outcomes the stress can have.

theoretical approaches to family stress

look at the interaction among potential stressors, the meaning-making activities of the family, family resources for coping w/ stress, and possible outcomes of the stress process.

our body's stress response is _____

nonspecific; -it can be difficult to pinpoint a single reason for it -"a variety of dissimilar situations are capable of prodcuing stress"

response to stressor from pshyiological vs psycholigical

physiological= response is at a low level of awareness that is an adaptation that allows us to surive- ie: swerving the car or defend self from a dog psychological= the response depends on how we appraise the situation -but both types of reactions depend on the stressor

critics of abc-x model approach

say that these approaches are too "determinisitic" and focused on cause and efffect that a stressor causes a fam to assess its resources, etc and enter crisis mode. -instead, fam stress should be looked at with no clear beginning or end- where exisiting rules and patterns governign fam life evolve and adapt to diff inputs that enter the system.

protective buffering

sheilding of another fam member or group as a whole from a stressor ie: chrisitine not telling her mom about the other stressors in her life

pre-deployment

starts when fam is notified about deployment and ends when fam member is deployed. -Families may respond with a marked level of tension, protest, or even anger in the first couple of weeks after notification -Service members are physically present but psychologically absent

individual perspective overall

takes coping beyond the simple stressor-reaction model by: 1. including primary and secondary apprasials, 2. focusing on context, 3. seperating the coping behavior from the coping outcome BUT it leaves out the impact of significant others on coping and the effect of interpersonal communication on coping which is bad because family relationships play a big role in the coping process

cortisol

tells our body to produce more sugar to provide more energy and increasing our attention span and ability to process info quickly

A factor

the actual stressor and any hardships brought on by the stressor----this leads to B ie: when christine's dad had the surgery the mom has to take on additional roles which she may find demanding she percieves that she can handle the added burden based on the support she anticipates getting from her fam

2. wholeness

the fam has its own unique charactersitics that come from the interaction of its members

bB factor

the fam may have acquired new resources and capabilities as a result of emerging out of a crisis situation or pile up of demands

cC factor

the fam's meaning-making activies have been expanded to include the total crisis situation; the original stressor event, added stressors or strains, old and new resources, and estimates of what needs to happen to bring the fam back into stability

Fight or flight

the hypothalamus sets off a chemical alarm that tells our pituitary gland to produce adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). -ACTH alerts the adrenal glands in the kidneys to produce corisol, adrenaline (epinephrine), and noradrenaline (norepinephrine)- these hormones tell the body to stop using energy for non essential processes like digestion so the heart and lungs can function at high level and allow fight or flight to happen. -after the threat or stressor has been removed or managed, the PNS kicks in to help our bodies recover. it resleases acetylcholine which tells our body to slow down = so our heart rate decreases, breathing returns to nromal, and digestive tracks works again

chronic

type of continious stress -larger stressors that drain coping resources and leave us more vulnerable to the negative effects of stress -ie: cyber bullying, threats, demabds, etc -

Hassles

type of continuous stress -small annoyances that happen over the course of the day that disrupt daily life and require only small adjustments. ie: traffic, caring for kids, broken appliances