Abstract
This study examined relations between stress and coping predictors and negative and positive outcomes in MS caregiving. A total of 222 carers and their care-recipients completed questionnaires at Time 1 and three months later, Time 2 (n = 155). Predictors included care-recipient characteristics (age, time since diagnosis, course and life satisfaction), and Times 1 and 2 carer problems, stress appraisal and coping. Dependent variables were Time 2 negative (anxiety, depression) and positive outcomes (life satisfaction, positive affect, benefits). Regressions indicated that, overall, the hypothesised direct effects of stress appraisal and coping strategies on positive and negative outcomes were supported. The hypothesised stress-buffering effects of positive reframing coping were also supported. All but one of the coping strategies were related to both positive and negative outcomes; specifically, practical assistance coping emerged as a unique predictor of distress. Of the model predictors, care-recipient life satisfaction emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of both positive and negative outcomes except benefit finding. Findings support the role of care-recipient characteristics and the carer’s appraisal and coping processes in shaping both positive and negative outcomes. The guiding framework and findings have the potential to inform interventions designed to promote well-being in carers.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aldwin, C. M., & Revenson, T. A. (1987). Does coping help? A reexamination of the relation between coping and mental health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(2), 337–348.
Bailey, D. (1991). Research for the health professional: A practical guide. Philadelphia: Davis & Co.
Billings, D. W., Folkman, S., Acree, M., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2000). Coping and physical health during caregiving: The roles of positive and negative affect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(1), 131–142.
Bradburn, N. M. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being. Oxford, UK: Aldine.
Campbell, D. T., & Fiske, D. W. (1959). Convergent and discriminant validation by the multi-trait multi-method matrix. Psychological Bulletin, 56, 81–105.
Clark, K. K., Bormann, C. A., Cropanzano, R. S., & James, K. (1995). Validation evidence for three coping measures. Journal of Personality Assessment, 65(3), 434–455.
Clutton, S., Pakenham, K. I., & Buckley, B. (1999). Predictors of emotional well-being following a ‘false-positive’ breast cancer screening result. Psychology and Health, 14(2), 263–275.
Cohen, J. & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression/correlation for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Coon, D. W., Ory, M. G., & Schulz, R. (2003). Family caregivers: Enduring and emergent themes. In D. W. Coon, D. Gallaher-Thompson, & L. W. Thompson (Eds.), Innovative interventions to reduce dementia caregiver distress: A clinical guide (pp. 3–27). NY: Springer Publishing.
Cordova, M. J., Cunningham, L. L. C., Carlson, C. R., & Andrykowski, M. A. (2001). Posttraumatic growth following breast cancer: A controlled comparison study. Health Psychology, 20, 176–185.
Davis, C. G., Nolen Hoeksema, S., & Larson, J. (1998). Making sense of loss and benefiting from the experience: Two construals of meaning. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(2), 561–574.
Derogatis, L. R. (2000). Administration and procedures manual: BSI-18. Minneapolis: National Computer Systems Inc.
Fava, G. A., & Ruini, C. (2003). Development and characteristics of a well-being enhancing psychotherapeutic strategy: Well-being therapy. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 34, 45–63.
Finney, J. W., Mitchell, R. E., Cronkite, R. C., & Moos, R. H. (1984). Methodological issues in estimating main and interactive effects : Examples from coping/social support and stress field. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 25(1), 85–98.
Flor, H., Turk, D. C., & Rudy, T. E. (1987). Pain and families. II. Assessment and treatment. Pain, 30(1), 29–45.
Folkman, S. (1997). Positive psychological states and coping with severe stress. Social Science and Medicine, 45(8), 1207–1221.
Folkman, S., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2000). Positive affect and the other side of coping. American Psychologist, 55(6), 647–654.
Gerdes, E. P., & Ping, G. (1994). Coping differences between college women and men in China and the United States. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 120(2), 169–198.
Goode, K. T., Haley, W. E., Roth, D. L., & Ford, G. R. (1998). Predicting longitudinal changes in caregiver physical and mental health: A stress process model. Health Psychology, 17(2), 190–198.
Gottlieb, B. H., & Wolfe, J. (2002). Coping with family caregiving to persons with dementia: A critical review. Aging and Mental Health, 6(4), 325–342.
Hamarat, E., Thompson, D., Zabrucky, K. M., Steele, D., Matheny, K. B., & Aysan, F. (2001). Perceived stress and coping resource availability as predictors of life satisfaction in young, middle-aged, and older adults. Experimental Aging Research, 27(2), 181–196.
Heckman, T. G. (2003). The chronic illness quality of life (CIQOL) model: Explaining life satisfaction in people living with HIV disease. Health Psychology, 22(2), 140–147.
Janoff Bulman, R., & Frantz, C. (1997). The impact of trauma on meaning: From meaningless world to meaningful life. In M. J. Power & C. R. Brewin (Eds.), The transformation of meaning in psychological therapies: Integrating theory and practice (pp. 91–106). NY: Wiley.
Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. NY: Springer.
Lezak, M. D. (1987). Relationships between personality disorders, social disturbances, and physical disability following traumatic brain injury. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 2, 57–69.
Malec, J. F., & Thompson, J. M. (1994). Relationship of the Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory to functional outcome and cognitive performance measures. Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 9(4), 1–15.
Manne, S. L., Pape, S. J., Taylor, K. L., & Dougherty, J. (1999). Spouse support, coping, and mood among individuals with cancer. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 21(2), 111–121.
Manne, S. L., Sabbioni, M., Bovbjerg, D. H., Jacobsen, P. B., Taylor, K. L., & Redd, W. H. (1994). Coping with chemotherapy for breast cancer. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 17(1), 41–55.
McCausland, J. & Pakenham, K. I. (2003). Investigation of the benefits of HIV/AIDS caregiving and relations among caregiver adjustment, benefit finding, and stress and coping variables. AIDS Care, 15, 853–870.
McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (1986). Personality, coping, and coping effectiveness in an adult sample. Journal of Personality, 54(2), 385–405.
McCreary, D. R., & Sadava, S. W. (2000). Stress, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems: The influence of negative and positive affect in two cohorts of young adults. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 61(3), 466–474.
Mohr, D. C., Dick, L. P., Russo, D., Pinn, J., Boudewyn, A. C., Likosky, W., & Goodkin, D. E. (1999). The psychosocial impact of multiple sclerosis: Exploring the patient’s perspective. Health Psychology, 18(4), 376–382.
Moskowitz, J. T., Folkman, S., Collette, L., & Vittinghoff, E. (1996). Coping and mood during AIDS-related caregiving and bereavement. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 18, 49–57.
O’Brien, M. T., Wineman, N. M., & Nealon, N. R. (1995). Correlates of the caregiving process in multiple sclerosis. Scholarly Inquiry for the Nursing Practice: An International Journal, 9, 323–338.
Pakenham, K. I. (2003). Benefit finding in multiple sclerosis caregiving and associations with positive and negative outcomes. Manuscript submitted.
Pakenham, K. I. (1998). Couple coping and adjustment to multiple sclerosis in care receiver-carer dyads. Family Relations : Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Family Studies, 47(3), 269–277.
Pakenham, K. I. (1999). Adjustment to multiple sclerosis: Application of a stress and coping model. Health Psychology, 18(4), 383–392.
Pakenham, K. I. (2001a). Application of a stress and coping model to caregiving in multiple sclerosis. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 6(1), 13–27.
Pakenham, K. I. (2001b). Coping with multiple sclerosis: Development of a measure. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 6(4), 411–428.
Pakenham, K. I. (2002). Development of a measure of coping with multiple sclerosis caregiving. Psychology and Health, 17(1), 97–118.
Pakenham, K. I., Dadds, M. R., & Lennon, H. V. (2002). The efficacy of a psychosocial intervention for HIV/AIDS caregiving dyads and individual caregivers: A controlled treatment outcome study. AIDS Care, 14, 731–750.
Pakenham, K. I., Dadds, M. R., & Terry, D. J. (1995). Carers ‘ burden and adjustment to HIV. AIDS Care, 7(2), 189–203.
Pakenham, K. I., Sofronoff, K., & Samios, C. (2004). Finding meaning in parenting a child with Asperger Syndrome: Correlates of sense making and benefit finding. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 25, 245–264.
Pakenham, K. I., Stewart, C. A., & Rogers, A. (1997). The role of coping in adjustment to multiple sclerosis-related adaptive demands. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 2(3), 197–211.
Park, C. L. (1998). Implications of posttraumatic growth for individuals. In R. G. Tedeschi & C. L. Park (Eds.), Posttraumatic growth: Positive changes in the aftermath of crisis. The LEA series in personality and clinical psychology (pp. 153–177). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Parks, S. H., & Pilisuk, M. (1991). Caregiver burden: Gender and the psychological costs of caregiving. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 61(4), 501–509.
Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (1993). Review of the satisfaction with life scale. Psychological Assessment, 5(2), 164–172.
Pearlin, L. I., Mullan, J. T., Semple, S. J., & Skaff, M. M. (1990). Caregiving and the stress process: An overview of concepts and their measures. The Gerontologist, 30, 583–594.
Revenson, T. A., & Felton, B. J. (1989). Disability and coping as predictors of psychological adjustment to rheumatoid arthritis. Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 57, 344–348.
Taylor, S. E. (1983). Adjustment to threatening events: A theory of cognitive adaptation. American Psychologist, 38(11), 1161–1173.
Tedeschi, R., Calhoun, L., & Gross, B. (1993). Construing benefits from negative events: An examination of personality variables. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Toronto.
Tennen, H., & Affleck, G. (2002). Benefit-finding and benefit-reminding. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 584–597). London: Oxford University Press.
Updegraff, J. A., Taylor, S. E., Kemney, M. E., & Wyatt, G. E. (2002). Positive and negative effects of HIV infection in women with low socioeconomic resources. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28, 382–394.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pakenham, K.I. Relations Between Coping and Positive and Negative Outcomes in Carers of Persons with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). J Clin Psychol Med Settings 12, 25–38 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-005-0910-3
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-005-0910-3