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The concept of coping

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

C. Ray ,
J. Lindop  and
S. Gibson
C. Ray*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Brunel University, Uxbridge
J. Lindop
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Brunel University, Uxbridge
S. Gibson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Brunel University, Uxbridge
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Colette Ray, Department of Psychology, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 3PH.
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Synopsis

Coping is action directed at the resolution or mitigation of a problematic situation. There are a number of ways in which this may be attempted, and a number of ways of classifying coping strategies. This paper presents a simple schema of six coping themes, ordered in terms of their defensiveness and the degree of attempted personal control which they imply. They comprise rejection, control, resignation, dependency, avoidance and minimization, and characterize the meaning or qualitative ‘style’ of the individual's response, rather than the formal characteristics of the strategies employed. Data from studies of breast cancer and surgical patients are cited to illustrate the substance of the themes.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 12 , Issue 2 , May 1982 , pp. 385 - 395
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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