The Costs of Coping: Long-Term Mortality Risk in Aging Men.

Objectives: Prospective associations between coping and all-cause mortality risk are understudied, particularly among nonmedical samples. We assessed independent and joint associations of multiple components of the transactional stress and coping model with all-cause mortality in a cohort of community-dwelling men. We were particularly interested in how coping effort related to mortality.

Positive aspects of caregiving in incident and long-term caregivers: Role of social engagement and distress.

Objectives: Positive caregiver adaptation over time may be associated with reports of positive aspects of caregiving (PAC). We examined differences in PAC by caregiving duration and social engagement, controlling for measures of distress.

Methods: Participants included 283 African American or White caregivers from the Caregiving Transitions Study with a wide range of caregiving durations.

Student responses to advance directives assignments in undergraduate courses in the United States: A qualitative examination of stress appraisals, coping, and outcomes.

Guided by stress and coping theory, qualitative content analysis was used to examine student written assignment responses ( = 100) about the importance of and student preparedness for completing their own advance directive (AD). Codes represented primary and secondary appraisals, coping, and outcomes. Primary appraisals were 47% benign, 47% stressful, and 6% irrelevant.

Evaluation of a quality improvement initiative to increase rates of advance directive conversation documentation in primary care.

As life expectancy increases, long periods of comorbidity and low quality of life commonly precede death. Advance care planning within primary care settings is necessary to increase patient agency and prioritize personal wishes. This article disseminates a quality improvement initiative within a federally qualified health center.

Care Demands and Well-Being of Primary and Secondary Non-Spousal Caregivers of Aging Adults.

Objectives: Compare care demands, strain, and health across 912 primary and secondary caregivers of parents, other family, and friends aged 50 and older.

Methods: Data came from the nationally representative Caregiving in the U.S.

Stroke Survivor and Family Caregiver Reports of Caregiver Engagement in Stroke Care.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to identify areas of caregiver engagement in stroke care as viewed by stroke survivors and family caregivers.

Design: Interviews with stroke survivor/caregiver dyads (N = 71) from a population-based study of incident stroke.

Methods: We interviewed stroke survivors and caregivers about caregiver involvement at multiple stages of stroke care.

Effects of in-person and telephone-based cognitive behavioral therapies on health services use and expenditures among African-American dementia caregivers with depressive symptoms.

To compare the effects of telephone-based and in-person cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on health services use and expenditures among African-American dementia caregivers (CGs) with depressive symptoms. We analyzed data collected from 109 caregivers in a randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of telephone-based and in-person CBT on health services use and costs. Study participants were assigned randomly to either telephone or in-person CBT.

Understanding the roles of patient symptoms and subjective appraisals in well-being among breast cancer patients.

Purpose: To examine the roles of both patient symptoms, and subjective appraisals of stress (self-efficacy, symptom barriers, symptom distress), in understanding well-being (anxiety, depression, cancer-specific quality of life, mental health quality of life, and physical health quality of life) in breast cancer patients.

Methods: We examined data from 104 female breast cancer patients. Using a stress process model, we hypothesized that while high levels of patient symptoms would be associated with poorer patient well-being, these effects would be mediated by subjective appraisals, including patient self-efficacy, perceived symptom barriers, and symptom distress.

Feasibility of the mobile mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer (mMBSR(BC)) program for symptom improvement among breast cancer survivors.

Objective: The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility of delivering the mobile mindfulness-based stress reduction for breast cancer (mMBSR(BC)) program using an iPad and to evaluate its impact on symptom improvement.

Methods: A single group, pre-posttest design was implemented among female stages 0-III breast cancer survivors (BCS) who completed treatment. Data were collected at baseline and week 6 on measures of psychological and physical symptoms and quality of life.