Ways of coping in adolescents with schizophrenia.

The purpose of this study was to explore ways of coping and its association with specific stress responses in adolescents with schizophrenia. Additionally, subjects and healthy controls were compared to identify stress responses. Forty subjects were drawn from a self-management therapy study for youth with schizophrenia. Thirty community-dwelling controls were selected. A revised Ways of Coping scale and the Symptom of Stress at baseline, 6, 30 and 54 weeks measured coping and stress response. Descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and Pearson correlation provided data analysis. Thirty-two subjects were male, and eight were female. Average age was 17.25 (SD=1.37) years. Twenty-two (55%) were Caucasian; 18 (45%) were non-Caucasian. Seventeen (57%) of the 30 controls were female. The mean age was 17.10 years old (SD=1.16). Adolescents with schizophrenia used emotion-focused coping more than problem-focused coping at baseline and 6 weeks (P<0.01). Subjects reported higher stress than controls (t=4.73, P<0.01) and used emotion-focused coping with emotional stress responses (r=0.34, P=0.05). Adolescent coping strategies may persist into adulthood unless new skills are introduced. Developing effective coping skills for adolescents with schizophrenia is important for practice and future studies.

Symptom self-management and relapse in schizophrenia.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to examine the relationships among 4 variables that are hypothesized to be associated with relapse in schizophrenia; insight, symptom recognition, symptom self-management, and perceived effectiveness of symptom self-management. The theoretical framework was derived from self-management theory and the vulnerability-stress model of schizophrenia. Pearson's correlation coefficients for the variables in the model detected 2 significant relationships; between symptom recognition and symptom self-management and between symptom self-management and perceived effectiveness of symptom self-management. Insight was not found to be significantly related to the other variables. Results of the study indicate that individuals with schizophrenia do recognize symptoms associated with relapse and use a wide range of management methods, regardless of the degree of insight present.

A symptom management program for adolescents with psychotic illnesses: theoretical basis.

The author describes the theoretical basis of a nursing intervention program for adolescents who have experienced nondrug-related psychotic episodes. The program is designed to empower mentally ill adolescents and to increase their level of functioning by assisting them to recognize and manage symptoms of their illnesses. The theoretical model predicts some factors that influence the adolescent's level of functioning.

A symptom management program for psychotically ill adolescents and their families: preliminary clinical outcomes.

The author describes the preliminary results of a clinical pilot study of a symptom management program for adolescents who are recovering from a nondrug-induced psychotic episode. The program was designed as a follow-up treatment for adolescents who are living at home with their families. Preliminary findings showed that the program was effective in increasing the adolescents' ability to recognize symptoms of their illnesses and to develop coping strategies to manage their symptoms.

Correlates of mothers who prefer control over their hospitalized children's care.

The purpose of this study was to profile mothers who prefer control over their hospitalized children's care. The subjects were 100 mothers in a private community hospital pediatric unit and 284 mothers in a children's hospital. The findings showed significant correlations in both groups between the desire for control and four of the six variables studied: age of the mother, age of the child, number of children in the family, and amount of time the mother spent in the hospital. The other two variables, ethnic background and prior experience with a hospitalized child, were each significant in only one of the two samples. The study provided guidelines for the pediatric nurse to use in assessing mothers' preferences for control over their hospitalized children's care.

Adolescent suicide: views of adolescents, parents, and school personnel.

The purpose of this study was to survey adolescents, parents, and school personnel to assess knowledge, skill, and program needs in the schools and community in order to prevent adolescent suicide. The subjects were 57 adolescents, 63 parents, and 49 school personnel from three public high schools in a southwestern United States community. A 21-item survey questionnaire was constructed to assess the perceptions of the three groups in relation to their level of knowledge, skill, and resource awareness for assisting a suicidal adolescent. Diversity in knowledge, skill, and resource awareness within the groups, as well as findings unique to each group, were noted. Implications for school-based suicide prevention education programs are discussed.

Factors influencing the coping effort of mothers of hospitalized children.

The purpose of this study was to test a theoretical model predicting the relationships among four concepts: predictability of events, control, anxiety, and coping effort of mothers of children hospitalized with acute physical conditions. The sample consisted of 45 mothers of acutely ill, hospitalized children from 1-24 months of age. For each of the concepts, 16 events commonly associated with hospitalization of a child were proportionately ranked using magnitude estimation measurement technique. The psychometric properties of the instrument were estimated through reliability assessment and cross modality matching. Multiple regression analysis indicated that 97% of the dependent variable, coping effort, was explained by two of the three predictor variables--predictability of events and anxiety. Mothers who knew what events to expect experienced less anxiety and reported expending less effort to cope with the stressful events. Control was not a significant factor in predicting the mothers' coping effort.