Stress Coping: A Qualitative and Quantitative Synthesis with Implications for Treatment

This article presents a two-pronged attempt to synthesize the research on stress coping: (1) a review of models and taxonomies of behaviors and resources related to stress coping and (2) a meta-analysis of recent experimental and quasi- experimental studies of stress coping. The review led to the construction of a taxonomy and, in conjunction with the meta-analysis, to a comprehensive model of stress coping in two parts (stress and coping). In the meta-analysis an unbiased effect size of .57 was obtained by comparing groups administered treatments to reduce stress with comparison groups. Social skills training, problem solving, cognitive restructuring, and relaxation training appeared to be among the more effective treatments. In comparing the frequency of treatments identified in the meta-analysis with those in the taxonomy, some treatment domains (such as problem solving) were well represented in the taxonomy but appeared infrequently in the meta-analysis. Implications for stress-coping treatment and research are offered.