Presentation Title

Coping Mechanisms Used by Emerging Adults Affected by Parental Chronic Illness

Panel Name

Youth, Trauma, Delinquency, and Effective Practices of Intervention

Location

Lecture Center Concourse

Start Date

3-5-2019 3:00 PM

End Date

3-5-2019 5:00 PM

Presentation Type

Poster Session

Academic Major

Psychology, Public Health

Abstract

Little is known about the impact of parental chronic illness on “emerging adults” between 18-29 year olds who may experience uncertainty about their identity and future (Munsey, 2006). This study examines coping mechanisms used by adult offspring of parents with a chronic illness (n = 118; 54.2% female; 98.3% between 18-24 years old; 60.2% white). Participants completed the COPE Inventory, a multidimensional measure of adaptive and maladaptive responses to stress. The most commonly endorsed coping strategies were mostly adaptive, including use of instrumental and emotional social support, active coping, and planning. There were significant multivariate main effects of gender [F(15, 83) = 3.22; Wilks’ λ = .63, p< .001, ηp2= .37] and type of parental illness [F(15, 70) = 1.99; Wilks’ λ = .70, p= .03, ηp2= .30] on combined COPE subscales in MANOVA, with females scoring higher in venting and use of instrumental and emotional social support and offspring of parents with a non-terminal illness endorsing greater use of instrumental and emotional social support than those of parents with a terminal illness. There was also a significant main effect of GPA on COPE scores[F(15, 83) = 1.71; Wilks’ λ = .76, p= .06, ηp2= .24], where those with a GPA below 3.0 endorsed more maladaptive coping such as denial, behavioral disengagement, and substance use. Findings have important clinical implications for the development of interventions for emerging adults affected by parental chronic illness. Future research should consider longitudinal designs and explore coping mechanisms.

Select Where This Work Originated From

Departmental Honors Thesis

First Faculty Advisor

Julia M. Hormes

First Advisor Email

jhormes@albany.edu

First Advisor Department

Psychology

The work you will be presenting can best be described as

Finished or mostly finished by conference date

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May 3rd, 3:00 PM May 3rd, 5:00 PM

Coping Mechanisms Used by Emerging Adults Affected by Parental Chronic Illness

Lecture Center Concourse

Little is known about the impact of parental chronic illness on “emerging adults” between 18-29 year olds who may experience uncertainty about their identity and future (Munsey, 2006). This study examines coping mechanisms used by adult offspring of parents with a chronic illness (n = 118; 54.2% female; 98.3% between 18-24 years old; 60.2% white). Participants completed the COPE Inventory, a multidimensional measure of adaptive and maladaptive responses to stress. The most commonly endorsed coping strategies were mostly adaptive, including use of instrumental and emotional social support, active coping, and planning. There were significant multivariate main effects of gender [F(15, 83) = 3.22; Wilks’ λ = .63, p< .001, ηp2= .37] and type of parental illness [F(15, 70) = 1.99; Wilks’ λ = .70, p= .03, ηp2= .30] on combined COPE subscales in MANOVA, with females scoring higher in venting and use of instrumental and emotional social support and offspring of parents with a non-terminal illness endorsing greater use of instrumental and emotional social support than those of parents with a terminal illness. There was also a significant main effect of GPA on COPE scores[F(15, 83) = 1.71; Wilks’ λ = .76, p= .06, ηp2= .24], where those with a GPA below 3.0 endorsed more maladaptive coping such as denial, behavioral disengagement, and substance use. Findings have important clinical implications for the development of interventions for emerging adults affected by parental chronic illness. Future research should consider longitudinal designs and explore coping mechanisms.