Coping specificity: The case of women coping with infertility treatments

Yael Benyamini*, Yifat Gefen-Bardarian, Miri Gozlan, Geula Tabiv, Shoshana Shiloh, Ehud Kokia

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

54 Scopus citations

Abstract

Customizing the measurement of coping to a specific situation can answer some of the concerns regarding its measurement by checklist. A context-specific measure of coping with infertility was developed on the basis of theoretical principles of coping, interviews with women and providers, and existing findings. Data on the resulting Coping with Infertility questionnaire was collected from 652 Israeli women undergoing treatment and meta-strategies of coping were identified on the basis of a hierarchical structure of the coping subscales. About half of the women also filled in adjustment measures and findings showed differential associations of coping strategies to negative and positive indicators of psychological adjustment. Taking into account coping specificity can highlight strategies that function in ways that are unique to the context. This approach could be useful as a step in the assessment and understanding of coping with a specific health threat, which can guide further research and interventions designed to improve coping effectiveness.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)221-241
Number of pages21
JournalPsychology and Health
Volume23
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2008

Funding

FundersFunder number
Israel Foundations Trustees

    Keywords

    • Adjustment
    • Coping
    • Coping assessment
    • Infertility
    • Stress

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