Family Stress and Coping Theory
Taken from Scott Plunkett's FES 432 Course Pack)
Contributors
·
The concept of stress was first introduced into family studies by researcher’s examining impacts of the 1930s
great depression.
·
Hill (1949) – ABCX model
·
McCubbin and Patterson (1981) – Double ABCX Model
·
McCubbin and Figley (1983) state that families generally operate on a predictable normal cycle, anticipating
and accepting a sequence of events that will occur throughout the life-force. Events disturb the families’
equilibrium and require coping to regain homeostasis and remain organized in a stable fashion (Note the
systemic and structural functional similarities)
Note: Family stress theory is not widely accepted as a family theory. It is generally conceptualized as a mid-range
theory.
Assumptions
·
Stress is normal
·
Stress disturbs equilibrium. Coping is used to maintain equilibrium.
·
Individuals and families view stressors and resources according to their own perception
·
Individuals and families adapt to stress
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Individual and family adaptation is influenced by the perceived stressors, the perception of the situation, and
the resources or coping strategies available to deal with the stress
·
It is important to take into account the contexts of family stress within community and cultural contexts in
which a family resides to understand why and how families are stressed, as well as to understand how families
respond to stress.
Concepts
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Family adaptation (central concept) – Refers to the outcome of family efforts to achieve a new level of
balance after a family crisis.
o
Family bonadaptation (also called regenerative power) – The processes by which families restore balance
(reducing demands, increasing capabilities, and/or changing meanings). Bonadaptation is observed in the family’s
(a) continued ability to promote the development of individual family members and (b) willingness to maintain
their family unit so it can accomplish its life cycle tasks.
o
Maladaptation (vulnerability) – When families engage in processes leading to poor adaptation.
·
Stressor events – Life events impacting upon the family unit which produces, or has the potential of
producing change in the family social system
o
Prior strains – Residue of strain that may result from unresolved hardships from earlier stressors or
transitions, or may be inherent in ongoing rolls.
o
Normative/Non normative transitions and stressors
§
Normative transitions and stressors – Predictable and expected transitions that happen to the majority of
people, in other words, events that are expected over the family life cycle
¨
Examples include birth, launching an adolescent, marriage, aging, or death of an elderly family member
§
Nonnormative transitions and stressors – Stressors that result from unexpected life events, often but not
always disastrous.
¨
Examples include winning a lottery, getting a divorce, dying young, unexpected death of a spouse, or being
taken hostage.
¨
Catastrophes – e.g., house burns down, earthquake, war
o
Internal/External
§
Internal – Events that begin from someone inside the family, such as getting drunk, suicide, or running for
election.
§
External – Events that begin from someone or something outside the family, such as earthquakes, terrorism,
the inflation rate, or cultural attitudes toward women and minorities.
o
Ambiguous/Nonambiguous
§
Ambiguous – You can’t get the facts surrounding the event. It’s so unclear that you’re not even sure that it’s
happening to you and your family.
§
Nonambiguous – Clear facts are available about the event: what is happening, when, how long, and to
whom.
o
Volitional/Nonvolitional
§
Volitional – Events that are wanted and sought out, such as a freely chosen job change, a college entrance,
or a wanted pregnancy.
§
Nonvolitional – Events that are not sought out but just happen, such as being laid off or the sudden loss of
someone loved.
o
Chronic/Acute
§
Chronic – A situation that has long duration, such as diabetes, chemical addiction, or racial discrimination.
§
Acute – An event that lasts a short time but is severe, such as breaking a limb, losing a job, or flunking a test.
o
Cumulative/Isolated
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Cumulative – Events that pile up, one right after the other, so that there is no resolution before the next one
occurs. A dangerous situation in most cases.
§
Isolated – An event that occurs alone, at least with no other events apparent at that time. It can be
pinpointed easily.
·
Pile-up of stressor events – The accumulation of stressor events. Families seldom deal with one event at a
time, instead they deal with a pile-up of stressor events.
·
Resources – The properties, attributes, or skills that individuals or families have at their disposal when
adapting to stressor events. Different types include personal resources, family system resources, and social
support.
·
Crisis – Continuous variable denoting the amount disruption, disorganization, or incapacitation in the family
social system
o
On a daily basis, families engage in relatively stable patterns of interacting as they try to balance the demands
they face with their existing capabilities to achieve a level of family adjustment. However, there are times when
family demands significantly exceed their capabilities. When this imbalance persists, families experience crisis,
which is a period of significant disequilibrium and disorganization in a family.
o
A crisis is very often a turning point for a family, leading to major change in their structure, interaction
patterns, or both. A crisis can lead to a discontinuity in the family’s trajectory of functioning either in the direction
of improved functioning or poorer functioning.
·
Stress – Demand capability imbalance
·
Coping strategy – Strategies used alone or in combination to bring about family adjustment (e.g., avoidance,
assimilation, elimination)
Models
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ABCX (Hill, 1949)
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Double ABCX  see handout of the Double ABCX Model
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FAAR – Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) Model (Patterson, 1988)
o
Families engage in active processes to balance family demands with family capabilities as these interact with
family meanings to arrive at a level of family adjustment or adaptation
§
Family demands are comprised of (a) normative and nonnormative stressors; (b) ongoing family strains
(unresolved, insidious tensions); and (c) daily hassles (minor disruptions of daily life).
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Family capabilities include (a) tangible and psychosocial resources (what the family has) and (b) coping
behaviors (what the family does).
§
Family meaning – Family meanings shape the nature and extent of risk, as well as the protective capacity of
a family.
¨
Families’ definitions of their demands (primary appraisal) and capabilities (secondary appraisal)
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Family identity (how they see themselves internally as a unit)
¨
Family world view (how they see their family in relationship to systems outside of their family
¨
Example – The process of adapting to major, nonnormative stressors, such as the diagnosis of a child’s
chronic health condition, often involves changing prior beliefs and values as a way to make sense of the
unexplainable and as a way to adapt.
§
Family adaptation has been defined as a process of restoring balance between capabilities and demands at
two levels of transaction: (a) between family members and the family unit, and (b) between a family unit and the
community.
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Family Resiliency
o
Resilience refers to doing well in the face of adversity. Most researchers view resilience as a process where
there are interactions between risks and protective factors relative to a specified outcome.
§
Risks include stressors and demands on the family system
§
Protective factors (capabilities) include resources and coping strategies utilized by the family
o
Family resilience (sometimes conceptualized as family strengths) refers to characteristics, dimensions, and
properties of families which help families to be resistant to disruption in the face of change and adaptive in the
face of crisis situations. In other words, it is the capacity of a family to successfully manage challenging life
circumstances now or in the future.
Strengths
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Easy to understand
·
Translates well into therapy and intervention
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Explains the processes involved in dealing with stress
Weakness
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Limited to discussion of those aspects in the family dealing with stress
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Punctuation
Activity – use family stress theory to explain an adolescent who gets pregnant.
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An adolescent getting pregnant is considered which type of stressor? (1) normative transition (2) unexpected
stressor (3) prior strain
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What other stressors could be occurring in this adolescent’s life that might contribute to the pile-up of
stressors? (name at least 7)
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What resources might be available to the adolescent and her family that could help the adolescent during this
time of stress? (name at least 7 resources)