The case is made for understanding and applying in social work practice current conceptions of chronic stress. Citing literature from the social sciences, the authors develop and describe a comprehensive model of chronic stress, focusing on single mothers that are experiencing economic poverty. The utility of the model lies in its synthesis of concepts that can be used in direct practice, policy development, and program design.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AntonovskyA. (1979). Health, stress, and coping.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
2.
AntonovskyA. (1985). Unraveling the mystery of health.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
3.
BelleD. (1990). Poverty and women's mental health. American Psychologist, 45(3), 383–389.
4.
BelseyJ., CrnicK., & WoodworthS. (1995). Personality and parenting: Exploring the mediating role of transient mood and daily hassles. Journal of Personality, 63(4), 905–929.
5.
BillingsA. G., & MoosR. H. (1984). Coping, stress and social resources among adults with unipolar depression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46(4), 877–891.
6.
BrantleyP. J., & JonesG. N. (1993). Daily stress and stress-related disorders. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 15, 17–25.
7.
BrantleyP. J., MehanD. J., AmesS. C., & JonesG. N. (1991). Minor stressors and generalized anxiety disorder among low-income patients attending primary care clinics. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 187(7), 435.
8.
BrownG. W., BifulcoA., HarrisT., & BridgeL. (1986). Life stress, chronic subclinical symptoms and vulnerability to clinical depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 11, 1–19.
9.
BrownG. W., & HarrisT. O. (1978). Social origins of depression: A study of psychiatric disorders in women.London: Taviststock.
10.
ChamberlainK., & ZikaS. (1990). The minor events approach to stress: Support for the use of daily hassles. British Journal of Psychology, 81, 469–481.
11.
CohenS., KesslerR., & GordonL. (Eds.). (1995). Conceptualizing stress and its relationship to disease. In Measuring stress: A guide for health and social scientists.Oxford: Oxford University Press.
12.
CohenS., & SymesS. (1985). Stress, social support and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 310–357.
13.
CongerR. D., & ElderG. H.Jr. (1994). Families in troubled times.New York: Aldine De Gruyter.
14.
CrnicK. A., & GreenbergM. T. (1992). Minor parenting stresses with young children. Child Development, 61, 1628–1637.
15.
CronkiteR. C., MoosR. H., TwoheyJ., CohenC., & SwindleR.Jr. (1998, April). Life circumstances and personal resources as predictors of the ten-year course of depression. American Journal of Community Psychology, 26(2), 255–280.
16.
DeBenedittisG., & LorenzettiA. (1992). The role of stressful life events in the persistence of primary headache: Major events vs. daily hassles. Pain, 51, 35–42.
17.
DeLongisA., CoyneJ., DahofG., FolkmanS., & LazarusR. S. (1982). The relationship of hassles, uplifts, and major life events to health status. Health Psychology, 1, 119–136.
18.
DeLongisA., FolkmanS., & LazarusR. S. (1988). The impact of daily stress on health and mood: Psychological and social resources as mediators. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(3), 486–495.
19.
DowneyG., & CoyneJ. (1990). Children of depressed parents: An integrative review. Psychological Bulletin, 108, 50–76.
20.
DykemaJ., BergbowerK., & PetersonC. (1995). Pessimistic explanatory style, stress, and illness. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 14(4), 357–371.
21.
EckenrodeJ. (1984). The impact of chronic acute stresses on daily reports of mood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 907–919.
22.
ElderG. H., & CaspiA. (1988). Economic stress in lives: Developmental perspectives. Journal of Social Issues, 44(4), 25–44.
23.
ElderG. H.Jr., CongerR. D., FosterE. M., & ArdeltM. (1992). Families under economic pressure. Journal of Family Issues, 13, 5–37.
24.
FraserM.W., RichmanJ.M., & GalinskyM.J. (1999). Risk, protection and resilience towards a conceptual framework for social work practice. Social Work Research, 23(3), 131–143.
25.
FondacaroM., & MoosR. H. (1989). Life stressors and coping: A longitudinal analysis between depressed and nondepressed adults. Journal of Community Psychology, 17(4), 330–340.
26.
GaudinJ. M., PolanskyN. A., KilpatrickA. C., & ShiltonP. (1993). Loneliness, depression, stress, and social supports in neglectful families. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 63(4), 597–605.
27.
GellesR. J. (1989). Child abuse and violence in single parent families: Parent absence and economic deprivation. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 59(4), 492–501.
28.
GermainC. B. (1991). Human behavior in the social environment: An ecological view.New York: Columbia University Press.
29.
GermainC. B., & BloomM. (1999). Human behavior in the social environment: An ecological view (2nd ed.). New York: Columbia University Press.
30.
GolanN. (1978). Treatment in crisis situations.New York: Free Press.
31.
HallL. A. (1990). Prevalence and correlates of depressive symptoms in mothers of young children. Public Health Nursing, 7(2), 71–79.
32.
HallL. A., GurleyD. N., SachsB., & KryscioR. J. (1991). Psychosocial predictors of maternal depressive symptoms, parenting attitudes, and child behavior in single-parent families. Nursing Research, 40(4), 214–220.
33.
HolahanC., & MoosR. H. (1991). Life stressors, personal and social resources and depression: A four-year structural model. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100, 31–38.
34.
JacksonA. P., & HuangC. C. (1998). Concern's about children's development: Implications for single, employed black mothers' well-being. Social Work Research22(4), 233–240.
35.
KannerA. D., CoyneJ. C., SchaefferC., & LazarusR. S. (1981). Comparison of two modes of stress measurement: Daily hassles and uplifts versus major life events. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 4, 1–39.
36.
KempS. P., WhittakerJ., & TracyE. (1997). Person-environment practice: The social ecology of interpersonal helping.New York: Aldine-DeGruyter.
37.
KesslerR. C., & MageeW. (1993). Childhood adversities and adult depression: Basic pattern of association in a U.S. national survey. Psychological Medicine, 23, 679–690.
38.
KesslerR. C., & NeighborsC. H. (1986, June). A new perspective on the relationship among race, social class and psychological distress. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 27, 107–115.
39.
KisselS. J. (1986). Violence in America: An emerging public health problem. Health and Social Work, 11, 53–155.
40.
KohnP. M., & MacDonaldJ. E. (1992). A survey of recent life experiences: A decontaminated hassles scale for adults. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 15(2), 221–236.
41.
LazarusR. S. (1991). Cognition and emotion. In Emotion and adaptation (pp. 127–169). Oxford University Press.
LeporeS. J., EvansG. W., & SchneiderM. L. (1992). Role of control and social support in explaining the stress of hassles and crowding. Environment and Behavior, 24(6), 795–611.
44.
LongresJ. E. (1995). Human behavior in the social environment (2nd ed.). Itasca, IL: Peacock.
45.
McCubbinH. I., ThompsonA. I., & McCubbinM. A. (1996). Family assessment: Resiliency, coping and adaptation.Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.
46.
McLoydV. C. (1990). The impact of economic hardship on black families and children: Psychological distress and socioemotional development. Child Development, 611, 311–346.
47.
McLoydV. C., & WilsonL. (1994). The strain of living poor: Parenting, social support and child mental health. In HustonA. C. (ed). Children in poverty. (pp. 105–135). New York: Cambridge Press.
48.
MoosR. H. (1991). Life stressors, social resources, and the treatment of depression. In BeckerJ., & KleinmanA. (Eds.), Psychosocial aspects of depression, (pp. 187–214). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum.
49.
MoosR. H. (1995). Development and application of new measures of life stressors, social resources, and coping responses. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 11(1), 1–13.
50.
MoosR. H. (1997a). Assessing approach and avoidance coping skills and their determinants and outcomes. Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology, 24(1), 58–64.
51.
MoosR. H. (1997b). Coping and response inventory: A measure of approach and avoidance coping skills. In ZalaquetC. P., & WoodR. J. (Eds.), Evaluating stress: A book of resources, (Vol. 1) (pp. 51–65). Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Scarecrow.
52.
MoosR.H., & MoosB. (1994). Life stressors and Social Resources Inventory (Adult Form Manual). Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.
53.
MoosR. H., & SwindleR. W. (1990). Stressful life circumstances: Concepts and measures. Stress Medicine, 6, 171–178.
54.
MowbrayC. T., OysermanD., & RossS. (1995). Parenting and the significance of children for mothers with a serious mental illness. Journal of Mental Health Administration, 22(2), 189–200.
55.
ParadH. (Ed.). (1965). Crisis intervention: Selected readings.Milwaukee, WI: Family Service Association of America.
56.
ParadH., & ParadL. G. (1990). Crisis intervention book 2: The practitioner's source book for brief therapy.Milwaukee, WI: Family Service Association of America.
57.
ParkerD., & HartfordT. (1988). Alcohol related problems, marital disruptions and depression symptoms among adult children of alcohol abusers in the United States. Journal of Studies in Alcohol, 49(3), 265–268.
58.
PearlinL. I. (1985). Life strains and psychological distress among adults. In MonatA., & LazarusR. S. (Eds.), Stress and coping: An anthology (pp. 192–207). New York: Columbia University Press.
59.
PearlinL. I., & LeibermanM. (1979). Social sources of emotional distress. In SimmonsR. G. (Ed.), Research in community and mental health: An annual compilation of research (pp. 217–248). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
60.
PolanskyN. A., GaudinJ. M., AmmonsP., & DavisK. (1985). The psychological ecology of the neglectful mother. Child Abuse and Neglect, 9, 265–275.
61.
PoppleP. R., & LeighningerL. (1999). Social work and social welfare, and American society (4th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
62.
RapoportL. (1962, June). The state of crisis: Some theoretical considerations. Social Service Review, 36, 211–217.
63.
RapoportL. (1970). Crisis intervention as a mode of brief treatment. In RobertsR. W., & NeeR. H. (Eds.), Theories of social casework (pp. 265–312). Chicago: Chicago University Press.
64.
RodgersA. Y. (1998). Multiple sources of stress and parenting behavior. Children and Youth Services Review, 20(6), 525–546.
65.
ScarciniI. C., AmesS. C., & BrantleyP. J. (1999). Chronic minor stressors and major life events experienced by low income patients attending primary care clinics: A longitudinal examination. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 22(2), 143–156.
66.
SeligmanM. E. P. (1990). Learned optimism: How to change your mind and your life.New York: Pocket Books.
67.
SimonsR. L., BeamanJ., CongerR. D., & ChaoW. (1993). Stress, support and antisocial behavior trait as determinants of emotional well-being and parenting practices among single mothers. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 55, 385–398.
68.
ThompsonR., GilK., BurbachD., KeithB., & KinneyT. (1993). Psychological adjustment of mothers of children and adolescents with sickle cell disease: The role of stress, coping methods, and family functioning. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 18(5), 549–559.
69.
Walker, MacBride, & Bachon. (1997). Social support networks and the crisis of bereavement. Social Science & Medicine, 11, 35–41.
70.
Watts-JonesD. (1990). Toward a stress scale for African-American women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 14, 271–275.
71.
WeingerS. (1998). Poor children know their place: Perceptions of poverty, class, and public messages. Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare, 25(2), 100–117.
72.
WeissmanM. M. (1987). Advances in psychiatric epidemiology: Rates and risks for depression. American Journal of Public Health, 77, 445–451.
73.
WeissmanM. M., BlandR., JoyceP. R., NewmanS., WellsJ. E., & WittchenH. (1993). Sex differences in rates of depression: cross-national perspectives. Journal of Affective Disorders, 29, 77–84.
74.
WijnbergM. H., & RedingK. M. (1999). Reclaiming a stress focus: The hassles of rural, poor, single mothers. Families in Society, 80(5), 506–514.
75.
WijnbergM. H., & RedingK. M. (1999, January). Hassles of single mothers: Implications for practice. Paper presented at The Society for Social Work and Research Conference, Austin, TX.
76.
WilliamsD., & HouseJ. S. (1991). Stress, social support, control and coping: A social epidemiological view. In BanduraB., & KickbuschI. (Eds.), Health promotion research: Towards a new epidemiology.World Health Organization Regional Publications, European Series No. 37, pp. 147–172.
77.
WilliamsD. R., YuY., JacksonJ., & AndersonN. (1997). Racial differences in physical and mental health. Journal of Health Psychology, 2(3), 335–351.
78.
YegidsB. L. (1999). Family violence. In ReisckM., & GambrillE. (Eds.), Implications for social work practice in the 21st century (p. 128). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
