The DOI matches its Crossref record; 131 of the 135 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Stress, Coping, and Social Support Processes: Where Are We? What Next?
Abstract
I review existing knowledge, unanswered questions, and new directions in research on stress, coping resource, coping strategies, and social support processes. New directions in research on stressors include examining the differing impacts of stress across a range of physical and mental health outcomes, the "carry-overs" of stress from one role domain or stage of life into another, the benefits derived from negative experiences, and the determinants of the meaning of stressors. Although a sense of personal control and perceived social support influence health and mental health both directly and as stress buffers, the theoretical mechanisms through which they do so still require elaboration and testing. New work suggests that coping flexibility and structural constraints on individuals' coping efforts may be important to pursue. Promising new directions in social support research include studies of the negative effects of social relationships and of support giving, mutual coping and support-giving dynamics, optimal "matches" between individuals' needs and support received, and properties of groups which can provide a sense of social support. Qualitative comparative analysis, optimal matching analysis, and event-structure analysis are new techniques which may help advance research in these broad topic areas. To enhance the effectiveness of coping and social support interventions, intervening mechanisms need to be better understood. Nevertheless, the policy implications of stress research are clear and are important given current interest in health care reform in the United States.
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In the citing paper
“The stress-coping theory posits that the availability of coping resources would facilitate the use of adaptive coping strategies to deal with stressors and increase the efficacy of coping strategies [21,22].”
From Associations between COVID-19 Work-Related Stressors and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Chinese Doctors and Nurses: Application of Stress-Coping Theory (2022) · cites this paper as [22]
In the citing paper
“Therefore, the results generally support the stress-coping theory that coping resources would facilitate effective coping and moderate the relationship of stressors, coping, and health outcomes [21,22].”
From Associations between COVID-19 Work-Related Stressors and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms among Chinese Doctors and Nurses: Application of Stress-Coping Theory (2022) · cites this paper as [22]
In the citing paper
“From a theoretical standpoint, our findings align with social support theory. That is, interactions with therapy dogs and handlers may serve as a source of social support, resulting in reduced students’ anxiety and stress levels [22].”
From Canine-assisted therapy in reducing stress and anxiety levels of university students: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (2025) · cites this paper as [22]
In the citing paper
“This could improve social interactions as quality social relationships are an important protective factor against mental disorders (76).”
From Behavioral Intervention Technologies: Evidence review and recommendations for future research in mental health (2013) · cites this paper as [76]
Citations
Cites
“Stress: appraisal and coping,”
Folkman, S. (2013) · Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_215 · Cited by 27,833
Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis
Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310 · Cited by 18,093
The social readjustment rating scale
Holmes, T. H., & Rahe, R. H. (1967) · Journal of Psychosomatic Research · doi:10.1016/0022-3999(67)90010-4 · Cited by 11,560
Pearlin, L. I., & Schooler, C. (1978) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136319 · Cited by 7,791 · cited 9×
“…of new methods of measuring stress have been developed and refined (e.g., Bolger et al. 1989a; Brown and Harris 1978, 1989; Dohrenwend et al. 1993; Pearlin and Schooler 1978; Wheaton 1991; Zautra, Guarnaccia, and Dohrenwend 1986), and stress theory has been elaborated to incorporate factors which…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialAn Analysis of Coping in a Middle-Aged Community Sample
Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1980) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136617 · Cited by 6,361
Pearlin, L. I., Menaghan, E. G., Lieberman, M. A., & Mullan, J. T. (1981) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.2307/2136676 · Cited by 6,289 · cited 4×
“…use problem-focused coping strategies or to have an active coping style (Menaghan 1982, 1983; Menaghan and Merves 1984; Pearlin and Schooler 1978; Pearlin et al. 1981; Ross and Mirowsky 1989), most of these studies also show that problem-focused coping either has no effects on or in some cases…”
BackgroundInfluentialSelye, H. (1956) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 5,224
Dynamics of a stressful encounter: Cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes.
Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel‐Schetter, C., DeLongis, A., & Gruen, R. J. (1986) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-3514.50.5.992 · Cited by 5,183
Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1985) · Journal of Personality and Social Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-3514.48.1.150 · Cited by 4,845
Work Stress and Social Support.
Deutsch, S. E., & House, J. S. (1983) · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews · doi:10.2307/2069001 · Cited by 4,768
Cited by
Sorted by citations
From social integration to health: durkheim in the new millennium
Berkman, L. F., Glass, T., Brissette, I., & Seeman, T. E. (2000) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(00)00065-4 · Cited by 4,821
“Emotional support is related to the amount of ``love and caring, sympathy and understanding and/or esteem or value available from others'' (Thoits, 1995).”
BackgroundMechanisms Linking Social Ties and Support to Physical and Mental Health
Thoits, P. A. (2011) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/0022146510395592 · Cited by 4,076
“But to design effective interventions it is crucial to understand intervening mechanisms as well as the relative impact of each of those mechanisms on health outcomes (e.g., Kawachi and Berkman 2001; Seeman 1996; Thoits 1995).”
InfluentialSelf-citationThe Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children
Amato, P. R. (2000) · Journal of Marriage and Family · doi:10.1111/j.1741-3737.2000.01269.x · Cited by 2,931
“Many stress theorists, such as Thoits (1995) and Wheaton (1990), have argued that potentially stressful events, such as divorce, can have positive longterm consequences when people resolve their problems successfully.”
BackgroundThe Contours of Positive Human Health
Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998) · Psychological Inquiry · doi:10.1207/s15327965pli0901_1 · Cited by 2,658
“…from the lens or outlook one brings to life; that is, how individuals react to, appraise, interpret, make sense of, and cope with their experiences (see Kobasa et al., 1982; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984; Pearlin & Schooler, 1978; Ryff & Essex, 1992; Sarason, Johnson, & Siegel, 1978; Thoits, 1994, 1995).”
BackgroundSocial relationships and health a flashpoint for health policy
Umberson, D., & Karas Montez, J. (2010) · Journal of Health and Social Behavior · doi:10.1177/0022146510383501 · Cited by 2,639
Metadata
- Authors
- Thoits, P. A.
- Affiliations
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Thoits, Peggy A.
- ORCID
- Thoits, Peggy A.
- Venue
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1995
- Volume
- 35
- Pages
- 53
- ISSN
- 0022-1465 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2081745157
- Cited by
- 3,496
- References
- 135
- Citations by year
- 2026: 70 · 2025: 108 · 2024: 107 · 2023: 94 · 2022: 145 · 2021: 139 · 2020: 144 · 2019: 139 · 2018: 141 · 2017: 178 · 2016: 160 · 2015: 162 · 2014: 159 · 2013: 164 · 2012: 156
- FWCI
- 34.48
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Health and Social Behavior (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Resilience and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- stress, coping strategies, social support, stressors, coping flexibility, personal control, perceived social support, stress buffering, negative experiences, interpersonal relationships, group support, coping interventions, health care reform
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Health Status, Humans, Public Policy, Social Support, Socioeconomic Factors, Sociology, Medical, Stress, Psychological
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