Secondary school students experience high level of stress related to academic issues, e.g. college entrance exam, along side with interpersonal relationship. In this study, a modification of a research on written emotional on college student was carried out on secondary school students to test whether writing about stressful events (1) decreases perceived stress level, (2) improves academic engagement, and (3) improves interpersonal relationship. Forty-six participants were randomized to write for 4 days about either stressful experiences (disclosure group) or time management (control group). Students rated their perceived stress level, academic engagement and interpersonal relationship before the treatment for baseline evaluation, and in the subsequent month for comparison. Results showed that the perceived effectiveness of the emotional disclosure intervention is notably greater in helping the participants to manage stress than the control condition of writing for time management. A significant time effect was shown in perceived stress level, suggesting that participants in both time management and written emotional disclosure conditions showed lowering of perceived stress level over time. However, there was no significant treatment effect for any of the three areas of concern. This study also provides an important finding showing that interpersonal relationship moderated treatment effect; implying that written emotional disclosure is an effective intervention for students who have poor interpersonal relationship. / published_or_final_version / Educational Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

BACKGROUND: Increasing proportion of students reported high level of mental stress in regards to school environment. Adolescent and young adults often have inadequate abilities and skills to coping with stress-related impairments. Stress management intervention (SMI) is considered as a primary prevention from adverse effect of stress and with potential of increasing coping skills for students. OBJECTIVES: 1) to assess internal and external validity of published SMI among adolescents and young adults and 2) to evaluate the effectiveness on mental health issues considered in included SMIs. METHODS: This is a review of assessing effectiveness of published SMI from database, including PubMed, Medline and PsycINFO, from 2000 to 2012, limited to adolescent and young adult. Data including the country of where study conducted, participants, intervention process and control group, length of follow-up, outcome measures and findings was gained and synthesised. Effect sizes categorised into five groups were calculated. RESULTS: Ten studies were identified. Five studies were comprehensive interventions that consisted of multiplied fundamental types of interventions to variety of outcomes. Three studies narrowed to single fundamental training for intervention and two studies used a specific approach. Concerning Internet-based intervention, three out of ten studies conducted with computer-assisted approach. Most of outcome measurements had positive effect size, in terms of symptoms of stress, coping strategies, cognition functions and academic performance. CONCLUSION: In general, SMI can effectively decrease stress and improve coping skills in adolescent and young adults. Sustainable effect of post-period of stress management programme is satisfactory. The positive effect size of this review could provide evidences and support the efficacy and effectiveness of stress management in adolescents and young adults. / published_or_final_version / Public Health / Master / Master of Public Health

Thesis (M.A.)--Rowan University, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Li Ping. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-63). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Subjective Well-Being (SWB) --- p.1 / Life Satisfaction --- p.2 / Self-Esteem --- p.2 / Psychological Distress --- p.3 / Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) Stress and Coping Model --- p.3 / Migration as a Source of Stress --- p.4 / Primary Appraisals in Adjustment to Migration --- p.6 / Acceptance of New Living Environment --- p.6 / Perceived Discrimination --- p.6 / Language Competence --- p.7 / Secondary Appraisals in Adjustment to Migration --- p.8 / Family Support --- p.8 / Mutual Trust and Understanding with Peers --- p.10 / Sense of Mastery --- p.10 / Role of Secondary Appraisal on the Relationship between Primary Appraisal and SWB --- p.11 / Mainland Immigrants in Hong Kong --- p.13 / Adaptation Difficulties of Mainland Immigrants in Hong Kong --- p.14 / Acceptance of New Living Environment --- p.14 / Language Barrier --- p.15 / Differences in Cultural Values --- p.16 / Discrimination --- p.16 / Interacting with Unfamiliar Family Members --- p.17 / Purpose of the Present Study --- p.17 / Hypotheses --- p.18 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Method --- p.21 / Participants --- p.21 / Instruments --- p.23 / Demographic Information --- p.23 / Life Satisfaction --- p.23 / Self-Esteem --- p.23 / Psychological Distress --- p.24 / Acceptance of New Living Environment --- p.24 / Perceived Discrimination --- p.25 / Language Competence --- p.25 / Family Support --- p.25 / Mutual Trust and Understanding with Peers --- p.26 / Sense of Mastery --- p.26 / Procedure --- p.27 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Results --- p.28 / Effect of Gender on the Psychosocial Variables --- p.28 / Relationship between Demographic Variables and Psychosocial Variables --- p.30 / Correlation between Psychosocial Variables --- p.33 / Model Testing --- p.35 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Discussion --- p.41 / Influence of Primary Appraisal on Mainland Immigrant Students' SWB --- p.43 / Influence of Secondary Appraisal on Mainland Immigrant Students' SWB --- p.45 / Relationships among Factors in the Same Appraisal Process --- p.48 / The Uniqueness of the Present Model in Understanding the SWB of Immigrants --- p.49 / Limitations and Future Studies --- p.50 / Implications of the Study --- p.51 / Conclusion --- p.54

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rhode Island, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 249-260).

by Willow Yuen-Shan Chan. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-108). / Text in English; abstract also in Chinese. / by Willow Yuen-Shan Chan. / Acknowledgment --- p.ii / Abstract --- p.iii / List of tables --- p.viii / List of figures --- p.ix / Chapter CHAPTER 1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background and Problem of the Investigation --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Purpose of the Investigation --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance of the Investigation --- p.2 / Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1 --- Adolescent Stress --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Various types of stress in adolescence --- p.4 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Adolescent Problems --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Adolescent Coping --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Coping in the Anticipation Stage of Exam --- p.8 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Gender Differences in Coping --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- The Relationship between Achievement and Coping --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Effectiveness of Coping on Adaptational Outcomes --- p.11 / Chapter 2.3 --- Personal and Situational Factors in Relation to Coping --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Personal Factors in Relation to Coping --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Situational Appraisals in Relation to Coping --- p.18 / Chapter 2.4 --- Multivariate Models of Coping --- p.21 / Chapter 2.5 --- The COPE Inventory --- p.21 / Chapter 2.6 --- Summary of Literature Review --- p.24 / Chapter CHAPTER 3: --- THE PRESENT INVESTIGATION --- p.27 / Chapter 3.1 --- The Present Investigation --- p.27 / Chapter 3.2 --- The rationale of investigation --- p.28 / Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- STUDY I: VALIDATION OF CONSTRUCTS --- p.29 / Chapter 4.1 --- The aim of study 1 --- p.29 / Chapter 4.2 --- Method --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Subjects --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Measures --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Procedures --- p.34 / Chapter 4.3 --- Results --- p.34 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Descriptive and Psychometric Properties of Scales --- p.35 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Exam Stress and Coping in the Anticipation of Public Exam --- p.37 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Exploratory Factor Analysis --- p.38 / Chapter 4.3.4 --- Evaluation of Single Latent Construct Measurement Models --- p.41 / Chapter 4.3.5 --- Evaluation of Measurement Models --- p.45 / Chapter 4.4 --- DISCUSSION --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Exam Stress --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Coping in the Anticipation of Public Exam --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4.3 --- Psychometric Characteristics of Constructs --- p.47 / Chapter 4.4.4 --- "Conceptual Differences of Family versus. Friend Support, and Internal versus External Outcome Controllability" --- p.48 / Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- STUDY II: MODELING AND GENDER AND SCHOOL BAND DIFFERENCES --- p.49 / Chapter 5.1 --- Framework of study II --- p.49 / Chapter 5.2 --- Three Hypothesized Coping Models --- p.49 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- The Additive Coping Model --- p.50 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- The Mediational Coping Model --- p.50 / Chapter 5.2.3 --- The Full Coping Model --- p.51 / Chapter 5.3 --- The Aim of Study II --- p.51 / Chapter 5.4 --- Method --- p.52 / Chapter 5.4.1 --- Subjects --- p.52 / Chapter 5.4.2 --- Procedures and Measures --- p.53 / Chapter 5.5 --- Results --- p.53 / Chapter 5.5.1 --- The Three Hypothesized Coping Models --- p.53 / Chapter 5.5.2 --- "Gender and School Band Differences in Coping, Support Resources, Situational Appraisals and Psychological Distress" --- p.62 / Chapter 5.5.3 --- Full Coping Model by Gender and by School Band --- p.65 / Chapter 5.6 --- Discussion --- p.73 / Chapter 5.6.1 --- The Transactional Model of Coping --- p.73 / Chapter 5.6.2 --- The Important Influences of Dispositional Traits and Situational Appraisals on Coping and Psychological Distress --- p.74 / Chapter 5.6.3 --- Gender and School Band Differences --- p.75 / Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- STUDY III: LONGITUDINAL STUDY --- p.79 / Chapter 6.1 --- Framework of Study III --- p.79 / Chapter 6.2 --- The Aim of Study III --- p.79 / Chapter 6.3 --- Method --- p.80 / Chapter 6.3.1 --- Subjects --- p.80 / Chapter 6.3.2 --- Procedures and Measures --- p.80 / Chapter 6.4 --- Results --- p.81 / Chapter 6.4.1 --- Casual Relations of Time 1 Coping Constructs and Other Constructs on Time2 Psychological Distress --- p.82 / Chapter 6.4.2 --- Casual Relations of Time 1 Psychological Distress and Other Constructs on Time 2 Coping Constructs --- p.84 / Chapter 6.5 --- Discussion --- p.90 / Chapter 6.5.1 --- Effectiveness of Coping --- p.90 / Chapter 6.5.2 --- Causal Directionality of Coping and Distress --- p.90 / Chapter CHAPTER 7: --- GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.91 / Chapter 7.1 --- discussion --- p.92 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Coping as Mediator --- p.92 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Effectiveness of Active Problem-focused Coping --- p.92 / Chapter 7.1.3 --- Effects of Dispositional Traits --- p.93 / Chapter 7.1.4 --- "Differential Effects of Internal and External Outcome Beliefs, and Family and Friend Support Resources on Coping" --- p.94 / Chapter 7.1.5 --- The Predominant Effect of Causal Influence from Coping to Distress --- p.95 / Chapter 7.2 --- Implications for Intervention --- p.96 / Chapter 7.3 --- Limitations --- p.97 / REFERENCES --- p.98 / Appendix A Sample items of questionnaires for investigation / Appendix B Reliabilities of various scales in pilot study / "Appendix C Tables in Study I, II and III" / Appendix D Figures in Study III

背景 / 「因壓力事件而引發的反覆思索」 (stress-reactive rumination) 是指個人在經歷負性生活事件後不斷在腦海中重覆思索該事件及與該事件相連的負面個人想法。在科學文獻中，這現象初步驗證為其中一項導致情緒低落的認知誘因。 / 研究目的 / 本研究旨在透過模擬「因壓力事件而引發的反覆思索」，增加對此現象在影响情緒方面的理解。 / 研究方法 / 研究對象是三百三十三名沒有抑鬱病病徵的大學生。他們首先寫下一段他們感到情緒低落的個人失敗經歷，並揀選相關的負面思想，然後他們被隨機分成六個實驗組：第一、第二及第三組為「反覆思索實驗組」，第四、第五組為「思想轉移組」，第六組為「文獻對照組」。第一組要求研究對象在五分鐘內不斷投入地反覆誦讀該段個人經歷及相關的負面思想，以達到模擬此現象的效果。第二組要求研究對象除了反覆誦讀上述材料外，還要反問自己「為甚麼心情會弄到如此田地、再這樣持續下去的話對自己的影响」。第三組要求研究對象投入地反覆誦讀與該段個人經歷不相關的負面思想。第四組透過要求研究對象誦讀寫有實物的字咭，以達致思想轉移的效果。第五組要求研究對象誦讀不構成意義、由個別中文單字拼湊而成的中文字串，以達致思想轉移的效果。第六組參照文獻中「因覺察本身低落情緒」而引發的另一類反覆思索，研究對象誦讀相關的提引，例如留意身體在低落情緒時的狀況，及思索低落情緒的成因、意義及影響。 / 研究結果 / 「反覆思索實驗組」的情緒顯著地較實驗前低落，並更焦慮情緒失控，這三組間並沒有明顯的區別。「實物思想轉移組」的情緒顯著地較實驗前改善，並減少對情緒失控的焦慮。在「字串思想轉移組」中，女性研究對象的情緒顯著地較實驗前改善，並減少對情緒失控的焦慮，而男性研究對象的情緒較實驗前並沒有顯著變化，但他們較實驗前更焦慮情緒失控。「文獻對照組」的情緒較實驗前並沒有顯著變化，但此組的男女研究對象較實驗前更焦慮情緒失控。 / 討論 / 此項研究初步確立用實驗形式去檢視「因壓力事件而引發的反覆思索」對低落情緒直接影響的可行性，並為相關論理提供有力的驗證。本文亦探討不同形式的「反覆思索」與抑鬱情緒之間的關係，及在臨牀治療上的應用。 / Background / Stress-reactive rumination (SRR) refers to the tendency to ruminate on negative inferences following stressful events. Previous studies indicated that SRR, in interaction with negative cognitive style, predicted the prospective onset, number and duration of major depressive episodes. Yet, it is under-researched and there is no experimental studies demonstrating its causative role in depressed mood. / Objectives / The current study aims at simulating SRR among a non-clinical sample of undergraduates and assessing its immediate effect on the genesis of depressed feelings. / Method / An experimental paradigm was adopted in which SRR was operationalized in accordance with existing conceptualizations of depression. An initial sample of 544 university students were recruited, and the final analyses included 333 of them who met various inclusion criteria. Each participant was asked to write a sad personal experience of failure and to select thought cards associated with such experience. They were then randomly assigned into one of the six experimental conditions for five minutes. In the SRR Condition, participants ruminated about their sad experience and the associated thoughts by reading them aloud repeatedly. In the Double Rumination Condition, apart from what was required in SRR Condition, participants were asked to read aloud and think about two additional questions that capture the essence of depressive rumination. In the SRR with Unrelated Thoughts Conditions, participants ruminated on thought cards not associated with their respective experience. In the Distraction with Objects Condition, participants focused their attention on common objects. In the Distraction with Chinese Characters Salad Condition, participants read aloud chunks of Chinese characters that formed no cohesive meaning. In the Depressive Rumination Condition, participants were asked to read aloud statements depicting depressive rumination like the symptoms of depression, the causes and the meaning of depression. / Results / As predicted, participants undergoing any one of the SRR conditions reported further mood decline while those in Distraction with Objects Condition reported uplifted mood. A gender difference was found in that after undergoing the Distraction with Chinese Characters Salad Condition, female participants reported uplifted mood and less anxiety about loss of emotional control while the male participants reported more anxiety. / Discussion / Unlike previous studies who measure SRR with a self-administered questionnaire, the current study serves to be the first attempt to operationalize stress-reactive rumination in a laboratory setting and put such construct under an experimental paradigm. Findings lend support to the cognitive attentional syndrome as postulated in Wells' S-REF model and metacognitive theory for emotional disorders, and address some inadequacies of existing conceptualization of depression (e.g., Beck's theories of depression). The adoption of an experimental paradigm provides supplementary evidence for the causal role of SRR in the genesis of depressed feelings. Implications for further research and intervention are discussed. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Chong, Heung Chuen. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 190-202). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese; appendixes includes Chinese. / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction --- p.1 / Stressful Life Events as Risk Factors for Depression --- p.8 / Negative Cognitive Style as Cognitive Vulnerability for Depression --- p.9 / Self-regulatory Executive Function Model (S-REF) and Metacognitive Theory --- p.13 / Stress Reactive Rumination --- p.24 / Other Related Constructs: Depressive Rumination --- p.29 / Other Related Constructs: Metacognitive Beliefs on Rumination --- p.32 / Current Study --- p.35 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Method --- p.43 / Design --- p.43 / Participants --- p.47 / Measures --- p.51 / Procedures --- p.59 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Results --- p.67 / Gender Difference --- p.67 / Analysis of Experimental Effect on Mood State for Male Subjects --- p.77 / Analysis of Experimental Effect on Mood State for Female Subjects --- p.93 / Analysis of Gender Difference on Anxiety over Loss of Emotional Control (AC) after Elicitation of Stressful Events --- p.112 / Analysis of Experimental Effect on Anxiety over Loss of Emotional Control (AC) for Male Subjects --- p.117 / Analysis of Experimental Effect on Anxiety over Loss of Emotional Control for Female Subjects --- p.127 / Restoration of Mood after Debriefing and Mood-uplifting Procedure --- p.137 / Exploratory Factor Analyses with the Scores from Three Mood Visual Analogue Scales (VASs) --- p.141 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Discussion --- p.154 / Preliminary Evidence for Experimental Simulation of Stress-Reactive Rumination --- p.155 / Stress-Reactive Rumination as a Research Entity --- p.163 / Findings that Warrant Further Exploration --- p.168 / Limitations --- p.176 / Further Research Directions --- p.180 / Clinical Implications --- p.185 / Concluding Comments --- p.188 / References --- p.190 / Appendices --- p.203

Thèse (M. Ed.) -- Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 2005. / Bibliogr.: f. [88]-96. Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Hong Kong, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references.