Clinical Psychology -- Stress and Coping Research

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https://ir.vanderbilt.edu/handle/1803/209

Clinical psychology stress and coping research of Undergraduate Honors Students in the Psychological Sciences at Vanderbilt University.

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Physiological Reactivity in Parents and Adolescents Exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences
(Vanderbilt University, 2025-05) Weissman, Hannah; Dr. Bruce Compas
Physiological synchrony between parent and adolescent is important for children who have been exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as it can reveal more about how both the parent and adolescent are regulating their stress. The current study examines two aspects of physiological reactions in response to a stressful task completed by both parents and their adolescent offspring. Both skin conductance (SC) levels, a sympathetic response, and RSA (respiratory sinus arrhythmia), a parasympathetic response, were measured for the parent-adolescent dyads and analyzed using 32-second epochs to create synchrony correlation coefficients. Results demonstrated that adolescents exposed to ACEs experienced a significant difference in SC between baseline and the conflict task, suggesting a heightened physiological response to stress. In addition, there was synchrony between adolescents and parents for SC levels but no synchrony in RSA levels. Furthermore, parenting behaviors, both positive and negative, were not related to child physiological responses. This suggests that the parenting behaviors and physiological synchrony between parent and child do not impact the child’s physiological reactivity. Future studies should look further into specific target areas for intervention, other than parents, for these adolescents and how these interventions could improve dysregulation in physiological reactivity.
Self-Reported and Observed Caregiving in Offspring of Parents with Huntington’s Disease: Characteristics and Associations with Parent-Child Relationship
(Vanderbilt University, 2025-04) Jordan McKay Lucas; Dr. Bruce Compas
Objective: This study examined Huntington’s disease in the context of self-reported and observed caregiving behaviors between offspring and their HD-affected parents. Method: Fifty-six offspring of parents with Huntington’s disease (ages 10 to 38 years old) reported and were evaluated for caretaking behaviors and stress related to caregiving. Results: Caregiving behaviors differed by offspring age and sex. Females and offspring from 10-17 years old reported more caregiving actions and consequences than males and offspring from 18-38 years old. Offspring who reported higher caregiving stress were observed to have a lower relationship quality with their HD-affected parent. Discussion: These findings indicate a need for further research on identifying and developing interventions for family members of HD patients, specifically adolescent female offspring.
Perfectionism and Dispositional Accommodative Efficacy: Predictors of Stress Responses
(Vanderbilt University, 2025-03-27) Cao, Rui
In recent decades, extensive research has supported the association between perfectionism and stress responses, and one potential explanation for the mechanism underlying this association is the relational model of appraisal theory developed by Smith and Kirby (2009). In this theoretical model, another important dispositional characteristic, dispositional accommodative efficacy, was mentioned and suggested to have close relationships with both perfectionism and stress responses. However, neither dispositional accommodative efficacy nor the relational model has been sufficiently researched. Thus, this study systematically examined the impacts of dispositional accommodative efficacy and perfectionism on stress responses and proposed two models, the dual influence model and the full mediational model , to explain their relationships. The result showed that the evaluative concerns perfectionism positively predicted stress responses and dispositional accommodative efficacy negatively predicted stress responses, while the dimension of achievement striving did not significantly associate with stress responses. Since only a weak partial mediation effect of dispositional accommodative efficacy was found in the relationship between evaluative concerns and stress responses, we did not find strong evidence to support either model. This study supplemented the empirical evidence on how disposition influences emotional reactions.
Perceived Stress Among Chinese Families with College Students in the US: A Mixed-Methods Study
(Vanderbilt University, 2024-03-27) Shen, Monica (Yumeng)
Existing literature on Chinese international students has primarily been interpreted through Eurocentric theories; thus, little is known about these perspectives from a culturally contextualized Chinese perspective. To address this gap, this study adopted a mixed-methods approach and explored how Chinese international college students in the US and their parents in China navigate perceived stress during the sociocultural, familial, and developmental transitions. A total of 32 students and 16 parents completed an online questionnaire; five student-parent dyads and twelve student individuals also participated in semi-structured follow-up interviews. Findings indicated that both students and parents reported moderate to low levels of perceived stress, and no statistically significant correlations between perceived stress and experiences during sociocultural transition, parent-child relationships, or parenting practices. Qualitative responses emphasized the importance of mutual support, autonomy, and open communication in managing perceived stress for both students and their parents. The findings advocate for the empowerment of families with knowledge and strategies to support their children's studying abroad experience and coping with their perceived stress. Additionally, this study underscored the need for universities to develop culturally sensitive support systems that foster an environment of open communication and autonomy for international students and their parents.
Stress and Coping in Siblings of Individuals with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities
(Vanderbilt University, 2024-03-27) Abney, Miles; Boles, Jessika
PSY-PC 4999 - Honors Seminar - Dr. Jessika Boles Millions of children are living with intellectual and developmental disabilities worldwide, yet little is known about this experience from the vantage point of neurotypical siblings. Therefore, the purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore the coping mechanisms and stressors of adult siblings of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disability to identify opportunities for better supporting this population. Twenty-seven adults who identified as a sibling of a person with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities completed a series of electronic instruments including a demographic questionnaire, the Coping Resources Inventory, the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Thirteen participants also completed a semi-structured telephone interview following survey completion. Results demonstrated that participants most often used Self-Blame, Instrumental Support, and Acceptance coping mechanisms, and that, overall, emotional and social were the most commonly endorsed coping resources. Interview responses highlighted four major themes: 1) caretaking across the lifespan, 2) negotiating normalcy inside and outside the household, 3) parental transparency about sibling diagnosis and 4) reframing the sibling experience. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that providers and caregivers can better support siblings of individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities by recognizing and supporting them through the negotiation of normalcy that comes with their unique stressors and experiences.
Executive Functioning, Parenting Style, and Risk-Taking Behaviors among the Offspring of Parents with Huntington’s Disease
(Vanderbilt University, 2024-04) DeLuna, Louis; Compas, Bruce
Patients of Huntington’s Disease experience decreased capacity for executive functioning. Moreover, HD patients also experience increased levels of impulsivity and risk-taking behaviors. Consequences of these behaviors include disrupted relationships, social isolation, and both legal and financial consequences, all leading to increased stress. As a result, children of parents with HD may have less warmth and structure in their relationships. This may lead to deficits in executive functioning and increases in risky behaviors in their children. Understanding how parenting style moderates the relationship between children’s executive functioning and their risk-taking behaviors may allow future research to develop intervention strategies to create a protective effect against these negative behaviors for children of HD parents.
Examining Correlates of Intrusive Parenting
(Vanderbilt University, 2021-05) Azuka, Ekene; Humphreys, Kathryn L.
Intrusive parenting behavior is associated with a variety of poor child outcomes. Given this, it is important to understand predictors of negative parenting behavior so that we might identify parents who are at risk of exhibiting intrusive parenting behaviors. Current literature regarding intrusive parenting rarely investigates predictors of or pathways to the presentation of this particular form of parenting behavior. The current study aims to address this gap by examining potential predictors of intrusive parenting behavior: childhood maltreatment history and empathy toward one’s child. Further, we investigated parental empathy as a possible mediator in the relation between childhood maltreatment history and intrusive parenting behaviors. We found that there was no association between childhood maltreatment severity and levels of intrusiveness; there was no association between childhood maltreatment severity own-child empathy; there was no association between own-child empathy and levels of intrusiveness.
Investigating Factors Associated With Offspring’s Coping with Huntington’s Disease-related stress.
(Vanderbilt University, 2022-03-25) Pillai, Arnav
Abstract: Objective: In this study, I investigated (1) how age is related to reported levels of coping with Huntington’s Disease-related stress in offspring; (2) how measures of disease progression in parents are directly related to use of coping in offspring; (3) how use of coping in parents is directly related to coping in offspring; and (4) if there is an indirect association of disease progression in parents with the ways that offspring cope with HD-related stress through perceived levels of offspring HD-related stress. Method: Adolescent (ages 10 –19) and young adult (ages 20 –29) offspring and their parents with HD (n=40) were recruited from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Huntington Disease Society of America Level 1 Center of Excellence. Offspring participants in the study completed self-report measures of coping and neuropsychiatric symptoms, and parents completed measures of coping and had their genetic status measured. Results: Age was found to have a significant negative correlation with disengagement coping. CAP scores were found to be significantly negatively associated with secondary control coping. Number of CAG repeats was also found to be significantly negatively associated with secondary control coping and was found to be significantly positively associated with disengagement coping. Parents’ primary control coping was significantly positively associated with offspring’s primary control coping. Parents’ disengagement coping was found to be significantly negatively associated with offspring’s primary control coping. Perceived levels of offspring’s HD-related stress were found to be significantly negatively associated with offspring’s secondary control coping. Discussion: Results of the study can offer some understanding of factors that influence how offspring cope and can be further explored in the future in order to assess what interventions can be used to improve coping in offspring.
An Investigation of the Associations Among Adverse Childhood Experiences, Coping, Psychopathology, and Parental Communication in Adolescents
(Vanderbilt University, 2022-03-28)
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) predispose adolescents to a variety of physical and mental health problems and place them at an increased risk of experiencing additional major stressors later in life (Anda et al., 2006; Felitti et al., 1998). Coping strategies have been shown to help reduce the negative effects of stress on adolescents’ physical and mental health (Compas et al., 2017). Further, affectively positive parental communication with adolescents has been shown to support and improve adolescents’ coping skills as well as reduce internalizing and externalizing problems (Anderson et al., 2020; Eisenberg, Fabes, & Murphy, 1996; Thompson & Meyer, 2007; Watson et al., 2014, 2020). Using data from parent and child reports and video recorded adolescent-caregiver interactions, the present study explored the relationships between adolescent ACE exposure, primary and secondary control coping, anxious/depressed symptoms, aggressive behaviors, affectively positive, and hostile/intrusive parental communication. ACE exposure predicted higher levels of psychological symptoms and lower levels of coping. Higher levels of coping were associated with lower levels of psychological symptoms, and both types of coping accounted for significant variance in the development of psychological symptoms. The indirect pathway between ACE exposure and psychological symptoms through both types of coping also proved significant. Affectively positive parenting accounted for significant variance in the development of anxious/depressed symptoms and approached significance in the development of aggressive behaviors but was not found to moderate the indirect effect of coping on the relationship between ACE exposure and psychological symptoms. The findings of this study underscore the importance of coping in the prevention of psychopathology and highlight parental communication as a variable for further exploration in the development and prevention of psychopathology in adolescents with a history of ACE exposure.
The Social Networks of Parents with Children with Complex Communication Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
(Vanderbilt University, 2022-03-29) Rankin, Zoe
Parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have complex communication needs experience unique stressors, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic with changes to children’s educational and therapeutic services. In the broader literature, research suggests that both formal and informal social supports reduce parent stress and are critical predictors of parent involvement at home and in the school. This study used egocentric social network analysis to examine (a) the nature of the size and composition of parents' social networks related to their child's learning and (b) how informational, tangible, emotional, and esteem-related supports are exchanged in these networks.
Associations of Caretaking with Internalizing Symptoms in Offspring of Huntington's Disease Patients
(Vanderbilt University, 2022-03-28) Quam, Annika
This study examines Huntington’s Disease in the context of patients and their children. Huntington’s Disease is a progressive, autosomal dominant, neurodegenerative disorder, meaning that children of parents with the disease have a 50% chance of having the disease themselves. The children have a unique role in taking care of their parents physically and emotionally throughout their parent’s disease progression. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations among caregiving, offspring and patient characteristics, and internalizing behavior problems in offspring of Huntington’s Disease patients. Caregiving behaviors were negatively associated with internalizing behaviors in offspring of Huntington’s Disease patients. Patient emotional well-being was found to be negatively correlated with offspring internalizing symptoms. Patient CAP scores and offspring age were positively correlated with caretaking behaviors. Implications of the findings and future directions for research are explored.
Coping as a Mediator of the Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Symptoms of Anxiety/Depression in Adolescence
(Vanderbilt University, 2022-04-12)
Objectives. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) refer to childhood traumatic events and are significant predictors of psychopathology. ACEs include abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) and neglect (physical, emotional). Coping and emotion regulation involve controlled responses to stress and may mediate the association between ACEs and psychopathology, however, little research has studied the relations between maltreatment and specific coping and emotion regulation strategies. The present study investigated ACEs, symptoms of anxiety/depression in adolescents, and coping with stress as reflected in three types of coping – primary control coping, secondary control coping, and disengagement coping. Method. Ninety-seven adolescents with a variety of ACE exposure completed self-report measures of ACE exposure, coping, and symptoms of anxiety/depression, while their caregivers completed these same measures about the adolescents. Pearson correlations, linear multiple regression, and path analyses were used to test associations. Results ACE exposure, coping, and symptoms of anxiety/depression were significantly correlated. The total indirect effect of ACE exposure on symptoms of anxiety/depression through all types of coping (primary control, secondary control, and disengagement) was significant (β = 0.04, 0.16, 0.08). Conclusion All types of coping are essential factors in understanding the association between ACE exposure and symptoms of anxiety/depression. Coping skills exist as potential targets for intervention to reduce the risk of anxiety/depression in adolescents exposed to ACEs.
Interpersonal Stress and Coping in First Year Undergraduate Students: Insights from Behavioral, Self-Report, and Neural Data
(Vanderbilt University, 2021-04) Pramberger, Alexis
The transition to college exacerbates stress, and coping strategies like cognitive reappraisal can moderate how interpersonal stress affects psychological well-being, with individual differences in reappraisal being measurable at the neural level using the late positive potential (LPP) component. The present study sought to understand A) where and when there is a significant modulation in the LPP with implementation of cognitive reappraisal and B) the relationship between self-reported coping with interpersonal stress and modulation of the LPP using cognitive reappraisal, and C) the relationships of self-reported coping and LPP modulation with interpersonal stress and depression and anxiety symptoms. First-year Vanderbilt students were recruited within their first 6 months of college to complete self-reported stress and coping questionnaires and complete tasks using electroencephalogram. For the early time window over centroparietal region, cognitive reappraisal significantly reduced the amplitude of the LPP, but effects of reappraisal were not significant in later time windows or over frontal region. There was not a significant relationship between self-reported and neurophysiological indicators of coping, although there was a relationship between self-reported coping and depression, as well as LPP and depression.
Executive Function and Communication in Children Who Have Experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences
(Vanderbilt University, 2021-03-29) Nichols, Haley
As research surrounding adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) has moved past evaluating long term effects and is now progressing towards developing interventions, viable targets for intervention must be found. This research project examined the relationships between executive functioning skills, aspects of communication, and verbal comprehension and vocabulary with ACEs and with coping. In this study, data from 56 parent-child dyads surrounding experience of ACEs, executive functioning. verbal comprehension, communication, and coping were analyzed. Correlations between these variables were analyzed, and several significant correlations were found. These include the relationship between domestic violence and digit span (r = -.40, p < .01), working memory (r = -.31, p < .05), and auditory working memory (r = -.37, p <.05), and the relationship between parental Positive Mood and physical abuse (r = -.29, p < .05), emotional neglect (r = -.29, p < .05) and domestic violence (r = -.36, p < .01). After future research, these could potentially be avenues for future interventions.
Relations among Childhood Trauma, Executive Control, and Induced Stress
(Vanderbilt University, 2020) Harvey, Elizabeth; Dr. Judy Garber
The present study examined the relation of childhood trauma to executive control and executive control under stress. Participants (N=104) were students, ages 18-22 (Mage=18.97, SD=1.078), at Vanderbilt University. In the first session, participants completed a questionnaire about their experience of childhood trauma and a measure of executive control (the emotional n-back task). In the second session conducted a week later, participants were randomized to either a high or low stress induction. They again completed the executive control task. We hypothesized that: (a) greater levels of early trauma would be associated with worse executive control; and (b) the relation between stress and executive control would be stronger for individuals with high levels of childhood trauma. Results of the study were not consistent with the hypotheses, although post hoc exploratory analyses were in the expected direction. Limitations of the study included the small sample size and possible limited variability on the measures of trauma and executive control. Suggestions for future research are discussed.
Children Coping with Cancer: Associations with Stress Reactivity, Age and Gender
(Vanderbilt University, 2018-04-23) Hodges, Keli
The present study focuses on how gender, age, and stress reactivity are associated with the ways that children cope with cancer. The sample consisted of 336 families; parents and children completed questionnaires near the time of the child’s cancer diagnosis. Bivariate correlations, independent samples t-tests and linear multiple regression analyses were performed. The results showed that stress reactivity, but not age or gender, was associated with the type of coping a child used. Children who reported less reactivity to stress used more primary control and secondary control coping, while children who were more stress reactive used more disengagement coping.
Parenting Behaviors and Children's Coping with Stress: Socialization of Coping Methods and Messages
(Vanderbilt University, 2018-04-18) Watkins, Elizabeth; Compas, Bruce; Watson, Kelly
In a follow up to Watson (2015), the current study examined the potential association of the methods that parents use to communicate coping strategies to their children, the messages that parents communicate, the impact of positive parenting, and how their children cope with stress. In a sample of 111 children (9 – 15 years old) and their mothers, reports of children’s ways of coping with interpersonal stress were obtained from children and mothers, and mothers reported on the messages they used to coach their children’s coping. Parent and child interactions, in which parents were given the opportunity to coach their child through a stressful situation, were observationally coded based on methods of socialization, positive parenting, and type of coping message communicated. Findings indicated that positive parenting was negatively correlated with maternal socialization of disengagement coping, suggesting that mothers who typically display positive parenting qualities are less likely to suggest disengagement coping strategies to their children. There were no statistically significant correlations between positive parenting and socialization of primary control or secondary control coping. Additional bivariate correlational analyses revealed that parents who exhibited more positive parenting characteristics were more likely to utilize either Questions in Service of Advisement or Modeling as methods of coping socialization. Linear regression analyses showed that maternal socialization of secondary control coping predicted child use of secondary control coping. Child age also predicted child use of secondary control coping strategies. There were no direct associations between maternal socialization of primary control coping or disengagement coping with children’s use of these specific coping strategies.
Executive Function, Coping, and Depressive Symptoms in Children of Depressed and non-Depressed Mothers
(Vanderbilt University, 2017) Howe, Meghan M; Compas, Bruce E.
The present study examined the concurrent associations among executive functioning, coping, maternal depression history, and depressive symptoms in adolescents. The sample included 82 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 and their mothers, recruited to represent a range of maternal depression history. Results indicated that adolescents of mothers with a history of depression were more depressed than adolescents of mothers without a history. In the full sample, significant relations were found between measures of coping and depressive symptoms, executive function and depressive symptoms, and executive function and coping. The association between executive function and depressive symptoms was accounted for secondary control coping. Findings suggest that better EFs, coupled with increased secondary control coping, may protect against depressive symptoms in adolescents with and without a history of exposure to maternal depression.
Executive Function, Coping, and Psychological Adjustment in Pediatric Brain Tumor Survivors
(Vanderbilt University, 2015-03-30) Kobritz, Molly; Compas, Bruce E.
While new treatments have increased the survival rate of pediatric patients with brain tumors, they have also left this population with many adverse cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Prior research provides evidence to support an association between cognitive function and use of complex secondary control coping strategies (e.g., acceptance and cognitive reappraisal). In children with brain tumors and other populations of children with chronic illness, these coping strategies have been associated with fewer adjustment problems.The present study used cognitive assessments and questionnaires to measure cognitive function, coping strategies, and emotional and behavioral problems in children aged 6 to 16 years near the time of diagnosis of a brain tumor and at four follow-up time-points up to 2 years post-diagnosis.The associations between domains of cognitive function, coping strategies (primary control coping, secondary control coping, disengagement coping) and emotional and behavioral problems were examined using correlational analyses. Significant correlations were found between working memory and secondary control coping across all time-points. Correlations between secondary control coping and adjustment (including attention problems and symptoms of anxiety and depression) were also significant. There was no significant association between working memory and adjustment. Future directions and implications are discussed.
Siblings Coping with Parental Depression: Similarities and Differences
(Vanderbilt University, 2015) Austin, Grace; Compas, Bruce E.
This study investigated similarities and differences in levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and strategies used to cope with stress in a sample of sibling pairs of 9-15 year-old children of depressed parents. The sample of 52 sibling pairs (104 children) was selected from the family cognitive-behavioral intervention described by Compas et al. (2015). Children were assessed on measures of primary control coping, secondary control coping, disengagement coping, and internalizing and externalizing symptoms based on parent and child self-reports. It was expected that siblings would not differ in their experience of internalizing and externalizing problems or in their use of coping strategies. The findings supported the hypotheses that siblings would not differ across these three measures. Researchers also found that the younger siblings’ scores were not dependent on their older siblings’ experience.

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