Using Stress, Appraisal, and Coping Theories in Clinical Practice: Assessments of Coping Strategies After Disasters

This conceptual article describes transactional theory (R. S. Lazarus, 1999; R. S. Lazarus and S. Folkman, 1984), a framework that integrates stress, appraisal, and coping theories as they relate to how individuals react to psychologically stressful situations and/or environments. In clinical practice, this theoretical framework can be effectively utilized in the assessment, intervention, and evaluation of an individual's psychological stress and coping responses. This paper also discusses the role that theory can play in facilitating clinicians' assessment of the coping strategies their clients use to decrease distress in the aftermath of a disaster. Illustrative examples are drawn from studies on social workers who experienced the World Trade Center disaster in New York City. Theoretical knowledge about stress, more specifically coping with the impact of psychological stress, will provide information that can help clinical professionals more effectively assist clients in resuming positive functioning and well-being after a disaster.