Overall results (score 55)

John's coping skills appear to be acceptable. He seems to be using a mix of effective and ineffective methods of handling difficult situations, which means that he may occasionally have some trouble finding ways to deal with hardship in his life. Working on his coping skills, particularly in terms of enhancing the more effective ones, will help him get through tough times in far better shape.

Problem-Focused Coping (score 74)

John's results indicate that he often uses problem-focused strategies in order to cope with stress. Although using these methods is generally ineffective when dealing with situations one can’t change or control, they tend to be rather handy when the stressor being faced is controllable. Thus, in certain cases, although it’s a good idea to take action to modify or take charge of the stressor in order to better cope with it, there are some situations when other strategies would be more useful.

Problem Solving (score 77)

On a fairly regular basis, John uses problem solving as a method of coping with stressors in his life, making concrete plans to try to improve or resolve his situation. Taking active steps can be very empowering, as it gives him something to focus on, provides motivation, and gives him something to strive for. However, in some situations, particularly if John has no control over the outcome of a stressful situation, using problem solving as a way of coping may lead to frustration.

Information Seeking (score 82)

When John experiences stressful situations, he usually seeks out information from a variety of sources in order to cope. Gathering information can help him deal with a situation for a variety of reasons; it helps him know what to expect, to understand why the circumstances have occurred, and it may help in discovering appropriate solutions. Even if what John learns about the source of his stress is upsetting, knowing what to expect can help him feel more in control.

Negotiation (score 62)

It appears that John sometimes uses negotiation as a part of his coping repertoire. Negotiation can include compromising with other people when in a stressful conflict situation. It can also mean adjusting his behavior, attitudes, or thinking style in order to adapt to the situation at hand. These are useful strategies because they can help John find constructive solutions to problems - adjusting his approach is often easier to do than preventing or totally overcoming a stressful situation in his life.

Emotion-Focused Coping (score 53)

According to John's score, he sometimes uses strategies that involve emotion-focused coping, but not often enough. This could sometimes make it very difficult for him to deal with the feelings that often arise in tough situations. Emotion-focused coping is a very useful strategy when dealing with stressors that one can’t change or control, so it would be well worth the effort to improve in this area.

Social Support (score 74)

John often actively seeks out emotional support from others when under stress. This means that he often takes full advantage of a major source of comfort: friends and acquaintances. There are several benefits to this coping strategy. Trusting others can help him feel less alone; it also helps build closeness between people. Finally, others may have new perspectives on the problem and could offer reliable advice. Although John uses this strategy often when stressed, he may still occasionally opt to handle things on his own. When this is the case, he should make sure that he is getting the emotional support he needs.

Positive Cognitive Restructuring (score 60)

John sometimes utilizes positive cognitive restructuring as a part of his coping repertoire. Sometimes when he is under stress, it can be useful to think about the problem in a different manner. If not, his problems can take over, increasing in severity as the other issues in life seem to shrink in importance. Even for the most severe stressors, it can help him to reframe his way of thinking. Strategies such as putting things into perspective, comparing his situation to others who have it worse, or looking for the hidden benefits can help him feel better about what he is going through.

Emotional Regulation (score 34)

John rarely tries to self-regulate his emotions when under stress. Learning how to relax even in stressful times and finding other outlets for emotions are good strategies, particularly in scenarios where he has little control over the source of stress. John may find himself quite tense during difficult periods in his life, and may find that he is unable to get his problems off his mind. Perhaps he leans on others when stressed because he can't figure out how to deal with things on his own. People who are in touch with their emotions are able to learn what techniques work for them. This gives them an advantage when coping with life's difficulties.

Distraction (score 44)

John rarely tries to distract himself from stressful situations. While completely avoiding dealing with hardships is not helpful, no one can afford to think about these issues all the time. Sometimes it can really help John to get his mind off things. Learning to distract himself even when things are hectic can be a helpful coping strategy for John, so long as the things he chooses to help him unwind are not unsafe or harmful to his health.

Hang-Ups (score 53)

According to John's responses, he sometimes uses hang-up strategies to cope with stress. Although they may not be his most common method of coping, it would be to his benefit to use them as infrequently as possible. “Empty” strategies tend to be rather ineffective and may even exacerbate stressful situations.

Rumination (score 85)

John frequently has trouble controlling his thoughts when under stress. Unhealthy levels of rumination can lead to a number of problems. Some people may find that their troubles end up taking over their thoughts completely. Rumination can also lead to depression or other mental health issues. It's fine for John to think about his problems, but he needs to be able to keep them in perspective and prevent them from taking over his life.

Avoidance (score 39)

John seldom tries to avoid facing his problems and stressors in life. This is important because people who avoid dealing with their problems will rarely be able to overcome them; that is, unless they are lucky enough to have them go away on their own. While it is not always possible to totally overcome a major stressor (after all, not everything in life is within one's control), John can always learn to deal with the emotions involved. People who avoid a problem will not be able to do this.

Helplessness (score 53)

John may sometimes concede defeat and just give up trying to deal with harsh situations in life. When he does do that, he may be offering his fate up to external forces and give up all hope. When people feel helpless, they tend to lose all motivation to do something active to resolve the crisis and their helplessness may even keep them from learning to deal with the emotions that arise in stressful situations.

Social Withdrawal (score 33)

John rarely avoids social contact when feeling stressed. This is great because others may often want to help him deal with hardships. Rejecting offers of help and avoiding the people one cares about will only make matters worse. While this score does not mean that John actively seeks out social support (see Support Seeking for that), just by continuing his normal routine and not putting his head in the sand will help to some extent.

Opposition (score 57)

When pressures in John's life abound, he sometimes lashes out at others. He may at times blame others for his problems or use stress as an excuse to treat them badly. This is problematic because people who verbally attack others in times of stress can lose friends.