Explicating the Appraisal Dimension of the Communal Coping Model

ABSTRACT

The communal coping model argues that people cope with stress in the context of their relationships and that coping responses are both cognitive and behavioral in nature. However, the cognitive dimension of the model (appraisal) has not been explicated in extant research. The purpose of this study is to fill that gap by conceptualizing the appraisal dimension of communal coping in the context of families managing one member’s type 2 diabetes. Analysis of interviews with individuals with type 2 diabetes and their family members (N = 28) revealed that appraisal consists of problem ownership and perceived problem influence and that appraisals are influenced by knowledge of the disease and changing health status. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Kelly McAninch for her help in coding the data for this study and John Caughlin, Leanne Knobloch, Marian Huhman, and Erin Donovan for their helpful feedback throughout this project.