Question

question 13

martina is caring for her mother, who has been diagnosed with alzheimers disease.

how could martina use emotion-focused coping to manage her stress?

hire an in-home nurse to help out

ask her siblings to take over caring for their mother

begin a daily meditation practice early in the morning

move her mother into a long-term care facility

Explanation:

Define the core concepts of coping strategies

In Stress Psychology, individuals manage stress using two primary strategies: problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. Problem-focused coping targets the external source of the stress to resolve or alter the stressful situation. Emotion-focused coping aims to regulate the internal emotional response associated with the stressor, especially when the stressor itself cannot be easily changed.

Analyze the stressor in the scenario

Martina is caring for her mother who has Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's is a progressive, irreversible neurological condition. Because Martina cannot cure or change her mother's diagnosis, she must manage the chronic stress associated with caregiving.

Evaluate the given options

• Hire an in-home nurse to help out: This action directly alters the caregiving situation by reducing Martina's physical workload. This is a problem-focused coping strategy.
• Ask her siblings to take over caring for their mother: This action attempts to solve the problem of caregiving burden by delegating the task. This is a problem-focused coping strategy.
• Begin a daily meditation practice early in the morning: Meditation does not change her mother's illness or the physical demands of caregiving. Instead, it helps Martina manage her internal emotional state, reduce anxiety, and promote emotional regulation. This is an emotion-focused coping strategy.
• Move her mother into a long-term care facility: This is a structural change to the caregiving environment to resolve the daily stressor. This is a problem-focused coping strategy.

Identify the correct option

The only option that represents an attempt to regulate internal emotional distress rather than altering the external stressor is beginning a daily meditation practice.

Answer:

• Hire an in-home nurse to help out
• Ask her siblings to take over caring for their mother
• Begin a daily meditation practice early in the morning (Correct answer)
• Move her mother into a long-term care facility