Coping in young women: theoretical retroduction

Although there is increasing interest in women's health, there remains litt le empirical evidence concerning concepts related to health and women's lif e trajectory. Our purpose in conducting this research was to examine women' s developmental stressors and coping during young adulthood. Lazarus and Fo lkman's coping model provided sensitizing concepts for data generation in a retroductive research methodology. The sample included 26 women of diverse perspectives who participated in interviews and groups. Philosophical conc erns of subjectivity, context and gender sensitivity were actualized in ite rative stages of data collection, analysis and comparison to extant theory. Rapidly expanding multiple roles were identified as developmental stressor s for young women. Decontextualized coping strategies are arranged on a beh avioural continuum: avoidance, distraction, and confrontation, Contextualiz ed descriptions of coping are presented in two representative accounts: Lau ren and Mary Ellen. A philosophical stance, assumed at about the age of 30, provides a lens for assessing developmental stressors that influence the a ppraisal process. Rich descriptions of young women's coping and development al influences move beyond abstract theory to a contextual understanding of young women's experiences.