DEALING WITH STRESS AND TRAUMA IN FAMILIES

Traditional models of individual adaptation to stress increasingly are being supplemented with family-based conceptualizations of stress app raisal, coping, and resiliency. This article begins with a brief descr iption of a theoretic framework for understanding how families evaluat e stressors and their own coping resources and how this process guides their response to stress. Characteristics associated with successful family adaptation to stress then are outlined in relation to a number of both normative and unexpected stressors. Most families at some poin t experience stress in the context of normative transitions, such as c hanges in family composition through birth, maturation, or family brea k-up. Severe unexpected stressors that place significant strain on fam ily functioning include serious illness, death, violence, and both nat ural and man-made disasters. Recommendations for therapeutic intervent ions with families are provided.