Coping and attention: Implications for child health and pediatric conditions

Child health and illness are best conceptualized in terms of the interactio n of biological, psychological, and social processes. Among the central fac tors in biopsychosocial models of health and illness are processes of copin g and attention in response to stress. As a guide to research on biopsychos ocial processes in child health and illness, a dual-process model of respon ses to stress is described, distinguishing between stress responses that ar e involuntary/automatic and those responses that are voluntary/control led. Research on coping with stress is briefly reviewed, along with research on attentional processes in response to stress. The relationships between cop ing and attention are highlighted, along with the implications of this rese arch for understanding children's health and illness. Throughout the articl e, examples are drawn from research on pediatric recurrent abdominal pain t o illustrate important aspects of coping and attention.