Question

Sydney, a nursing assistant, is often asked to go to other departments and "fill in" but she doesn't feel competent to deal with many of these situations. Instead of addressing the issue with her supervisor, Sydney calls in sick to work when she is fairly sure she will be asked to move to another department. Sydney is engaging in
A) Problem-focused coping
B) Emotion-focused coping
C) Reactive coping
D) Behavior-focused coping

Answer 1

Sydney was engaged in emotion-focused coping.

Option B

Explanation:

When someone tries this coping mechanism, all they are doing is to reduce negative emotional response which occurs due to being exposed to stressful situations. The stressful situation causes negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, depression aggression, etc. which can only be reduced by acquiring ways to cope.

A person experiencing a negative feeling may try different positive coping mechanisms that include journaling, creating a distraction by concentrating on other activities or mindful meditation. There are also negative ways of coping which don’t improve the situation in the long run. These include suppressing one’s emotions, avoidance, alcohol and substance abuse.