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Problem-Focused Coping: Definition, Examples & Strategies

Author: Kaytee Gillis, LCSW-BACS

Kaytee Gillis LCSW-BACS

Kaytee, a seasoned therapist with over a decade of experience, specializes in aiding survivors of relationship and family trauma, particularly psychological abuse and parental abandonment.

Problem-focused coping skills target the root cause of stress, allowing you to reduce or eliminate an issue. Examples often include leaving a tense situation, practicing time management, and taking breaks for self-care. Problem-focused coping strategies can help some individuals feel less overwhelmed or anxious faster than other forms of stress management.

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What Is Problem-Focused Coping?

Problem-focused coping is when you apply coping skills directly to the source of a distressing situation. These tools help you combat stress directly instead of employing other self-care techniques that overshadow the root cause.

Problem-Focused Coping Vs. Emotion-Focused Coping

Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping skills are both beneficial but better suit different situations. For example, emotion-focused coping is best for dealing with stressful events beyond your control. Emotion-focused coping examples often include dealing with health issues, loss, or a recent breakup.

On the other hand, problem-focused coping helps when a person can influence factors to improve a situation. Some examples could be setting boundaries with family, completing household projects, or dealing with a headache.

Benefits of Problem-Focused Coping

There are many benefits of problem-focused coping skills, and some evidence suggests that these strategies are more effective than emotional-focused coping skills when dealing with certain situations. 1 Individuals employing problem-focused methods may feel more productive when addressing an issue.

Possible benefits of problem-focused coping include:

Reduces or resolves stressful situations: Problem-focused coping skills resolve stressful situations by identifying and addressing the stressor.
Increased productivity: Emotionally-focused coping can be “counterproductive” in some situations, especially if you overlook the cause of your issues. 2 Problem-focused coping may provide a more productive and efficient way to resolve stress.
More empowering : Problem-focused coping allows you to solve the issue rather than manage the resulting emotions. You may feel empowered by taking control of your problems.
Faster results: People who use problem-focused coping skills confront a stressor head-on by taking direct action. For example, you can make an appointment with your doctor when you feel ill or take over-the-counter medicines for a headache.
Motivates to leave a bad situation: Focusing on solutions rather than emotions can motivate you to end a toxic relationship, find a new job, or seek alternative housing.
Offers an alternative to emotion-focused coping: Some people are uncomfortable with stressful emotions. They may feel better focusing on solving the issue instead of dealing with associated feelings.

Drawbacks of Problem-Focused Coping

Problem-solving coping strategies come with drawbacks. This form of coping does not account for emotions and feelings, and some individuals may view problem-focused approaches as cold or superficial.

Possible drawbacks of problem focused coping include:

Doesn’t acknowledge emotions: Because problem-focused coping addresses the issue directly, these strategies often ignore feelings or emotions associated with the event. In some cases, this can be detrimental to the individual.
Not every situation can change: You cannot fix everything, and some circumstances cannot be controlled or altered. A person who struggles to fix an unsolvable problem may only feel worse.
Can seem superficial: Some people may feel problem-focused skills are shallow because they ignore the emotional aspects of stress.
Can feel insensitive: You may feel insensitive if you ignore emotions during a stressful event.
Brings additional stress: Solving the issue head-on redirects your focus from worrying about the issue to trying to develop solutions.

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How to Practice Problem-Focused Coping

Practicing problem-focused coping is easier when you break down a problem into steps. Identify what you aim to accomplish and approach tasks in stages. Do not hesitate to ask for help when you feel overwhelmed, and grant yourself grace throughout the coping process. Problem-focused coping strategies may be hard to master, but consistent practices can yield positive results.

Below are eight problem-focused coping strategies to try:

1. Create a To-Do List

To-do lists are a great example of problem-focused coping skills. Many people find comfort in writing their issues down on a notepad or sticky note to reference and cross off when completed. Start by writing the problem out, followed by the steps necessary to cross it off your list.

2. Pause & Breathe

For many individuals, stressful events can provoke a fight-or-flight reaction . However, remember that some problems are inevitable, and stress is a natural part of being human. Accepting some difficulties as normal can help you put things into perspective and cope. When overwhelmed, take a moment to breathe and revisit the situation when level-headed.

3. Start With the Easiest Problem First

Instead of engaging in avoidance coping strategies when stressed, approach the situation from a problem-focused viewpoint. Starting with something small and easy helps you appreciate progress. For example, spend a few minutes calling different companies for estimates when tackling a house project. You can dive into the following steps until your task is complete!

4. Prioritize

Dealing with a problem can seem daunting or even scary. Some people may push these emotions aside instead of prioritizing their end goals. Don’t lose track of your objectives. Set aside time to work on and prioritize the issue. Think of this brainstorming session like an appointment. Mark it on your calendar or write a note like, “ I will work on this issue Thursday at 1:00 pm. ”

5. Ask for Help

You do not have to solve all of your issues alone. Whether you’re tackling home repairs, planning a family event, or painting the house, people are available to help. Ask family, friends, or professionals for support. Sometimes problem-centered coping includes outsourcing for help.

6. Challenge Negative Self-Talk

Many people struggle with negative self-talk during stressful times. Internal messages like “You’ll never be able to handle this” or “This is impossible” worsen difficult situations. Challenge these thoughts and push them away. Remind yourself of similar issues you’ve resolved and that you can solve this one, too.

7. Don’t Assume the Worst

Sometimes, stress can be positive! For instance, stress can motivate you to study for an exam or adhere to deadlines. Without some stress, people may not have the motivation to stay on task. Consider the benefits of your stress at the moment. Remember to recognize the positives when using problem-focused coping.

8. Know When to Take A Break

Know when to take a break and practice emotion-centered coping instead of problem-focused coping strategies. These breaks may be as short as five minutes but prepare you to tackle your issues when ready. Pushing yourself beyond your breaking point can make you feel worse.

Combining Problem-Focused Coping & Emotion-Focused Coping

Sometimes you need to use both problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies. Examples include dealing with unavoidable, uncontrollable, and stressful problems. For instance, use emotion-focused skills to cope with challenging emotions and problem-focused skills to deal with insurance or car repairs after an accident. Stress management often improves when you engage different types of skills together.

When to Seek Professional Support

While occasional stress is inevitable, sometimes challenging events affect your work, sleep, relationships, or ability to function. If you struggle with compounded stress, you may benefit from professional support.

Stress therapy can help you enact healthy stress management skills, like problem-focusing coping strategies, to address your challenges head-on. You can search for a therapist with an online therapist directory , or various online therapy options are available for in-home treatment. Many people find success with mindfulness-based stress reduction or hypnosis for stress . Discuss which method works best for you with your provider.

In My Experience

In my experience as someone with anxiety, I often find myself getting easily overwhelmed and stressed. Ignoring the issue becomes easy when solving it feels impossible. After you can at least start working on the problem, you may realize it is not as bad–or as impossible–as you thought.

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Problem-Focused Coping Infographics

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Penley, J. A., Tomaka, J., & Wiebe, J. S. (2002). The association of coping to physical and psychological health outcomes: A meta-analytic review. Journal of behavioral medicine , 25(6) , 551-603.

Schoenmakers, E. C., van Tilburg, T. G., & Fokkema, T. (2015). Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping options and loneliness: how are they related?. European journal of ageing , 12 (2), 153–161. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-015-0336-1

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Problem-Focused Coping: 10 Examples and Definition

Dave Cornell (PhD)

Dr. Cornell has worked in education for more than 20 years. His work has involved designing teacher certification for Trinity College in London and in-service training for state governments in the United States. He has trained kindergarten teachers in 8 countries and helped businessmen and women open baby centers and kindergartens in 3 countries.

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Chris Drew (PhD)

This article was peer-reviewed and edited by Chris Drew (PhD). The review process on Helpful Professor involves having a PhD level expert fact check, edit, and contribute to articles. Reviewers ensure all content reflects expert academic consensus and is backed up with reference to academic studies. Dr. Drew has published over 20 academic articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education and holds a PhD in Education from ACU.

Problem-focused coping refers to stress management strategies to deal with stress that involves directly confronting the source of stress to eliminate or decrease its impact.

This can involve developing a more constructive way of interpreting life events, formulating an action plan to build stress management skills, or modifying personal habits.

For example, a person who has a problem-focused coping orientation might write down their key obstacle and develop a list of actionable milestones for overcoming the problem.

Problem-Focused Coping Definition

Lazarus and Folkman (1984) make a distinction between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping :

“a distinction that we believe is of overriding importance, namely, between coping that is directed at managing or altering the problem causing the distress and coping that is directed at regulating emotional response to the problem” (p. 150).

Schoenmakers et al. (2015) defined problem-focused coping as:

“…all the active efforts to manage stressful situations and alter a troubled person-environment relationship to modify or eliminate the sources of stress via individual behavior” (p. 154).

Because stress is so damaging, every year since 2007, the American Psychological Association has commissioned an annual Stress in America survey.

And every year, the survey reveals that a majority of Americans have anxiety regarding numerous dimensions of life, including: concerns about the government, civil liberties , economic conditions, crime and violence, and the nation’s future.

Problem-Focused Coping Examples

Identifying Sources of Stress: The first step to solving a problem is to know what it is. Therefore, making a list of specific events that create stress will allow a person to take the next step and devise a solution.
Studying to Reduce Test Anxiety: Committing to studying at least 90-minutes a day during the week prior to an upcoming exam will reduce test anxiety by becoming better prepared.
Changing Careers: When a person realizes that their job is a major source of stress, they may decide on a career change. Sometimes this can be accomplished right away, or may require returning to school.
Changing Social Circles: Spending time with people that are negative can create a lot of stress. So, changing the people in our circle of friends can eliminate a lot of stress from constantly being around so much negativity.
Hiring a Public Speaking Coach: Hiring a professional public speaking coach can help a person develop several techniques to improve one’s articulation and persuasiveness, ultimately leading to a more engaging presentation.
Changing Unhealthy Eating Habits: Food can have a tremendous impact on how we feel. Consuming healthy food makes the body feel good, which then helps reduce stress.
Not Working on the Weekends: Feeling stressed and anxious 7 days a week is very destructive. Making a firm rule to now work on Saturday and Sundays will give you a break from the stress of work and keep your mind fresh and ready to go on Monday.
Time Management: Managing time more efficiently improves productivity. Making a to-do list and prioritizing each task will allow a person to get more done in less time.
Going Back to School: Being passed over for promotion year after year can be difficult to endure. Improving one’s educational background can help a person become more qualified for advancement.
Learning to Say No: If a major source of stress is due to overwhelming job demands, then an effective strategy to reducing that stress is learning to say no when asked to do extra work.

Case Studies of Problem-Focused Coping

1. setting boundaries.

Boundaries are rules that define the acceptable and unacceptable behaviors of the people in your life. Setting boundaries is a type of problem-focused self-care that lets others know how you expect to be treated. They can exist in one’s personal or professional relationships.

The first step to setting boundaries is to recognize that you have a right to be treated respectfully and fairly by others.

Second, as Erin Eatough, Ph.D. from BetterUp explains, “spend some time reflecting on the area of your life where you’re looking to set the boundary.” It’s better to start small, but focused on those areas that are important to you.”

Next, communicate your boundaries in a polite, but firm manner. This can be a little tricky.

Letting someone know they have over-stepped and made you feel uncomfortable can create quite the awkward moment.

However, Dr. Abigall Brenner from Psychology Today makes a valid point: “Most people will respect your boundaries when you explain what they are and will expect that you will do the same for them; it’s a two-way street.”

This is one reason it is best to set boundaries early in the relationship.

Finally, remember that setting boundaries is an ongoing exercise. People will come and go into your life, so become comfortable with the idea of setting boundaries. Learn to appreciate how it will help you have better relationships with those around you.

2. Coping Strategies and Loneliness

Being lonely is a common experience among older adults in many Western countries. For example, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine ( NASEM ), approximately 30% of adults over 45 in the U. S. feel lonely.

To examine how coping strategies might alleviate loneliness, Schoenmakers et al. (2015) conducted face-to-face interviews with over 1,000 adults 61 – 99 years old that had participated in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA).

Loneliness was measured and each participant was presented with 4 vignettes that described a person that was feeling lonely.

Participants were asked to indicate yes or no to six coping strategies, such as “Go to places or club meetings to meet people” (problem-focused), or “Keep in mind that other people are lonely as well, or even more lonely” (emotion-focused).

The results indicated that “persistently lonely older adults less frequently considered improving relationships and more frequently considered lowering expectations than their peers who had not experienced loneliness previously” (p. 159).

That is, they did not endorse problem-focused strategies, but did endorse emotion-focused strategies.

The researchers explain that “ongoing loneliness makes people abandon to look at options to improve relationships that are costly in time and energy. But because they still want to do something to alleviate their loneliness, they endorse lowering expectations” (p. 159).

3. Coping Strategies of College Students

Stress among college students comes from a variety of sources. Of course, demanding courses and exams are prevalent. In addition, coping with the transition from secondary school to young adulthood involves being independent, handling finances, and adjusting to a new social environment .

Coping strategies include talking to family and friends, leisure activities , and exercising, as well as less constructive activities such as alcohol consumption (Pierceall & Keim, 2007).

Broughman et al. (2009) surveyed 166 college students attending a liberal arts university in Southern California.

The survey included a coping inventory and measure of stress.

“Although college women reported the overall use of emotion-focused coping for stress, college men reported using emotion-focused coping for a greater number of specific stressors. For both women and men college students, problem-focused coping was used less than emotion-focused coping” (p. 93).

4.Marital Satisfaction of Families with Children with Disabilities

Having children creates both stress and joy in marital relations. While many might assume that having a child with a disability would lead to more stress, research over the last 4 decades has produced inconsistent findings ( Stoneman & Gavidia-Payne, 2006).

Stoneman and Gavidia-Payne (2006) surveyed 67 married couples with children with disabilities.

The survey included a measure of marital adjustment, occurrence of psychosocial stressors , and problem-focused coping strategies.

There were several interesting findings:

“18.6% of the mothers and 22.9% of the fathers in the sample could be classified as maritally discordant” (p. 6). This is similar to percentages found in the general population.
“Mothers reported significantly more daily hassles than did fathers” (p. 6).
“Problem-focused coping did not differ by parent gender” (p. 6).
“Marital adjustment for mothers was higher when mothers’ hassles/stressors were fewer and when fathers used more problem-focused coping strategies” (p. 7).
“Fathers reported higher marital adjustment when they had fewer hassles and when they utilized more problem-focused coping strategies” (p. 7).

The researchers explain this pattern through a historical cultural lens :

“Women are more positive about their marriages when their husbands have strong problem-focused coping skills; husbands, on the other hand, do not place relevance on their wives problem-focused coping skills as they assess their marital adjustment” (p. 9).

5. Transactional Model of Stress and Coping

The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping was originally proposed by Lazarus and Folkman (1984). The model identifies a process that begins with the perception and interpretation of a life event, and concludes with a reappraisal of the individual’s coping strategy.

Lazarus and Folkman contend that not all stressors will be perceived. If perceived, then the stressor must be interpreted. This interpretation occurs during Primary Appraisal . If the event is perceived as positive or irrelevant, then no stress will occur.

graphical representation of the transactional model of stress

However, if the event is interpreted as dangerous, then a Secondary Appraisal will occur. The individual assesses if they have sufficient resources to overcome the stressor or not. If the answer is yes, then everything is fine.

If the answer is no, then a coping strategy is activated, which will either be problem-focused or emotion-focused.

After the coping strategy has been implemented, a Reappraisal of the situation will ensue and the process may be started all over again.

Problem-focused coping is when an individual engages in behavior to resolve a stressful situation. This can involve changing one’s situation, building skills, or other actions that are directly focused on addressing the root cause of the problem.

Research has shown that college students, married couples with and without children with disabilities, and the elderly experiencing loneliness, will engage in a combination of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies.

The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping identifies the steps that individuals engage when encountering stressful life events.

Because stress is so prevalent in modern life, and is linked to major health conditions, it is a good idea to incorporate both problem- and emotion-focused coping strategies in one’s daily routine.

Brougham, R. R., Zail, C. M., Mendoza, C. M., & Miller, J. R. (2009). Stress, sex differences, and coping strategies among college students. Current Psychology, 28 , 85-97. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-009-9047-0

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal, and coping. New York: Springer Publishing.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25663 .

Pierceall, E. A., & Keim, M. C. (2007). Stress and coping strategies among community college students. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 31 (9), 703-712. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10668920600866579

Schoenmakers, E., van Tilburg, T., & Fokkema, T. (2015). Problem-focused and emotion-focused coping options and loneliness: How are they related? European Journal of Ageing, 12 , 153-161. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10433-015-0336-1

Stoneman, Z., & Gavidia-Payne, S. (2006). Marital adjustment in families of young children with disabilities: Associations with daily hassles and problem-focused coping. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 111 (1), 1-14. doi: https://doi.org/10.1352/0895-8017(2006)111[1:MAIFOY]2.0.CO;2

Appendix: Image Description

The image with alt text “graphical representation of the transactional model of stress” depicts a flow chart starting with “life event”. The next step is “perceptual process (event perceived/not perceived)”. If an event is perceived, we move on to the “primary appraisal (interpretation of perceived event)” step. Three options are presented: positive event, dangerous event, and irrelevant event. If it is perceived as a dangerous event, we move onto “secondary appraisal (analysis of available resources)”. Two options are presented: insufficient resources and sufficient resources. If insufficient resources are identified, we move onto the “stress coping strategy” step. The two options are problem-fcused and emotion-focused. The final step is reappraisal, where we apprause is the stragey was successful or failed. This flow chart is based on Lazarus and Folkman (1984).

Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 23 Achieved Status Examples
Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 25 Defense Mechanisms Examples
Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 15 Theory of Planned Behavior Examples
Dave Cornell (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/dave-cornell-phd/ 18 Adaptive Behavior Examples

Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 23 Achieved Status Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Ableism Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 25 Defense Mechanisms Examples
Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd/ 15 Theory of Planned Behavior Examples

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32 Problem Focused Coping Examples & Scenarios

When life throws stressors and challenges your way, it's natural to feel overwhelmed and unsure of how to cope.

You might find yourself focusing intently on the problem at hand, searching for tangible solutions to regain a sense of control.

This approach, known as problem-focused coping, can be an effective way to tackle difficulties head-on.

However, it's essential to ensure that your coping strategies are healthy, balanced, and tailored to your unique situation.

In this article, we'll explore various problem-focused coping examples and techniques to help you effectively manage stress, overcome obstacles, and maintain your well-being during trying times.

Whether you're facing work-related issues, relationship conflicts, or personal struggles, these strategies can empower you to navigate life's challenges with resilience and confidence.

Problem-Focused Coping by Situation

Work-related stress.

Example scenario: You've been consistently working overtime and feel overwhelmed by your workload. You might use problem-focused coping by scheduling a meeting with your boss to discuss prioritizing tasks, delegating some responsibilities, or adjusting deadlines.
Example scenario: A coworker frequently chats with you throughout the day, interrupting your workflow. You could use problem-focused coping by politely but firmly explaining that you need dedicated focus time and suggesting alternative communication methods for non-urgent matters.
Example scenario: You constantly feel behind schedule and struggle to meet deadlines. You could implement problem-focused coping by creating to-do lists that prioritize tasks, scheduling realistic deadlines, and utilizing time management techniques like the Pomodoro Technique to stay focused.

Relationship Problems

Example scenario: You and your partner disagree on how to spend finances. You could use problem-focused coping by initiating a calm conversation, listening to each other's perspectives, and brainstorming solutions that work for both of you, like creating a budget or setting spending limits.
Example scenario: Your friend constantly calls you to vent about their problems, leaving you drained. You could use problem-focused coping by expressing your need for emotional space while still being supportive. Suggest alternative ways they can manage stress, or set boundaries on how often they can contact you for venting.
Example scenario: Your partner is critical and disrespectful. You might use problem-focused coping by evaluating the relationship, considering your needs and well-being, and ultimately deciding to end the relationship if it's unhealthy. This could involve directly communicating your decision or seeking support from a therapist or counselor to navigate the process.

Academic Stress

Example scenario: You have multiple exams coming up and feel overwhelmed by the amount of material. You could use problem-focused coping by creating a study schedule that breaks down the material into manageable chunks, allocates specific study times for each subject, and factors in breaks to avoid burnout.
Example scenario: You're struggling to understand a complex concept in a class. You could use problem-focused coping by joining a study group with classmates to quiz each other, share explanations, and clarify any doubts you have about the material.
Example scenario: You're consistently lost during lectures and struggling to keep up with the workload in a particular class. You could use problem-focused coping by scheduling office hours with your professor to discuss specific areas of difficulty, ask clarifying questions, and seek guidance on how to improve your understanding.

Financial Difficulties

Example scenario: You're living paycheck to paycheck and have no idea where your money is going. You could use problem-focused coping by creating a budget to track your income and expenses. This will help you identify areas where you can cut back and allocate your funds more effectively.
Example scenario: You notice a significant portion of your income goes towards eating out. You could use problem-focused coping by finding ways to cut back on dining out, like meal prepping at home, taking advantage of lunchtime specials, or utilizing coupons and discounts.
Example scenario: You're drowning in debt and unsure how to manage your finances. You could use problem-focused coping by seeking professional financial help from a credit counselor or financial advisor. They can assess your situation, develop a personalized debt repayment plan, and offer guidance on budgeting and managing your finances for the long term.

Problem-Focused Coping by Action

Direct problem-solving.

Example scenario: A colleague consistently takes credit for your work. You could use direct problem-solving by having a private conversation with them, calmly explaining the situation, and proposing solutions like documenting your contributions or discussing credit with your supervisor together.
Example scenario: A family member is constantly asking you for loans you can't afford. You could use direct problem-solving by having an open conversation, expressing your financial limitations, and suggesting alternative solutions like creating a budget together or exploring other lending options.
Example scenario: You feel overwhelmed by a new software program at work. You could use direct problem-solving by taking online tutorials, attending training sessions offered by your company, or seeking guidance from a more experienced colleague to learn the necessary skills.

Planning and Organization

Example scenario: You're constantly feeling forgetful and behind schedule. You could use planning and organization by creating daily or weekly to-do lists that prioritize tasks, break down large projects into smaller steps, and help you stay on track.
Example scenario: You struggle to focus on tasks and find yourself getting easily distracted. You could use planning and organization by implementing time management techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, which involves working in focused 25-minute intervals with short breaks in between.
Example scenario: You consistently miss deadlines on projects. You could use planning and organization by setting realistic deadlines for yourself and others involved, scheduling time in your calendar to work on specific tasks, and holding yourself accountable for meeting those deadlines.

Seeking Support

Example scenario: You're feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed academically. You could use seeking support by talking to a trusted friend or family member about your anxieties. Alternatively, consider seeking professional help from a therapist who can provide coping mechanisms and strategies for managing academic stress.
Example scenario: You're struggling with the recent loss of a loved one. You could use seeking support by joining a grief support group to connect with others who understand your experience. This can provide a safe space to share your feelings and receive emotional support.
Example scenario: You're experiencing symptoms of anxiety that are interfering with your daily life. You could use seeking support by consulting a doctor or therapist who can diagnose the issue and recommend appropriate treatment options, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy or medication.

Environmental Changes

Example scenario: You have a coworker who constantly gossips and creates a negative work environment. You could use environmental changes by politely excusing yourself from conversations or limiting your interactions with this person. If possible, discuss the situation with your supervisor and explore options for minimizing contact.
Example scenario: You're feeling burnt out from juggling multiple responsibilities at work and home. You could use environmental changes by delegating tasks to colleagues or family members whenever possible. This could involve asking for help with errands, chores, or specific work projects.
Example scenario: You find your home office environment to be cluttered and distracting. You could use environmental changes by decluttering your workspace, adding calming elements like plants, or playing soothing music to create a more relaxing atmosphere that promotes focus and productivity.

Problem-Focused Coping by Benefit

Reducing stress.

Example scenario: You have a presentation coming up at work and feel overwhelmed by anxiety. You could use relaxation techniques like deep breathing or meditation before the presentation, while also actively preparing your materials and practicing your delivery to reduce overall stress.
Example scenario: You're going through a difficult time with a family member. You could use self-care activities like getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating healthy meals to manage stress levels while actively working to resolve the conflict.

Improving Communication

Example scenario: Your roommate isn't cleaning up after themselves. You could use problem-solving as an opportunity to practice assertive communication by calmly expressing your concerns, suggesting solutions like creating a chore chart, and actively listening to their perspective to find a mutually agreeable solution.
Example scenario: You're having a disagreement with your significant other. You could improve communication by actively listening to their point of view, asking clarifying questions to understand the root of the problem, and expressing your own feelings in a respectful and assertive manner.

Building Confidence

Example scenario: You're assigned a complex project at work that you feel unprepared for. You could build confidence by actively researching the topic, seeking guidance from colleagues with relevant experience, and breaking down the project into manageable tasks. Overcoming this challenge through problem-focused coping can build your confidence in your abilities.
Example scenario: You have a misunderstanding with a close friend. You could build confidence by using problem-focused coping to resolve the conflict. This might involve initiating a conversation, actively listening to their perspective, and working together to find a solution that strengthens your communication and friendship.

Increasing Control

Example scenario: You're experiencing a long wait time at customer service. You could take charge by politely but firmly explaining the situation, gathering relevant information like wait times or alternative solutions, and advocating for yourself to get the issue resolved efficiently.
Example scenario: You're unhappy with your current job but feel stuck. You could increase your control by actively searching for new job opportunities, updating your resume and portfolio, and developing new skills that make you a more competitive candidate. Taking action to improve your circumstances can make you feel more in control of your career path.

Final thoughts

Problem-focused coping is a powerful tool for navigating life's challenges. By identifying the root cause of a problem and taking proactive steps to address it, you can not only reduce stress but also improve communication, build confidence, and feel more in control of your circumstances.

Remember, when facing problems, the key is to identify the specific issue you're facing, choose the approach that best suits your needs, and take action. Don't be afraid to seek additional support from friends, family, professionals, or online resources.

By developing your problem-focused coping skills, you can empower yourself to tackle challenges effectively and build resilience in the face of adversity. Take the first step today and experience the positive impact of proactive problem-solving on your well-being.

Frequently asked questions

Master coping skills with the help of a therapist..

Kristie Plantinga is the founder of Best Therapists. Along with being on the client-side of therapy, Kristie has had the honor of working directly with therapists in her marketing agency for therapists, TherapieSEO. While working alongside therapists, she learned about the inequities in our mental health system that therapists face on a daily basis, and she wanted to do something about it. That’s why Best Therapists is a platform designed to benefit not only therapy-seekers, but therapy providers. Kristie has a Masters degree in Written Communication and a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Music.

Katelyn is a therapist-turned-writer with a passion for mental health. She has a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of England and is a Registered Psychotherapist in the state of Vermont. Katelyn has professional experience in aging care, addiction treatment, integrated health care, and private practice settings. She also has lived experience being on the client side of therapy. Currently, Katelyn is a content writer who’s passionate about spreading mental health awareness and helping other therapists and therapy-seekers Do The Work.

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10 Best Problem-Solving Therapy Worksheets & Activities

Cognitive science tells us that we regularly face not only well-defined problems but, importantly, many that are ill defined (Eysenck & Keane, 2015).

Sometimes, we find ourselves unable to overcome our daily problems or the inevitable (though hopefully infrequent) life traumas we face.

Problem-Solving Therapy aims to reduce the incidence and impact of mental health disorders and improve wellbeing by helping clients face life’s difficulties (Dobson, 2011).

This article introduces Problem-Solving Therapy and offers techniques, activities, and worksheets that mental health professionals can use with clients.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free . These science-based exercises explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology, including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees.

This Article Contains:

What is problem-solving therapy, 14 steps for problem-solving therapy, 3 best interventions and techniques, 7 activities and worksheets for your session, fascinating books on the topic, resources from positivepsychology.com, a take-home message.

Problem-Solving Therapy assumes that mental disorders arise in response to ineffective or maladaptive coping. By adopting a more realistic and optimistic view of coping, individuals can understand the role of emotions and develop actions to reduce distress and maintain mental wellbeing (Nezu & Nezu, 2009).

“Problem-solving therapy (PST) is a psychosocial intervention, generally considered to be under a cognitive-behavioral umbrella” (Nezu, Nezu, & D’Zurilla, 2013, p. ix). It aims to encourage the client to cope better with day-to-day problems and traumatic events and reduce their impact on mental and physical wellbeing.

Clinical research, counseling, and health psychology have shown PST to be highly effective in clients of all ages, ranging from children to the elderly, across multiple clinical settings, including schizophrenia, stress, and anxiety disorders (Dobson, 2011).

Can it help with depression?

PST appears particularly helpful in treating clients with depression. A recent analysis of 30 studies found that PST was an effective treatment with a similar degree of success as other successful therapies targeting depression (Cuijpers, Wit, Kleiboer, Karyotaki, & Ebert, 2020).

Other studies confirm the value of PST and its effectiveness at treating depression in multiple age groups and its capacity to combine with other therapies, including drug treatments (Dobson, 2011).

The major concepts

Effective coping varies depending on the situation, and treatment typically focuses on improving the environment and reducing emotional distress (Dobson, 2011).

PST is based on two overlapping models:

Social problem-solving model

This model focuses on solving the problem “as it occurs in the natural social environment,” combined with a general coping strategy and a method of self-control (Dobson, 2011, p. 198).

The model includes three central concepts:

Social problem-solving
The problem
The solution

The model is a “self-directed cognitive-behavioral process by which an individual, couple, or group attempts to identify or discover effective solutions for specific problems encountered in everyday living” (Dobson, 2011, p. 199).

Relational problem-solving model

The theory of PST is underpinned by a relational problem-solving model, whereby stress is viewed in terms of the relationships between three factors:

Stressful life events
Emotional distress and wellbeing
Problem-solving coping

Therefore, when a significant adverse life event occurs, it may require “sweeping readjustments in a person’s life” (Dobson, 2011, p. 202).

Enhance positive problem orientation
Decrease negative orientation
Foster ability to apply rational problem-solving skills
Reduce the tendency to avoid problem-solving
Minimize the tendency to be careless and impulsive

D’Zurilla’s and Nezu’s model includes (modified from Dobson, 2011):

Initial structuring Establish a positive therapeutic relationship that encourages optimism and explains the PST approach.
Assessment Formally and informally assess areas of stress in the client’s life and their problem-solving strengths and weaknesses.
Obstacles to effective problem-solving Explore typically human challenges to problem-solving, such as multitasking and the negative impact of stress. Introduce tools that can help, such as making lists, visualization, and breaking complex problems down.
Problem orientation – fostering self-efficacy Introduce the importance of a positive problem orientation, adopting tools, such as visualization, to promote self-efficacy.
Problem orientation – recognizing problems Help clients recognize issues as they occur and use problem checklists to ‘normalize’ the experience.
Problem orientation – seeing problems as challenges Encourage clients to break free of harmful and restricted ways of thinking while learning how to argue from another point of view.
Problem orientation – use and control emotions Help clients understand the role of emotions in problem-solving, including using feelings to inform the process and managing disruptive emotions (such as cognitive reframing and relaxation exercises).
Problem orientation – stop and think Teach clients how to reduce impulsive and avoidance tendencies (visualizing a stop sign or traffic light).
Problem definition and formulation Encourage an understanding of the nature of problems and set realistic goals and objectives.
Generation of alternatives Work with clients to help them recognize the wide range of potential solutions to each problem (for example, brainstorming).
Decision-making Encourage better decision-making through an improved understanding of the consequences of decisions and the value and likelihood of different outcomes.
Solution implementation and verification Foster the client’s ability to carry out a solution plan, monitor its outcome, evaluate its effectiveness, and use self-reinforcement to increase the chance of success.
Guided practice Encourage the application of problem-solving skills across multiple domains and future stressful problems.
Rapid problem-solving Teach clients how to apply problem-solving questions and guidelines quickly in any given situation.

Success in PST depends on the effectiveness of its implementation; using the right approach is crucial (Dobson, 2011).

Problem-solving therapy – Baycrest

The following interventions and techniques are helpful when implementing more effective problem-solving approaches in client’s lives.

First, it is essential to consider if PST is the best approach for the client, based on the problems they present.

Is PPT appropriate?

It is vital to consider whether PST is appropriate for the client’s situation. Therapists new to the approach may require additional guidance (Nezu et al., 2013).

Therapists should consider the following questions before beginning PST with a client (modified from Nezu et al., 2013):

Has PST proven effective in the past for the problem? For example, research has shown success with depression, generalized anxiety, back pain, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and supporting caregivers (Nezu et al., 2013).
Is PST acceptable to the client?
Is the individual experiencing a significant mental or physical health problem?

All affirmative answers suggest that PST would be a helpful technique to apply in this instance.

Five problem-solving steps

The following five steps are valuable when working with clients to help them cope with and manage their environment (modified from Dobson, 2011).

Ask the client to consider the following points (forming the acronym ADAPT) when confronted by a problem:

Attitude Aim to adopt a positive, optimistic attitude to the problem and problem-solving process.
Define Obtain all required facts and details of potential obstacles to define the problem.
Alternatives Identify various alternative solutions and actions to overcome the obstacle and achieve the problem-solving goal.
Predict Predict each alternative’s positive and negative outcomes and choose the one most likely to achieve the goal and maximize the benefits.
Try out Once selected, try out the solution and monitor its effectiveness while engaging in self-reinforcement.

If the client is not satisfied with their solution, they can return to step ‘A’ and find a more appropriate solution.

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Positive self-statements

When dealing with clients facing negative self-beliefs, it can be helpful for them to use positive self-statements.

Use the following (or add new) self-statements to replace harmful, negative thinking (modified from Dobson, 2011):

I can solve this problem; I’ve tackled similar ones before.
I can cope with this.
I just need to take a breath and relax.
Once I start, it will be easier.
It’s okay to look out for myself.
I can get help if needed.
Other people feel the same way I do.
I’ll take one piece of the problem at a time.
I can keep my fears in check.
I don’t need to please everyone.

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PST practitioners have many different techniques available to support clients as they learn to tackle day-to-day or one-off trauma.

5 Worksheets and workbooks

Problem-solving self-monitoring form.

Ask the client to complete the following:

Describe the problem you are facing.
What is your goal?
What have you tried so far to solve the problem?
What was the outcome?

Reactions to Stress

It can be helpful for the client to recognize their own experiences of stress. Do they react angrily, withdraw, or give up (Dobson, 2011)?

The Reactions to Stress worksheet can be given to the client as homework to capture stressful events and their reactions. By recording how they felt, behaved, and thought, they can recognize repeating patterns.

What Are Your Unique Triggers?

Helping clients capture triggers for their stressful reactions can encourage emotional regulation.

When clients can identify triggers that may lead to a negative response, they can stop the experience or slow down their emotional reaction (Dobson, 2011).

The What Are Your Unique Triggers ? worksheet helps the client identify their triggers (e.g., conflict, relationships, physical environment, etc.).

Problem-Solving worksheet

Imagining an existing or potential problem and working through how to resolve it can be a powerful exercise for the client.

Use the Problem-Solving worksheet to state a problem and goal and consider the obstacles in the way. Then explore options for achieving the goal, along with their pros and cons, to assess the best action plan.

Getting the Facts

Clients can become better equipped to tackle problems and choose the right course of action by recognizing facts versus assumptions and gathering all the necessary information (Dobson, 2011).

Use the Getting the Facts worksheet to answer the following questions clearly and unambiguously:

Who is involved?
What did or did not happen, and how did it bother you?
Where did it happen?
When did it happen?
Why did it happen?
How did you respond?

2 Helpful Group Activities

While therapists can use the worksheets above in group situations, the following two interventions work particularly well with more than one person.

Generating Alternative Solutions and Better Decision-Making

A group setting can provide an ideal opportunity to share a problem and identify potential solutions arising from multiple perspectives.

Use the Generating Alternative Solutions and Better Decision-Making worksheet and ask the client to explain the situation or problem to the group and the obstacles in the way.

Once the approaches are captured and reviewed, the individual can share their decision-making process with the group if they want further feedback.

Visualization

Visualization can be performed with individuals or in a group setting to help clients solve problems in multiple ways, including (Dobson, 2011):

Clarifying the problem by looking at it from multiple perspectives
Rehearsing a solution in the mind to improve and get more practice
Visualizing a ‘safe place’ for relaxation, slowing down, and stress management

Guided imagery is particularly valuable for encouraging the group to take a ‘mental vacation’ and let go of stress.

Ask the group to begin with slow, deep breathing that fills the entire diaphragm. Then ask them to visualize a favorite scene (real or imagined) that makes them feel relaxed, perhaps beside a gently flowing river, a summer meadow, or at the beach.

The more the senses are engaged, the more real the experience. Ask the group to think about what they can hear, see, touch, smell, and even taste.

Encourage them to experience the situation as fully as possible, immersing themselves and enjoying their place of safety.

Such feelings of relaxation may be able to help clients fall asleep, relieve stress, and become more ready to solve problems.

We have included three of our favorite books on the subject of Problem-Solving Therapy below.

1. Problem-Solving Therapy: A Treatment Manual – Arthur Nezu, Christine Maguth Nezu, and Thomas D’Zurilla

This is an incredibly valuable book for anyone wishing to understand the principles and practice behind PST.

Written by the co-developers of PST, the manual provides powerful toolkits to overcome cognitive overload, emotional dysregulation, and the barriers to practical problem-solving.

Find the book on Amazon .

2. Emotion-Centered Problem-Solving Therapy: Treatment Guidelines – Arthur Nezu and Christine Maguth Nezu

Another, more recent, book from the creators of PST, this text includes important advances in neuroscience underpinning the role of emotion in behavioral treatment.

Along with clinical examples, the book also includes crucial toolkits that form part of a stepped model for the application of PST.

3. Handbook of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies – Keith Dobson and David Dozois

This is the fourth edition of a hugely popular guide to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies and includes a valuable and insightful section on Problem-Solving Therapy.

This is an important book for students and more experienced therapists wishing to form a high-level and in-depth understanding of the tools and techniques available to Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists.

For even more tools to help strengthen your clients’ problem-solving skills, check out the following free worksheets from our blog.

Case Formulation Worksheet This worksheet presents a four-step framework to help therapists and their clients come to a shared understanding of the client’s presenting problem.
Understanding Your Default Problem-Solving Approach This worksheet poses a series of questions helping clients reflect on their typical cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses to problems.
Social Problem Solving: Step by Step This worksheet presents a streamlined template to help clients define a problem, generate possible courses of action, and evaluate the effectiveness of an implemented solution.

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While we are born problem-solvers, facing an incredibly diverse set of challenges daily, we sometimes need support.

Problem-Solving Therapy aims to reduce stress and associated mental health disorders and improve wellbeing by improving our ability to cope. PST is valuable in diverse clinical settings, ranging from depression to schizophrenia, with research suggesting it as a highly effective treatment for teaching coping strategies and reducing emotional distress.

Many PST techniques are available to help improve clients’ positive outlook on obstacles while reducing avoidance of problem situations and the tendency to be careless and impulsive.

The PST model typically assesses the client’s strengths, weaknesses, and coping strategies when facing problems before encouraging a healthy experience of and relationship with problem-solving.

Why not use this article to explore the theory behind PST and try out some of our powerful tools and interventions with your clients to help them with their decision-making, coping, and problem-solving?

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free .

Cuijpers, P., Wit, L., Kleiboer, A., Karyotaki, E., & Ebert, D. (2020). Problem-solving therapy for adult depression: An updated meta-analysis. European P sychiatry , 48 (1), 27–37.
Dobson, K. S. (2011). Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
Dobson, K. S., & Dozois, D. J. A. (2021). Handbook of cognitive-behavioral therapies (4th ed.). Guilford Press.
Eysenck, M. W., & Keane, M. T. (2015). Cognitive psychology: A student’s handbook . Psychology Press.
Nezu, A. M., & Nezu, C. M. (2009). Problem-solving therapy DVD . Retrieved September 13, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/pubs/videos/4310852
Nezu, A. M., & Nezu, C. M. (2018). Emotion-centered problem-solving therapy: Treatment guidelines. Springer.
Nezu, A. M., Nezu, C. M., & D’Zurilla, T. J. (2013). Problem-solving therapy: A treatment manual . Springer.

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Problem-Focused Coping: How and When to Use It to Deal with Hardships

Post author: Sherrie Hurd, A.A.
Post published: September 4, 2018
Reading time: 6 mins read
Post category: Personal Development / Self-Improvement

There are three ways to deal with problems: emotion, appraisal, and problem-focused coping. Let’s take a look at problem-focused coping and when it should be used.

I hate when life throws a curveball, don’t you? Well, when problems occur, it makes sense to tackle that problem as soon as possible. After all, it’s the peace, joy, and love of life that we crave. So, among the three ways to handle problems, we want to understand how problem-focused coping works, and when it should be used. Because it’s problem-focused coping that gets to the root of the situation .

How to use problem-focused coping

It’s simple, really. Problem-focused coping basically hands you the facts and lets you approach the problem head-on. It bypasses all the emotion and analyzation and gets straight to the point . It’s easy to learn this type of problem-solving and it’s quite effective when used correctly. Here’s how to use this coping strategy.

1. Face the problem

The first thing you have to do is face the situation . Facing the situation helps you to see the truth and create a solution with the truth in mind. It’s simply amazing how the bold facts can mold how we fix a problem. It takes bravery to do this, but when it’s done, you may experience a freedom like never before. After all, the source of the problem is now gone.

2. Reassure yourself

Remember, if you are going to use the problem-focused coping strategy, you must be aware that others may try to criticise you and damage your self-esteem . You must be strong if you use the direct approach, and you must be able to look the source of your stress in the eye and continue to do what it takes to get rid of the problem. Always reassure yourself of your worth when removing unwanted stressors.

3. Remove the problem

Then, you take action . You have to remove the source of your stress if you’re going to use problem-focused coping. Being able to remove the root of the problem eliminates negative situations that could arise from tolerating things the way they are. Not being able to remove the problem means the issues will more than likely remain, and soon enough, you will be unhappy again.

Also, not removing the problem can lead to manipulation because you have made a statement with your non-action. When you don’t stop someone from causing problems, then they will always do it again, and they will act much worse the next time.

When to use problem-focused coping strategies

Well, the truth is, you cannot always use problem-focused coping. There are times when getting rid of the problem just won’t work . That’s when you will need to use either appraisal or emotion-focused coping . For now, however, we will look at when it’s appropriate to use our strong-willed method.

Abusive situations

Problem-focused coping must be used when abuse is present. During abusive situations, there is no better resolution than to remove the stressor from your life. No, it might not be easy to remove an abusive parent from your life, but it’s possible. Abusive situations rarely work themselves out, so it’s important to face these things and get rid of them as soon as possible.

To improve your health

If you’re in a relationship that’s less than perfect , you may have started having problems. You could even be in the wrong union. If the relationship is not meant to be, your health will start to reflect that fact. That’s when problem-focused coping may be useful.

Unfortunately, your partner is the stressor and your partner may need to go. But before you kick your boyfriend to the curb, make sure this is the real reason for your health problems. If not, it could be something totally unrelated. You have to learn how to differentiate between the two.

Negativity is compounded

If you’ve noticed misfortune falling upon your head on a “more than” regular basis, then it could be time for problem-focused coping.

For instance, if you keep having bad luck at your job, then maybe you’re in the wrong place , to begin with. It could be time to get rid of the job you have now and focus on finding a more suitable profession. It also works this way with intimate relationships as well. You will know it’s time for problem-focused coping when nothing ever goes right.

When things get complicated

During times of chaos, you may want to reason out problems or appraise them in search of value, but you might be wasting your time . When things get complicated it’s best to utilize a simple approach and get rid of what’s causing the uproar. Never place an emotional solution over a complicated problem. The bandage will not fit.

It’s the simplest and cleanest solution

The thing with problem-focused coping is that it’s simple . You take the source of your problem and you do away with it. The death of a loved one cannot be fixed in this manner, no, but so many other things can be.

The most important thing to remember is this: Always keep your head up and stand strong in your decision-making process . Whether you take something out of your life or simply change the way you see it, it’s up to you. Just make sure you go fearlessly into whatever issue you may have.

I wish you the best.

References :

https://www.tandfonline.com
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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This Post Has 4 Comments

There is an old theorem called Occam’s Razor. In essence , it says that the simplest solution is usually the best. Your choice of solutions should also contain the fewest assumptions. Generally you will arrive at the right coarse of action.

Thank you, Gary. That is a wonderful way to look at problems. I am guilty of making assumptions so much of the time. Most of this comes from carrying baggage from past relationships and things of that nature. I am a work in progress in this area. I will try and remember, the next time a problem arises, that I should have more of an open mind and take things more at face value. I think my problem is also overthinking.

what is appraisal and how to use it?

Hello, Fintan.

Utilizing appraisal is much like finding anything of use out of your problem. You take a step back and try to see the problem from another perspective and then try to see if there is anything good coming from the situation. Every problem teaches us something. We just have to try our best to take away the most beneficial parts from what has happened.

Key Characteristics

Proactive approach: Problem-focused coping involves taking an active and assertive stance towards managing stressors.
Focus on problem-solving: Individuals employing this strategy emphasize finding practical solutions and taking concrete steps to address the underlying problem.
Information seeking: It involves gathering relevant information and learning new skills to effectively tackle the stressor.
Action-oriented: Problem-focused coping relies on taking specific actions and making behavioral changes to alter or eliminate the stress-inducing problem.

Here are some examples of problem-focused coping:

When facing a heavy workload, an individual might create a schedule, prioritize tasks, and break them down into smaller, manageable parts.
If experiencing financial difficulties, a person might seek financial advice, develop a budget, and explore additional income-generating opportunities.
When dealing with a conflict in a relationship, individuals may initiate open and honest communication to resolve the issues.

Effectiveness

Problem-focused coping is highly effective in situations where individuals have some control over the stressful event and the ability to change or influence it. By directly addressing the problem, it helps reduce the impact of stressors and promotes a sense of empowerment and mastery over one’s circumstances.

Stress Management Techniques

Saul McLeod, PhD

Editor-in-Chief for Simply Psychology

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Saul McLeod, PhD., is a qualified psychology teacher with over 18 years of experience in further and higher education. He has been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Clinical Psychology.

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Associate Editor for Simply Psychology

BSc (Hons) Psychology, MSc Psychology of Education

Olivia Guy-Evans is a writer and associate editor for Simply Psychology. She has previously worked in healthcare and educational sectors.

Stress arises when individuals perceive a discrepancy between a situation’s physical or psychological demands and the resources of their biological, psychological, or social systems (Sarafino, 2012).

There are many ways of coping with stress. Their effectiveness depends on the type of stressor, the particular individual, and the circumstances.

For example, if you think about the way your friends deal with stressors like exams, you will see a range of different coping responses. Some people will pace around or tell you how worried they are, and others will revise or pester their teachers for clues.

Lazarus and Folkman (1984) suggested there are two types of coping responses emotion focused and problem focused :

Emotion-focused Coping

Emotion-focused coping is stress management that attempts to reduce negative emotional responses associated with stress.

Negative emotions such as embarrassment, fear, anxiety, depression, excitement, and frustration are reduced or removed by the individual through various methods of coping.

Emotion-focused techniques might be the only realistic option when the source of stress is outside the person’s control.

Drug therapy can be seen as emotion-focused coping as it focuses on the arousal caused by stress, not the problem. Other emotion-focused coping techniques include:

Distraction, e.g., keeping yourself busy to take your mind off the issue.
Emotional disclosure. This involves expressing strong emotions by talking or writing about negative events which precipitated those emotions (Pennebaker, 1995)
This is an important part of psychotherapy .
Praying for guidance and strength.
Meditation, e.g., mindfulness .
Eating more, e.g., comfort food.
Drinking alcohol.
Using drugs.
Journaling, e.g., writing a gratitude diary (Cheng, Tsui, & Lam, 2015).
Cognitive reappraisal. This is a form of cognitive change that involves construing a potentially emotion-eliciting situation in a way that changes its emotional impact (Lazarus & Alfert, 1964).
Suppressing (stopping/inhibiting) negative thoughts or emotions. Suppressing emotions over an extended period of time compromises immune competence and lead to poor physical health (Petrie, K. J., Booth, R. J., & Pennebaker, 1988).

Critical Evaluation

A meta-analysis revealed that emotion-focused strategies are often less effective than using problem-focused methods in relation to health outcomes(Penley, Tomaka, & Weibe, 2012).

In general, people who used emotion-focused strategies such as eating, drinking, and taking drugs reported poorer health outcomes.

Such strategies are ineffective as they ignore the root cause of the stress. The type of stressor and whether the impact was on physical or psychological health explained the strategies between coping strategies and health outcomes.

In addition, Epping-Jordan et al. (1994) found that patients with cancer who used avoidance strategies, e.g., denying they were very ill, deteriorated more quickly than those who faced up to their problems. The same pattern exists in relation to dental health and financial problems.

Emotion-focused coping does not provide a long-term solution and may have negative side effects as it delays the person dealing with the problem. However, they can be a good choice if the source of stress is outside the person’s control (e.g., a dental procedure).

Gender differences have also been reported: women tend to use more emotion-focused strategies than men (Billings & Moos, 1981).

Problem-focused Coping

Problem-focused coping targets the causes of stress in practical ways, which tackles the problem or stressful situation that is causing stress, consequently directly reducing the stress.

Problem-focused strategies aim to remove or reduce the cause of the stressor, including:

Problem-solving.
Time-management.
Obtaining instrumental social support.

In general problem-focused coping is best, as it removes the stressor and deals with the root cause of the problem, providing a long-term solution.

Problem-focused strategies are successful in dealing with stressors such as discrimination (Pascoe & Richman, 2009), HIV infections (Moskowitz, Hult, Bussolari, & Acree, 2009), and diabetes (Duangdao & Roesch, 2008).

However, it is not always possible to use problem-focused strategies. For example, when someone dies, problem-focused strategies may not be very helpful for the bereaved. Dealing with the feeling of loss requires emotion-focused coping.

The problem-focused approach will not work in any situation where it is beyond the individual’s control to remove the source of stress. They work best when the person can control the source of stress (e.g., exams, work-based stressors, etc.).

It is not a productive method for all individuals. For example, not all people are able to take control of a situation or perceive a situation as controllable.

For example, optimistic people who tend to have positive expectations of the future are more likely to use problem-focused strategies. In contrast, pessimistic individuals are more inclined to use emotion-focused strategies (Nes & Segerstrom, 2006).

Billings, A. G., & Moos, R. H. (1981). The role of coping responses and social resources in attenuating the stress of life events. Journal of behavioral Medicine , 4, 139-157.

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Emotion-focused vs. Problem-focused Coping Strategies

Travis Dixon March 14, 2022 Health Psychology

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Coping is “a person’s efforts to manage demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding their resources.” (1) In other words, coping is how we try to deal with stress. It is a widely studied topic in psychology and there are over 400 categorized styles of coping. (2) These styles are commonly grouped into two distinct types: problem focused vs. emotion-focused . In this post we’ll look at which strategy is better and why.

This post is written with content adapted from our Student’s Guide to Stress for IB Health Psychology .

Problem-focused coping strategies aim to change or eliminate a stressor. If you adapt a strategy to try to deal with the stressor directly, you’re using problem-focused coping. For example, planning, problem-solving, or removing the stressor altogether are examples of problem focused coping. (3)

Emotion-focused coping is when you try to deal with your emotional response to the stressor. If you are trying to reduce, eliminate, or simply tolerate your emotional response to a stressor, then you’re using emotion-focused coping. Examples include withdrawal, letting out anger and frustration, emotional support seeking, distractions, rumination, and resignation acceptance (accepting the problem will always exist).

The general consensus among psychologists is that problem-focused coping is the more effective coping strategy because it’s consistently associated with lower stress levels and better mental health (4). Similarly, people who use emotion-focused coping are more at risk for stress-related illnesses (e.g. heart disease) compared to those using problem-focused coping (5).

Coping strategies could explain gender differences in levels of perceived stress. Numerous studies have shown a tendency for females to use more emotion-focused coping whereas males use more problem focused coping (6) When it comes to the study of teenagers and stress, however, there is “…limited research about what may affect adolescents’ perceptions of stressors from school, how they cope with such stressors, and how this differs from a gender perspective.” (7) Most of the research has been on adults. However, some researchers have studied connections between coping and mental health problems closely related to stress (e.g. depression) amongst teenagers. (8)

Key Study: Coping strategies in Italian teens (Cicognani, 2011)

Aim: To understand coping strategies and how they relate to mental health in teenagers.

Can you relate to the findings of this study? What advice can you take from it?

Sample = 342 high school students (14-19 years old) in Northern Italy.
Coping was measured using a questionnaire (Coping Across Situations Questionnaire – CASQ)
Mental health was measured using a questionnaire on subjective well-being (including depressed mood).
She also gathered data on levels of self-efficacy and social support.
The results showed significant correlations between coping strategies and psychological well-being.
expecting the worst (r =0.31),
withdrawal (r = 0.37),
and accepting that there will always be problems (r = 0.32).
The results also showed that girls were more likely to use these emotion-focused coping strategies more than boys.
Self-efficacy and family support influenced which coping strategies were used (e.g. reducing the use of emotion focused strategies like withdrawing) and this improved well-being.

Conclusions

This shows how emotion-focused coping could have a negative effect on mental health.
However, it also shows that factors like self-efficacy and social support can influence the choice of coping strategies and thus affect mental health also.
The results could explain the common finding that girls report higher levels of subjective stress in stress studies.

These findings are consistent with other research that shows females tend to use more emotion-focused coping, which could explain gender differences in perceived stress and prevalence of stress-related mental health issues like anxiety and depression. However, factors like social support and self-efficacy can influence which coping strategy we use. Studies have shown that girls have reported having higher levels of emotional self-efficacy, whereas boys report higher levels of problem-solving self-efficacy (9). Our self-efficacy influences our appraisal of our resources, so we’ll naturally use the coping strategy that we perceive to be our strength. This could be why boys and girls use different coping strategies.

Psychology is never as simple as A=B: while problem-focused coping is probably better, it’s not always the right answer.

It is important to note, however, that people tend to use a mixture of both strategies. In a yearlong study of 100 participants, Folkman and Lazarus (1980) found that in 98% of stressful situations, their participants used a combination of both strategies. The stressor, who is involved, appraisals, gender, and age also influenced the strategies used. For example, people used more problem-focused coping at work and emotion-focused coping when it came to their health (10).

Similarly, it’s not a clear black-and-white answer regarding which coping strategy is better. For example, positive reappraisals could be considered an emotion-focused coping strategy and this is linked with positive health outcomes (11) Th e effectiveness might also depend on the stressor: using a problem-focused approach for a stressor that is uncontrollable and unable to be changed could be less effective than an emotion-focused one.

Being able to cope effectively with stress involves understanding how to use a variety of different strategies and applying the relevant ones to the stressors in your life. This reminds me of the serenity prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” There is a lot of psychological research that supports the wisdom found in this simple prayer.

Copy from here for Critical Thinking Considerations

Critical Thinking Considerations

While Cicognani’s study could be used to explain a link between coping and stress in teens, there’s a fundamental limitation in doing so. Can you see what it is?
Assumptions : The above guiding question is based on the assumption that problem-focused coping is better than emotion-focused coping. However, this is not always the case. When might emotion-focused coping be the superior strategy? Can you apply this to specific examples in your life?
An area of uncertainty is how to classify cognitive reappraisal. How might this be a problem-focused and/or an emotion-focused coping strategy? Austenfeld and Stanton(2004) have used the term ‘‘emotional approach coping” to describe active emotion regulation strategies such as cognitive reappraisal.

For more materials for IB Health Psychology, visit our store: https://store.themantic-education.com/

1Lazarus and Folkman, 1984; Peter Olusoga, Joanne Butt, Ian Maynard & Kate Hays (2010) Stress and Coping: A Study of World Class Coaches, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 22:3, 274-293, DOI: 10.1080/10413201003760968

2 Skinner, E. A., Edge, K., Altman, J., & Sherwood, H. (2003). Searching for the structure of coping: a review and critique of category systems for classifying ways of coping. Psychological bulletin, 129(2), 216.

3 Carroll, L. (2013). Problem-focused coping. Encyclopedia of behavioral medicine, 1540-1541.; Herres, J. (2015). Adolescent coping profiles differentiate reports of depression and anxiety symptoms. Journal of affective disorders, 186, 312-319.

4 Penley, J. A., Tomaka, J., & Wiebe, J. S. (2002). !e association of coping to physical and psychological health outcomes: A meta-analytic review. Journal of behavioral medicine, 25(6), 551-603.

5 Chiavarino, C., Rabellino, D., Ardito, R. B., Cavallero, E., Palumbo, L., Bergerone, S., … & Bara, B. G. (2012). Emotional coping is a better predictor of cardiac prognosis than depression and anxiety. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 73(6), 473-475.; Bafghi, S. M. S., Ahmadi, N., Ardekani, S. M. Y., Jafari, L., Ardekani, B. B., Heydari, R., … & Faraji, R. (2018). A survey of coping strategies with stress in patients with acute myocardial infarction and individuals without a history of fixed myocardial infarction. Cardiology research, 9(1), 35.

6 Schoenmakers, E. C., van Tilburg, T. G., & Fokkema, T. (2015). Problem focused and emotion-focused coping options and loneliness: how are they related?. European Journal of Ageing, 12(2), 153-161.

7 Wilhsson, M., Svedberg, P., H gdin, S., & Nygren, J. M. (2017). Strategies of adolescent girls and boys for coping with school-related stress. !e Journal of School Nursing, 33(5), 374-382.

8 Cicognani, E. (2011). Coping strategies with minor stressors in adolescence: Relationships with social support, self(efficacy, and psychological well(being. Journal of Applied social psychology, 41(3), 559-578.

9 Flores, F. J., Mayorga-Vega, D., Blanco, J. R., & Blanco, H. (2014). Perceived self-e#cacy in problem solving and scientiffc communication in university students. A gender study. Psychology, 2014.; McKay, M. T., Dempster, M., & Byrne, D. G. (2014). An examination of the relationship between self-e#cacy and stress in adolescents: the role of gender and selfesteem. Journal of youth studies, 17(9), 1131-1151.

10 Folkman, S., & Lazarus, R. S. (1980). An analysis of coping in a middleaged community sample. Journal of health and social behavior, 219-239.

11 Kelly, M. M., Tyrka, A. R., Price, L. H., & Carpenter, L. L. (2008). Sex differences in the use of coping strategies: predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Depression and anxiety, 25(10), 839-846

“Coping” Skinner, EA and Zimmer-Gembeck, M. in Encyclopedia of Mental Health (Second Edition), 2016.

Herres, J. (2015). Adolescent coping pro%les differentiate reports of depression and anxiety symptoms. Journal of affective disorders, 186, 312-319.

Compas, B. E., Connor-Smith, J. K., Saltzman, H., !omsen, A. H., & Wadsworth, M. E. (2001). Coping with stress during childhood and adolescence: problems, progress, and potential in theory and research. Psychological bulletin, 127(1), 87.

Griffith, M. A., Dubow, E. F., & Ippolito, M. F. (2000). Developmental and cross-situational differences in adolescents’ coping strategies. Journal of youth and adolescence, 29(2), 183-204

Travis Dixon is an IB Psychology teacher, author, workshop leader, examiner and IA moderator.

Problem-Focused Coping

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Active coping

Coping refers to the intentional efforts we engage in to minimize the physical, psychological, or social harm of an event or situation. There are many different frameworks for understanding coping and many different ways of classifying coping strategies, but one such classification is problem-focused coping vs. emotion-focused coping. Problem-focused coping is that kind of coping aimed at resolving the stressful situation or event or altering the source of the stress. Coping strategies that can be considered to be problem-focused include (but are not limited to) taking control of the stress (e.g., problem solving or removing the source of the stress), seeking information or assistance in handling the situation, and removing oneself from the stressful situation.

Problem-focused coping is distinguished from emotion-focused coping, which is aimed at managing the emotions associated with the situation, rather than changing the situation itself. For...

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References and Readings

Field, T., McCabe, P. M., & Schneiderman, N. (1985). Stress and coping . Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

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Lazarus, R. S. (1999). Stress and emotion: A new synthesis . New York: Springer.

Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping . New York: Springer.

Moos, R. H. (1986). Coping with life crises: An integrated approach . New York: Plenum Press.

Zeidner, M., & Endler, N. S. (1996). Handbook of coping: Theory, research, applications . New York: Wiley.

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Carroll, L. (2013). Problem-Focused Coping. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1171

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Overview of the Problem-Solving Mental Process

Identify the Problem
Define the Problem
Form a Strategy
Organize Information
Allocate Resources
Monitor Progress
Evaluate the Results

Frequently Asked Questions

Problem-solving is a mental process that involves discovering, analyzing, and solving problems. The ultimate goal of problem-solving is to overcome obstacles and find a solution that best resolves the issue.

The best strategy for solving a problem depends largely on the unique situation. In some cases, people are better off learning everything they can about the issue and then using factual knowledge to come up with a solution. In other instances, creativity and insight are the best options.

It is not necessary to follow problem-solving steps sequentially, It is common to skip steps or even go back through steps multiple times until the desired solution is reached.

In order to correctly solve a problem, it is often important to follow a series of steps. Researchers sometimes refer to this as the problem-solving cycle. While this cycle is portrayed sequentially, people rarely follow a rigid series of steps to find a solution.

The following steps include developing strategies and organizing knowledge.

1. Identifying the Problem

While it may seem like an obvious step, identifying the problem is not always as simple as it sounds. In some cases, people might mistakenly identify the wrong source of a problem, which will make attempts to solve it inefficient or even useless.

Some strategies that you might use to figure out the source of a problem include :

Asking questions about the problem
Breaking the problem down into smaller pieces
Looking at the problem from different perspectives
Conducting research to figure out what relationships exist between different variables

2. Defining the Problem

After the problem has been identified, it is important to fully define the problem so that it can be solved. You can define a problem by operationally defining each aspect of the problem and setting goals for what aspects of the problem you will address

At this point, you should focus on figuring out which aspects of the problems are facts and which are opinions. State the problem clearly and identify the scope of the solution.

3. Forming a Strategy

After the problem has been identified, it is time to start brainstorming potential solutions. This step usually involves generating as many ideas as possible without judging their quality. Once several possibilities have been generated, they can be evaluated and narrowed down.

The next step is to develop a strategy to solve the problem. The approach used will vary depending upon the situation and the individual's unique preferences. Common problem-solving strategies include heuristics and algorithms.

Heuristics are mental shortcuts that are often based on solutions that have worked in the past. They can work well if the problem is similar to something you have encountered before and are often the best choice if you need a fast solution.
Algorithms are step-by-step strategies that are guaranteed to produce a correct result. While this approach is great for accuracy, it can also consume time and resources.

Heuristics are often best used when time is of the essence, while algorithms are a better choice when a decision needs to be as accurate as possible.

4. Organizing Information

Before coming up with a solution, you need to first organize the available information. What do you know about the problem? What do you not know? The more information that is available the better prepared you will be to come up with an accurate solution.

When approaching a problem, it is important to make sure that you have all the data you need. Making a decision without adequate information can lead to biased or inaccurate results.

5. Allocating Resources

Of course, we don't always have unlimited money, time, and other resources to solve a problem. Before you begin to solve a problem, you need to determine how high priority it is.

If it is an important problem, it is probably worth allocating more resources to solving it. If, however, it is a fairly unimportant problem, then you do not want to spend too much of your available resources on coming up with a solution.

At this stage, it is important to consider all of the factors that might affect the problem at hand. This includes looking at the available resources, deadlines that need to be met, and any possible risks involved in each solution. After careful evaluation, a decision can be made about which solution to pursue.

6. Monitoring Progress

After selecting a problem-solving strategy, it is time to put the plan into action and see if it works. This step might involve trying out different solutions to see which one is the most effective.

It is also important to monitor the situation after implementing a solution to ensure that the problem has been solved and that no new problems have arisen as a result of the proposed solution.

Effective problem-solvers tend to monitor their progress as they work towards a solution. If they are not making good progress toward reaching their goal, they will reevaluate their approach or look for new strategies .

7. Evaluating the Results

After a solution has been reached, it is important to evaluate the results to determine if it is the best possible solution to the problem. This evaluation might be immediate, such as checking the results of a math problem to ensure the answer is correct, or it can be delayed, such as evaluating the success of a therapy program after several months of treatment.

Once a problem has been solved, it is important to take some time to reflect on the process that was used and evaluate the results. This will help you to improve your problem-solving skills and become more efficient at solving future problems.

A Word From Verywell

It is important to remember that there are many different problem-solving processes with different steps, and this is just one example. Problem-solving in real-world situations requires a great deal of resourcefulness, flexibility, resilience, and continuous interaction with the environment.

Get Advice From The Verywell Mind Podcast

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You can become a better problem solving by:

Practicing brainstorming and coming up with multiple potential solutions to problems
Being open-minded and considering all possible options before making a decision
Breaking down problems into smaller, more manageable pieces
Asking for help when needed
Researching different problem-solving techniques and trying out new ones
Learning from mistakes and using them as opportunities to grow

It's important to communicate openly and honestly with your partner about what's going on. Try to see things from their perspective as well as your own. Work together to find a resolution that works for both of you. Be willing to compromise and accept that there may not be a perfect solution.

Take breaks if things are getting too heated, and come back to the problem when you feel calm and collected. Don't try to fix every problem on your own—consider asking a therapist or counselor for help and insight.

If you've tried everything and there doesn't seem to be a way to fix the problem, you may have to learn to accept it. This can be difficult, but try to focus on the positive aspects of your life and remember that every situation is temporary. Don't dwell on what's going wrong—instead, think about what's going right. Find support by talking to friends or family. Seek professional help if you're having trouble coping.

Davidson JE, Sternberg RJ, editors. The Psychology of Problem Solving . Cambridge University Press; 2003. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511615771

Sarathy V. Real world problem-solving . Front Hum Neurosci . 2018;12:261. Published 2018 Jun 26. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2018.00261

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Key Skills for Solution-Focused Problem-Solving

Imagine that you just received an unexpected complex problem and need to find a solution fast. You have never experienced this situation before. What is your approach? Most of us focus on the problem by asking questions such as: “Why do I have this problem? What shall I do to get rid of this problem? Are you sure this is my problem?” Before you know it, the challenge becomes bigger by the minute. Your attention and effort are fully focused on overcoming the problem and you begin to feel less resourceful to find an acceptable solution.

When you focus on the problem instead of the desired outcome, you get stuck in the depths of the problem, as if you are in quicksand. Some people walk into the quicksand with lead boots on. One of the most powerful frames you can use to achieve results is to shift from a problem approach (I don’t want X) to an outcome approach (What I want is Y). This immediately shifts your thinking and the way you feel.

Only when your frame of mind is changed to focusing on the desired result can you begin to move forward toward the desired outcome. Using the Solution-Focused approach, you will be surprised how competently you can tackle even the thorniest of problems and turn them into opportunities.

Interested in becoming a coach? Discover how Solution-Focused coaching skills enable you to create transformational change in yourself and others.

Solution-Focused communication magnetizes our attention toward getting the desired outcome, and so the outcome is held in mind as the vision for the future . Others naturally tend to respond positively to our leadership because we hold the vision that serves everyone. Rather than dwelling on the difficulties or the setbacks, the idea of the solution becomes the road to results, and people feel cheered when they can see a strong pathway toward the solution and are inspired by the plan.

Imagine running a race where there are hurdles every 100 yards. With problem framing, you are focused on the hurdles, “Oh my, how high they are! How hard will I have to work to jump them?” Such a focus, with little or no attention on the finish line, will not make you a champion—guaranteed! The hurdles symbolically (and in reality) stand in your way. When you are focused on the hurdles, you cannot see past them to the finish line that is your true aim. The hurdles loom large in your mind, and the race seems difficult (if not impossible) to run.

With a Solution-Focused approach to communication, your mind is galvanized by your purpose and you are able to see past the hurdles before you. Your purpose always leads you to the finish line, and the hurdles become less important and less of an obstacle. In fact, they may seem so unimportant that they become nonexistent and are just part of the journey. They are still the same height and you’ll still have to jump as high. Yet with the focus on the value of the goal and what is working to move forward towards it, jumping hurdles seems natural and easy. The end of the race is always drawing you onward. The race itself becomes a means to achieve the vision, and it’s the vision—who you are becoming and who you are contributing to—that looms large in your mind. This difference in your focus is the power that leads you to success.

Notice how efficient this approach is – Solution-Focused thinking is far more useful than problem-focused thinking because the focus is on getting the desired outcome, rather than dwelling on the difficulties or setbacks. Constantly operating from a solution perspective is a noticeable characteristic of high achievers.

Focusing on who you are becoming

One of the main ways of producing Solution-Focused results that serve the world is to focus the mind and heart on who you are becoming— and not what you are overcoming. Allowing yourself to go into the lower energies of an overcoming focus puts you into a very challenging and unpleasant hurdle race. People can spend most of their lives running such a race. As soon as you put your attention on what doesn’t work as a ‘reality,’ it is hard to explore what really could work. This is one reason why the Erickson Solution-Focused method is successful in moving people quickly beyond mindsets and models that ‘realistically’ start by focusing on the problem as the necessary aspects to deal with.

As a transformational communicator using the coaching approach, once you are secure in this skill for yourself, you will quickly discover the value of using it consistently in coaching conversations with others. This simple and subtle skill of flipping a problem or conflict into a Solution-Focused orientation may be the single most powerful characteristic of transformational coaches who become known as integral change maestros.

Declaring and visualizing outcomes

When outcomes are declared and visualized carefully, people move toward them naturally, almost effortlessly. What was once considered a problem is now little more than a pebble on the road! Having a strong, inspiring, value-based vision for the future cuts all other concerns down to size. We grow and our ‘problems’ diminish.

Once you, the transformational communicator, know how to consciously assist people to orient toward their larger purpose and goals, your clients will move consistently and more easily toward their desired outcomes. They will achieve their outcomes by choice, not by chance.

Creating a compelling future

Developing, holding, and feeling a vision of a compelling future is the single most important task for a person, in order to achieve their goals and dreams.

Without this vision and the process of consistently visualizing potential action steps to accomplish it, people move in a random, scattered fashion. They are likely to struggle and get frustrated and stuck.

When people make the choice to hold a specific outcome securely on the movie screen of their minds, they naturally begin to move toward making their vision a reality—no matter how large or small it is. Their chosen outcome becomes their future.

Who you are is the future you are moving into! What is in your mind becomes your reality. You have two choices. You can visualize how your problems continue, which will move you towards having even more problems. Or, you can visualize your outcome becoming real and move toward having it. Which do you prefer?

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Psychotherapy, personality, problem focused coping (a complete guide).

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This might engage generating probable solutions to a problem, confronting others who are accountable for or else linked with the stressor, and other forms of involved action.

It has been considered that problem focused coping is used first and foremost when a person assesses a stressor the same as within his or her capability to adjust.

In this article we will discuss problem focused coping.

Problem focused strategies mean to get rid of or decrease the origin of the stressor, plus: Problem solving.

Problem Focused Coping vs. Emotion Focused Coping:

Problem focused coping is supportive when you require changing your circumstances, maybe by reducing a worrying object from your life.

Emotion focused coping is cooperative when you want to be concerned of your feelings when you also do not need to alter your condition or when state of affairs are not in your control.

The following example of stressful situations is considered below and how each type might be used under this circumstance.

Identifying the Prblem

Figuring out what problem you would like to deal with is not always simple.

Maybe hiring extra assistance, or doing unnecessarily difficult filing systems, etc.

What just happened in that circumstance is that the power effort has shifted in your favor.

Frequently, anxiety comes about as we feel helpless to transform our environment and our surroundings. Problem focused coping drags the rug out from under that type of thoughts, and requests you to look at it from a different point of view.

It helps inspire you to do something about your circumstances, somewhat than merely stay resigned to it.

Healthy Problem Focused Coping Skills:

In other circumstances, problem focused coping might engage more radical procedures, like shifting jobs or eliminating someone out of your life.

At this point, there are some examples of healthy problem focused coping skills:

Healthy Emotion Focused Coping Skills:

When you are feeling lonely , anxious, depressing, or angry , emotion focused coping skills might help you deal with your behaviors and feelings in a healthy way.

Sometimes it is useful to encounter your emotions face-to-face.

For instance, you feel sad after the loss of a loved one might help out to credit your loss.

Unhealthy Coping Skills:

A few coping skills could generate bigger troubles in your life. Some examples of unhealthy coping skills are:

Drinking alcohol:

Drugs and alcohol might momentarily insensitive your pain, but they won’t determine your issues.

These are possibly to initiate new troubles into your life. Alcohol, for instance, is a depressant that can make you suffer badly.

Using substances also puts you at danger for raising a substance abuse crisis and it might make permissible issues, financial issues, and a multiplicity of public issues.

Overeating:

Occasionally people go off to the extreme and confine their intake and obviously, that can be just as harmful.

Sleeping too much:

Sleeping offers a momentary escape from your troubles whether you take a nap when you are stressed out or you get a sleep not on time to stay you away from facing the day.

But, when you get up, the problem would still be there.

Communicating to others:

Discussing your problems so that you can get support, build up a solution, or perceive a problem in a diverse way can be healthy.

But researchers explain constantly discussing to people about how bad your circumstances are or how horrible you sense is more expected to stay if you are fixed in a rest of pain.

Overspending:

As many people say that they enjoy retail therapy as a technique to feel good, shopping can turn out to be damaging.

Owning a lot of belongings can add stress and anxiety to your life. Moreover, spending more than you can afford will only go wrong in the end and develop more anxiety and stress.

Avoidance:

Even “healthy” coping strategies can become unhealthy if you’re using them to avoid the problem.

What Works For You Best:

The coping strategies that work for someone might not work for you. For example: going for a walk may help out your partner to calm down.

You might have to research with a selection of coping strategies to help you realize which one works best for you. You may identify that some coping strategies work best for particular issues or feelings.

There is always a room for development when it comes to coping skills.

So, review what other gears and tools you can utilize and believe how you might carry on enhancing your skills in future.

FAQs about problem focused coping

What are the major differences between problems focused coping and emotion focused coping.

When the stress is perceived as controllable, problem-focused coping strategies are associated with fewer psychological symptoms, whereas in uncontrollable stressful situations, emotion-focused coping is related to fewer symptoms.

What is stress coping?

What are examples of coping skills, what does coping skills mean.

Coping means to invest one’s own conscious effort, to solve personal and interpersonal problems, in order to try to master, minimize or tolerate stress and conflict.

What are some coping skills for anger?

References:.

verywellmind.com/forty-healthy-coping-skills-4586742

udemy.com/blog/problem-focused-coping/

https://dictionary.apa.org/problem-focused-coping

simplypsychology.org/stress-management.html

Was this helpful?

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Problem vs. Solution Focused Thinking

Every person approaches a problem in a different way. Some focus on the problem or the reason why a problem emerged (problem focused thinking). Others prefer to think about possible solutions that help them to solve a problem (solution focused thinking). Problem Oriented Thinking: Approaching a difficult situation problem-oriented might be helpful if we attempt to avoid similar problems or mistakes in the future, but when it comes to solving the problem we simply waste large amounts of our precious time! Problem-focused thinking does not help us at all to solve difficult situations, which is especially necessary in times where one must find quick solutions to an upcoming problem. Furthermore, the problem focused approach can have negative effects on one’s motivation, but more on this later.

The whole “problem vs. solution oriented thinking” – approach does not only apply when a person faces a problem or a difficult situation (as previously mentioned), but is also being applied in one’s everyday life, when we have to face a challenging task or when having to perform several duties. In fact: if we really focus our attention on this topic we can discover that the majority of our decisions and our attitudes towards tasks, problems and upcoming situations will either be problem or solution oriented. In order to demonstrate you the problem and solution focused approach I have chosen to give you the example of a college student:

Let’s say there is a college student that really does not like math at all (it doesn’t matter what subject he does not like, but I do not like math as well) . Just like every other college student, he will have to do some homework for math and if he wants to pass the exams he will have to study a lot, whether he likes math or not. The student would be approaching the subject math problem-oriented if he would continuously imagine all the negative aspects of math that he does not like and might ask himself the question, “Why do I have to study for math? For what kind of reason?” . The college student would be talking with his fellow students about the pointlessness of math, which will only strengthen his negative opinion about math. Rather than focusing his energy on studying for math he will get uptight and spends large amounts of his time in an ineffective way, that won’t help him to pass the exams.

When I was in school I heard similar questions whole the time, especially when it came to subjects that the majority of my classmates did not like. To be honest, when I was younger I was asking myself these questions as well, especially in subjects that I knew were pointless for the profession I wanted to become. When I grew older I started to scrutinize this behavior and noticed how senseless it was to focus all my attention on problem focused thinking, especially as this only decreased my motivation and strengthened my resentment towards these subjects.

Discovering that one is majorly approaching tasks and challenges problem focused can be really difficult, but once we are aware of this we can start to change our focus from the problem towards the solution and make use of the solution-focused thinking.

Let us come back to the example of the college student that was thinking problem oriented. In order to think solution oriented, he would need to completely accept the fact that math is a part of his schedule and will, therefore, be tested in his exams, whether he likes math or not. By accepting this fact he will easily destroy the root cause for questions that focus on the reason for something (“Why?”) and that only waste his time.

We start to think solution oriented once we are aware that we cannot change certain facts/problems and will only spend our time in an inefficient way when we seek for the possible reasons for these situations. By clarifying the reasons why the task we have to face (e.g. math) might be important, for example, to get accepted to a good university or to increase our GPA, we can bring the solution focused thinking to a further level.

It is really astounding to see how many people are thinking problem oriented, especially as this behavior starts in school and can be found in the professional world as well, for example when an employee has to face a new task that he is not familiar with, or has little to no knowledge about. Those that think problem-oriented would be imagining all the negative consequences they might have to face or all the mistakes they might commit when trying to solve the task. The employee will talk about his difficult situation with different colleagues, his partner or friends, which will only increase his fear of the upcoming task.

When you focus only on the problem, you might miss a new path.

The employee that quite in the contrary knows of the benefits of solution focused thinking does not struggle with the new task for a second, as he is too busy to take necessary preparations to solve it. He will completely accept the new task as a challenge, or even consider the task as a chance to prove his boss that he is capable of solving even the more advanced tasks.

How to avoid problem focused thinking?

#1 self-knowledge:.

In order to avoid problem focused thinking and to replace it with solution-oriented thinking we firstly need to discover that we approach different tasks, problems, challenges, etc. in a problem-oriented way. This is the utmost important step to do. You can identify whether you approach tasks problem-oriented by paying attention towards the questions that arise when you have to face a task that you do not like, which might be indicators for problem focused thinking:

Why do I have to perform this task?
What is the reason that I have to study this subject?
Why do I even spend time with this?

#2 Fight problem-oriented questions:

The very first step to approach problems with solution focused thinking is to avoid questions that mainly focus on the reason or the problem in general. You need to clarify yourself that the question for the “WHY” will only waste important time that you could have invested to solve a given problem.

#3 Clarity:

When you come to the conclusion that a task needs to be done you will see the pointlessness of further evaluating the usefulness or non-usefulness of a task. So when you have to face a task that you dislike you could ask yourself the question, “Has this task to be fulfilled?” and when you conclude that the answer is “Yes”, then you know that every further attempt to evaluate the reasons and the “Why’s” is a waste of time.

#4 Why is it important to solve this task?

Questioning and clarifying the importance of a task will finally erase the root cause of every problem-oriented question. By clarifying the reasons why a task needs to be performed we can effectively change our focus from the problem to possible solutions.

#5 Think about the solution:

The final step to profit from solution focused thinking the most is to ask yourself different questions on how you can solve a given task or problem:

How can I solve this task?
How can I address this problem?
What would be the first step to solving this problem?
What kind of preparations will be necessary for this task?

Why does problem focused thinking decrease motivation?

Just imagine yourself having to study for an upcoming test (whether it is for school or a professional development is unimportant). While you are sitting in front of your table you start thinking about the exam and how much you dislike the whole subject. Questions that address the reason why you have to study for this subject start to arise and will ensure that you lose even the slightest interest in your task. Without being interested and a dozen of different questions that start to arise we finally lack the motivation to study for the exam !

Problem vs. Solution oriented thinking was presented by our Personality Growth Website. What is your preferred way of thinking? We’re excited to hear about your experiences in the comments section below.

About Author

Steve is the founder of Planet of Success , the #1 choice when it comes to motivation, self-growth and empowerment. This world does not need followers. What it needs is people who stand in their own sovereignty. Join us in the quest to live life to the fullest!

The entj personality type analyzed, the istp personality type analyzed, the esfj personality type explained, 24 comments.

Just saying Problem focused approach wastes time is ridiculous. It depends on what situation you’re in. If you’re preparing for an exam like olympiads, Problem focused approach is Best whereas while in actual exam, a solution focused approach might be better. You’re not going to learn and understand anything unless you ask yourself the questions like Why, What and How. But I can’t expect the same fro someone who has disliked Maths.

Did you read the first part of this? They specifically mentioned that starting with a problem oriented perspective is fine, but to eventually “fight it” by answering those questions so that you can get to a solution oriented perspective. Essentially, the big picture here is to not get stuck in problem orientation — it’s quite simple.

The issue of stress is ignored here. Tolerance for ambiguity is reduced by stress. When stressed, any additional requirement is a “problem.” This starts a downward spiral. A willingness to reduce our personal stress (with good diet, aerobic exercise, adequate sleep, etc.) can allow us to acknowledge our willingness (and culpability) in accepting new challenges, which can then take us away from an “Everything is a problem” attitudes.

Hello Jane, this is an incredibly important remark you make here. Thank you for sharing it. I hadn’t considered it from this perspective, but you are absolutely right.

I hate to be offensive, but I also don’t like to say, “No offense”, so I will tell you something that will probably offend you, Steve. But if you hadn’t considered it from that perspective, then you probably aren’t fully qualified to be writing articles like this. You obviously haven’t studied the full depths and ramifications of the issue.

Furthermore, you are telling people to ignore emotions which are a signal to them that something is wrong. Certainly, people can become TOO overtaken by those emotions, but just ignoring those emotions pushes them aside and suppresses them. Ultimately, it is those reactions and emotions that are the barometer of everything that we do. I’m not saying that there isn’t merit to what you are saying, but putting it in such black and white terms ignores so many factors that people deal with.

Finally, there is a strong value to considering problems, and even dwelling on them. It is a natural psychological process. The “why” is often crucial. It also leads to critical thinking and evaluating. Maybe there is a better process that could be undertaken to do the set of tasks much more efficiently, which leads to innovating thinking. It allows for questioning of morality, efficiency, ramifications and consequences. Even visceral reactions to problems can be an indicator of a deeper problem that needs to be addressed. Shutting any these down can cause numerous problems down the road.

I’m not saying that the article doesn’t provide merit, but the fact that you haven’t brought up many of the innumerable other factors to be considered really makes me think that you shouldn’t be writing articles like this, because you simply have only cursory knowledge of the psychology involved.

I’m sorry if that stings, but I think you may be doing more harm than good by saying these things.

Thanks for sharing your opinion. No offense taken.

Wonderful Steve. I so agree that a person’s success depends on their ability to be solution oriented. I am a follower of Dr. Wayne Dyer, and your philosophy sounds fully compatible.

Thanks Sherwin. I am glad someone agrees.

The only reason one (stakeholder) would recognize a situation and label it as a problem is when it demands a solution. Thus problem and solution co-exist – the latter waiting to be discovered. Difficult for me to understand what a problem oriented approach would be.

“Why should I do this task?” simply means that one is not a stakeholder. If so, the problem simply does not exist!

My intention behind writing this article was to point out that some people only focus on the problem, whereas other people take notice of the problem but more eager to find a solution. The first approach involves complaining, but does not lead anywhere. The second approach is not so prone to complaining, but actively seeks for solutions to the problem.

The key term here is orientation not exclusivity. I consider myself to be a solution-oriented person and also know that it is essential that I define what a problem actually entails before I set about trying to resolve it. Sometimes this process is met with a significant amount of resistance due to the emotional discomfort that can arise during my search to define something. Logic dictates that it is seldom a black and white scenario. Acceptance of a problem can be a bigger challenge than we initially realise. Also over-simplifying issues around problem-solving will not do justice to the sometimes complex nature of any problem and/or solution. I do believe the concept of being solution-oriented is a health directed approach and leaves less room for unhealthy manipulation. That is where I see the value in this kind of orientation. Mental and physical health always come into any equation (yes, I said that) involving problems and solutions that need attention to improve health and well being. Thanks for your thoughts and intentions Steve. I believe you are on the right track.

Thank you Louise for sharing your brilliantly articulated thoughts on this subject. I absolutely agree with you.

I’d like to add a comment as an observer of my own behavior. I notice that I complain more when I’m more physically and mentally fatigued which drains me even more. And like an earlier commenter mentioned stress plays a factor in how we choose to spend our time and what we focus on in our thoughts. All the feel good endorphins and the dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin produced in our brains has a huge effect on how we think. I agree that diet and exercise plays a huge part in how we view the world and the obstacles that are placed in front of us everyday.The more of those chemicals produced the more positive thoughts and the less fatigued you feel. I love this article BTW.

What a clearly written and extremely helpful/useful article! I thank you for it.

You’re welcome. Thanks for your feedback.

The mentality in this article is common in business management etc, but unfortunately, it is not so simple as it would have you believe. The described solution-driven thinking implies falling in line with the current power structure and establishment, and naturally is promoted wide and far.

I consider problem-oriented thinking closely linked with critical thinking, and that we have too little of today. If you don’t ask questions like “what?” and “why?”, and instead simply accept the circumstances you’re in, then you also strip away important aspects of participating in society. Circumstances can and do change, and just accepting them means someone else will change it in your stead.

Sure, sometimes you need to stay focused on solving the task at hand. Knowing the difference I’d argue is part of what critical thinking is about, which the world is in dire need of.

Excellent argumentation. Thanks for your contribution.

problems were not here without any solution. There should always be one answer for it, no matter how big or small the problem is. always think on the positive side and you’ll see the solution is just always in front of you or just within your grasp.

Nice words for to understand about the problems. How to be aware in problems. Thank you

While trying to focus on solutions to a couple of problems currently plaguing my empire, I have no choice but to consider the problems, and considering the problems makes me more and more angry and totally distracts me from finding the solution :-/

Lovely topic I was recently faced with a challenge of getting my little daughter back on track after she suddenly took a 360 degree turn in personality and this was the exact debate the edu psych at school and I were having . Do I molicottle the situation and just over compliment her to improve self esteem or do i use the problem solution way of thinking which I agre with and he disagrees with ,wow tough one but I feel equip a young impressionable mind with so many negative influences in her way ,the best approach as a mom in help in my child succeed in her future is the solution based technique and in order for us to find solutions we need to identify the problem else the word solution lol would never have been invented as an antonym ….hahhah

Very good article. When you linger too long on problem, it makes you stressful whereas solution focused approach brings up your dormant resources. Although the situation is same the way your brain chemistry works is very different with these two different approach.

When presented with a problem my instinct is to find a way to fix it, I’m led to believe this is more a male trait than a female trait.

Males are tunnel vision, females periphery vision.