Discuss Richard Lazarus and Susan Folkman’s and stress and coping paradigm and in view of this paradigm explain age and individual difference in the experience and handling of stress 1. Introduction

Stress is induced by life events .Lazarus and Flokman in (Cavanaugh and Blanchard –Field (2005) point out stress is defined by the person and that no two people experiences stress the same event in exactly the same way. Each individual has a specific tolerance for stress depending on general level of adjustment, the internal and external resources available to that person, flexibility of learned coping mechanisms and the degree and type of stress being experienced .The rise in stress that results from emotional …show more content…

Challenging events may be appraised in the same way and same event can be appraised differently at any point in time. The three types of appraisal show that determining whether an event is stressful is a dynamic process .The physiological abilities change with increasing age, older adults often have few physical resources to deal with stressful situation .The situation that was appraised as less stressful in middle aged may be appraised as stressful later in life .

3. Coping Mechanisms Coping is defined as different attempts to deal with stressful event. Coping is learned and not automatic, The aim of the coping mechanisms is to restore the person to level of functioning that will enable him/her to cope effectively and adaptive manner with the challenge being faced, Lazarus and Folkman (cited in Cavanaugh 2005) explain coping as complex and evolving process of dealing with stress .When individuals are facing a stressful event they often do not cope very well. In addition coping refers to managing the situation not overcoming or controlling it. Many stressful situations can not be changed; the best way is to learn to live with them. Cavanaugh and Blanchard describe different coping mechanism in which people use to cope. • Problem focused coping : Involves confronting the problem head on .Doing something directly about the problem at hand • Emotional focused coping: dealing with ones feelings about stressful situation