Coping

The concept of ‘coping’ is fundamental in stress research, as an overall designation for everything people do to deal with stressful situations. In this book Karen Pallesgaard Munk further develops the theory of coping, using the American psychologist Richard S. Lazarus’ analysis of emotions to research how individuals and groups experience stress.

This new method, which Karen Pallesgaard Munk calls Qualitative Micro Analysis, begins with interviews that focus on both practical and emotional aspects of the life situation of the informant. Against this background, a systematic mapping of the informant’s coping strategies and related narratives is made as a basis for change.

In this book, instructions are given for how to conduct a coping interview, analyse the results and then communicate the data. The guidelines are applicable to both large research projects and smaller investigations on stress and well-being, for example by students of health.