Coping, treatment planning, and treatment outcome: Discussion

The articles presented in this issue are discussed within the context of the general literature on coping and coping style. The focus of this special issue was to determine if these articles are both consistent with extant research and advance the field. We identify at least two general definitions of coping, as used in these articles. We refer to one definition as reflecting one's “coping style.” This is largely a descriptive concept and closely related to one's enduring behavioral traits. It is closely related to other personality characteristics such as introversion–extroversion, stability, etc. The other definition of “coping” in the literature is much more specific to stressful environments and to the changes noted in one's behavior and cognitions during times of stress, than the first definition. We refer to this broad stress response as one's “coping response.” Coping response, unlike coping style, includes both a cognitive and an affective component. We conclude that it may be advantageous to differentiate between these two broad definitions in future research. We also conclude that the articles in this issue provide information that advances the field's understanding of coping styles and coping responses. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol, 2003.