Coping with Negative Life Events : Clinical and Social Psychological Perspectives

"Like a Bridge over Troubled Waters" The surge of current interest in the interface between clinical and social psychology is well illustrated by the publication of a number of general texts and journals in this area, and the growing emphasis in graduate programs on providing training in both disciplines. Although the bene- fits of an integrated clinical-social approach have been recognized for a number of years, the recent work in this area has advanced from the- oretical extrapolations of social psychological models to clinical issues to theory and research that is based on social principles and conducted in clinical domains. It is becoming increasingly common to find social psy- chologists pursuing research with clinical populations and clinical psy- chologists investigating variables that have traditionally been in the realm of social psychology. A major area of interface between the two disciplines is in research and theory concerned with how individuals respond to negative events. In addition to the trend toward an integrated clinical-social approach, the growing body of literature in this area reflects the explosion of cur- rent interest in the area of health psychology; work by clinical and social psychologists on the topics of stress and coping has been one of the major facets of this burgeoning field. The purpose of the present volume is to provide a common forum for recent advances in the clinical and social literature on responses to negative life outcomes.