Coping with serious illness: on integrating constructs to enhance clinical research, assessment and intervention

Empirical research suggests that given relatively similar illness contingencies, patients who cope successfully with serious illness have access to and use effectively social network support, believe events are to some extent within their control, perceive themselves to be effective, and employ an array of flexible coping strategies. Based on a selective literature review, the argument is made that more integrative conceptual frameworks are needed to advance theory and to enhance the applied value of research data. Clinical implications for assessment, intervention, and evaluation are set forth.