Adult Life Stress: Assessment Tools Analysis

NB: We do not resell your papers. Upon ordering, we do an original paper exclusively for you.

NB: All your data is kept safe from the public.

Table of Contents

Adult Life Stress Measurement
Beck Depression Inventory
Coping Resources Inventory for Stress
Applying the Tools to the Vulnerable Population
Conclusion
References

In order to provide the high quality care, nurses should use effective assessment tools which assess on-physical measures. According to Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, much attention should be paid to the patient’s physical, psychological, and emotional state in order to promote healing (Caruso, Cisar, & Pipe, 2008, p. 126). Thus, it is important to examine such assessment tools focused on measuring the psychological state as Adult Life Stress Measurement, Beck Depression Inventory, and Coping Resources Inventory for Stress in order to concentrate on the mind-body-spirit dimensions and discuss the role of the tools in expanding the nurses’ abilities to provide the high quality care.

Adult Life Stress Measurement

Adult Life Stress Measurement is based on the checklist the main task of which is to determine the stressors in the form of life events which can affect the person’s stress level. Having determined the events which are discussed as stressful, the patient is measured according to the certain score which reflects the level of the life stress affected by the experienced events (Lu, Hsu, Chan, Cheen, & Kao, 2012, p. 254). Furthermore, following Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, the examiner also pays attention to the patient’s reactions to questions to determine the extent to which the patient is at risk of developing the pathological state.

The measurement is appropriate for adults who experienced many significant changes in their life during a certain period of time and for representatives of different genders and ethnicities. Different variants of the test are free and available online. The strengths of the assessment tool are in the opportunity to use the test quickly because it is rather short. The checklist is effectively organized to reduce the time for analyzing the results.

Adult Life Stress Measurement can be discussed as valid if it is necessary to make quick conclusions about the patient’s psychological state at the current stage of life. To assess the stress level completely, the more detailed test is necessary. Adult Life Stress Measurement can significantly improve the nursing process at the first stages of assessing and diagnosing because of providing quick credible results which reflect the patient’s life stress level. This information can be used to determine the risks for the further increase in the stress level and for barriers in treatment.

Beck Depression Inventory

Beck Depression Inventory is a self-report assessment tool which is actively used to identify the symptoms of depression and its severity in adolescents and adults. There are several variants of the inventory which differ in the length of the questionnaire. The patients are asked to rate their symptoms of depression according to the scale. The time necessary to complete the test is about 5-7 minutes (Stulz & Crits-Christoph, 2010, p. 927).

This tool is useful to be used among adolescent and adult patients who demonstrate symptoms of depression in order to state the extent to which the diseases developed. The test is not expensive, and it can be purchased on specialized websites which also provide the analysis of the results. The test is easily administered, and the results are highly valid because the test provides the information about the variety of depression symptoms.

Beck Depression Inventory is actively used by nurses when it is necessary to state what paths to choose to cope with the patient’s depression. The severity of depression is easily determined with the help of the inventory in 5-7 minutes, providing nurses with the opportunity to deliver the care effectively and in time.

Coping Resources Inventory for Stress

Coping Resources Inventory for Stress (CRIS) is a complex inventory including six scales and measured according to several items and certain scores. The CRIS is used to determine different levels of stress in adults, and it is useful in relation to diverse populations because it provides the complete picture of the person’s psychological state. However, the inventory is rather long and complex, and it can be administered mainly by professionals in the sphere (Matheny, Aycock, & Curlette, 2003, p. 1261). The results are valid because the stress symptoms are measured according to many factors. The CRIS can enhance the assessment and improve the quality of the care because it is useful to predict the disease development, emotional fatigue, and provide the information on life satisfaction.

Applying the Tools to the Vulnerable Population

While using the discussed tools to assess the stress and depression levels in the vulnerable population consisting of the ethnic minority groups, it is possible to focus on the effectiveness of Adult Life Stress Measurement and Beck Depression Inventory because the completion and administration of the tests take only few minutes, and the results are valid. Culture and ethnic background influence the psychological health of the patient significantly, and to assess the patient fully, it is necessary to use Adult Life Stress Measurement and Beck Depression Inventory. Coping Resources Inventory for Stress is more complex, and it is useful in working with the adult minor population who suffers from stress as a result of life situations.

Conclusion

The use of such assessment tools as Adult Life Stress Measurement, Beck Depression Inventory, and Coping Resources Inventory for Stress is necessary to provide nurses with the opportunity to note any changes in the patients’ state and health and to create the positive relationships with patients based on support, trust, and respect. Following Watson’s Theory of Human Caring and using assessment tools, nurses can create the positive healing environment and contribute to improving the patients’ health.

References

Caruso, E., Cisar, N., & Pipe, T. (2008). Creating a healing environment: An innovative educational approach for adopting Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring. Nursing Administration Quarterly, 32(2), 126-132.

Lu, F., Hsu, Y., Chan, Y., Cheen, J., & Kao, K. (2012). Assessing college student-athletes’ life stress: Initial measurement development and validation. Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, 16(4), 254-267.

Matheny, K., Aycock, D., & Curlette, W. (2003). The Coping Resources Inventory for Stress: A measure of perceived resourcefulness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59(12), 1261-1277.

Stulz, N., & Crits-Christoph, P. (2010). Distinguishing anxiety and depression in self-report: Purification of the Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory-II. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 66(9), 927-940.

Click Here To Order Now!