Stress Constellations and Coping Styles of Older Adults with Age-Related Visual Impairment

The ways in which individuals cope with difficult life challenges has captivated interest among social workers and health care providers. Several studies have provided empirical support for applying the stress and coping model to various chronic health conditions (Benn, 1997; Carver & Scheier, 1994; Folkman, Chesney, Pollack, & Coates, 1993; Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) .Yet, existing literature on stress and coping has fallen short of confirming the underlying constructs of coping domains, requiring further research on domainspecific coping based on the nature of particular stressors (Brennan et al., 2001).

The onset of chronic disability in later life involves a disruption in the equilibrium between person and environment, and it spurs a role transformation. Particularly, age-related vision loss has been identified as one of the most disabling conditions of later life, reducing an older person's ability to function independently at home and in the community (Branch, Horowitz, & Carr, 1989; Horowitz & Reinhardt, 2000; Morse & Rosenthal, 1996). Reduced vision can disrupt lifestyles in a broad range of behavioral, psychological, and social domains in terms of mobility, self-concept, and communication skills (Brennan & Silverstone, 2000). Hence, how one copes with vision impairment is an important factor in adaptation to this potentially disabling condition. A better understanding of patterns of stressors and coping styles would allow social work practitioners and researchers to better address the complex nature of and processes involved in this adjustment to visual impairment in late adulthood.