Author: Maryam Farooq
Supervisor: Dr. Nosheen K. Rahman
Degree: M,Phil
Year: 2003-2005
University: Centre for Clinical Psychology, Punjab University, Lahore, Pakistan
Abstract
The aim of the present research project was to study the relationship of Imaginal Processes, Coping Behaviour and Mental Health. Three measuring instruments were chosen for this purpose. Short Imaginal Processes Inventory (SIPI): for measuring imaginal processes. Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE): for measuring coping behaviour in stressful situations and Symptom Checklist -R (SCL-R): for measuring mental health. SIPI and COPE were translated into Urdu through the standard procedure of toward translation and back translation. A pilot study was conducted on 30 students: 10 from F.A, 10 from B.A and 10 from M.A. All the students participating filled a consent form and the three measuring instruments. Latter a verbal feedback was taken from each participant. The suggestions gathered from the pilot study were incorporated in the main study. The data of the main study was collected form 1000 students: 376 F.A/F.Sc, 268 B.A/B.Sc, and 356 M.A/ M.Sc with an age range of 16 to 23 years. The results indicated that the students scoring higher on Positive Constructive Daydreaming (PCD) scored higher on Problem Focused Coping (PFC) and Emotion Focused Coping (EFC). Students scoring higher on PCD scored lower on the scales of SCL-R. The students scoring higher on Guilt and Fear of Failure (GFF) scored higher on Less Useful Coping (LUC) and scales of SCL-R. Those who scored higher on Poor Attentional Control (PAC) scored higher on LUC and the scales of SCL-R. Male students scored significantly higher than the female students on GFF. There was no significant gender difference on the scale of COPE and SCL-R. The three education levels: F.A/F.Sc, B.A/B.Sc and M.A/M.Sc were compared on the three measuring instruments. The students of F.A/F.Sc scored significantly higher than the students of M.A/M.Sc on the scale of PAC. There was no significant difference on the scales of COPE based on the level of education however the students of F.A/F.Sc scored significantly higher than the students ofM.A/M.Sc on the scale of Somatoform, Anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The students of F.A/F.Sc and B.A/B.Sc scored significantly higher than the students of M.A/M.Sc on the scales of Schizophrenia. The findings of the study may be helpful since the habitual coping styles are associated with significant health outcomes so the clinician can rely on habitual coping styles and imaginal processes as indicators of potential health problems, in screening nonclinical samples. Further research in the area is required to establish the findings of the present research.
Keywords: Imaginal Processes, Coping, Mental Health.
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