title: Imposed and chosen monitoring and blunting strategies in the dental setting: Effects, self-efficacy, and coping preference.
abstract: Abstract In the present study, 94 dental patients received either monitoring (i.e., paying attention) or blunting (i.e., distraction) coping instructions during treatment. Half of the patients were given the possibility of choice, whereas the other half were offered one of both strategies without choice. A majority of the patients (n=61) indicated that the intervention had resulted in a decrease of their anxiety. Some indications were found for the monitoring strategy to be more effective than the blunting strategy. More specifically, monitoring strategy subjects reported that they had experienced less distress during treatment than blunting strategy subjects. In agreement with this finding, self-efficacy ratings of monitoring strategy subjects were higher than those of blunting strategy subjects. Possibility of choice and coping preference had no substantial influence on effectiveness of the interventions.
authors: a University of Limburg, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, General Health Centre De Tanthof , Delft.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Muris
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Jongh
authors: F J
authors: FJ
authors: Zuuren
authors: G T
authors: GT
authors: Horst
authors: Y K
authors: YK
authors: Deforchaux
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Somers