Leonard Pearlin’s Theory of Psychological Distress Kate MacDonald, Josée-Claire Malenfant

In this Presentation Who is Leonard Pearlin? The principles of his theory The strengths and weaknesses of the theory The relevance and connections to this theory Discussion questions

Leonard Pearlin December 26th, 1924-July 23rd 2014 He lived to be 89 years old. His work is know internationally and he has Received various awards for his work in the field of sociology(I Sociology) Aside from his developmental theories he also conducted work around mental health and mental illness (Leonard I. Pearlins obituary On the Washington Post)

Basic Premise of Theory There are no “life Stages”,he states that development is not divided by age Instead of stages we respond to varied and continuous stressors throughout our lifetime, our development is cause by how we cope and adapt to these stressors(Robinson) This makes his theory unique to individuals There are Four Path Determining elements. These are individual characteristics that affect what kind of stress a person could be exposed to(Leonard Pearlin’s Theory of Psychological Distress)

4 Path determining Elements: Individual Characteristics Skills for Coping With Stress Various characteristics that would affect one’s life choices and opportunities.(Robinson) These could include: Race Gender Family Background Personality Education Addresses how individuals cope with stressors in their life. Do they have the ways or skills needed to cope? Are the ways healthy or unhealthy techniques?(Mohamed and Hatem)

4 Path determining Elements: Availability of Social Support Networks Nature & Timing of Stress that Requires Response What resources does an individual have to help with distress?(Robinson) Resources can include: Family Friends Counselors What is the individual's level of stress like? What affects does it have on a person's life? What other elements are involved?(Mohamed and Hatem)

Strengths and Weaknesses Highlights the positive skills people have to cope with stress Development is unique and accommodating to individuals Weaknesses Lacks any clear stages Overly general. Everyone experiences different levels of stress, that makes it difficult to measure change for every individual

Connection and Relevance This theory has more connection to adolescence than the general life span Adolescence is the time period where the largest, most diverse stress occurs. This could include finances, careers, education, and much more. Provides explanation for why, when faced with the same stressor, people will chose different options. As an example: Preparing to leave high school. Some people feel anxiety, or fear, or even excitement. That is why people make many different choices, such as taking a gap year or going straight into university, ect...

4 Path Determining Elements Availability of Social Support Networks Secondary Sources 4 Path Determining Elements Movie: Individual Characteristics Skills for Coping with Stress Availability of Social Support Networks Nature & Timing of Stress that Requires Response The Blind Side Race Economic Status Family Background Education The main coping strategy highlighted is the use of Sport- specifically Football His adoptive family Coaches Teachers and counselors within the school Struggles with Education Finding a place in society Extreme Financial Situations Achieving Goals

The Blind Side

Discussion Questions In your opinion, is an individual's response to stress an accurate measure of development? Can stress be beneficial or is it solely harmful? What skills do you think an individual must possess to cope with stress?

Sources Leonard Pearlin's Theory of Psychological Distress. (2015). Retrieved November 5, 2015. Mohamed, J., & Hatem, N. (n.d.). Leonard Pearlin’s Theory of Psychological Distress. Retrieved November 5, 2015. Robinson, L. (2013). Leonard Pearlin's Theory of Psychological Distress. Retrieved November 5, 2015. | Sociology. (n.d.). Retrieved November 9, 2015. Leonard I. Pearlin’s Obituary on the Washington Post (2014, July 27). Retrieved November 15, 2015.