1. Classification of Stressor Event & Situations
Source
Internal – Events that begin from someone inside the family, such as addition, suicide, violence or running for an election
External – Events that begin from someone or something outside the family, such as floods, terrorism and inflation

2. Classification of Stressor Event & Situations
Type
Normative Developmental Predictable
Events that are expected during the life course: birth, puberty, adolescence, marriage, aging, menopause, retirement and death
Catastrophic Situational Unexpected
Events or situations not foreseen: a young person dies

3. Classification of Stressor Event & Situations
Type
Ambiguous
Events or situations that remain unclear; facts about the status of a family member remain unclear; facts are unavailable or unclear
Clear
Facts are available; family knows what is happening and how it will turn out

4. Classification of Stressor Event & Situations
Type
Volitional
Events or situations that are wanted and sought out: freely chosen job changes, college entrance, or a wanted pregnancy
Nonvolitional
Events or situations not freely chosen: laid off, fired, divorced and given up for adoption

5. Classification of Stressor Event & Situations
Duration
Chronic
A situation of long duration: diabetes, chemical addiction, or discrimination and prejudice
Acute
Event that lasts a short time but is stressful: broken leg

6. Classification of Stressor Event & Situations
Density
Cumulative
Events or situations that pile up, one after the other, so there is no time to cope before the next stressor occurs; families worn down by multiple unresolved stressors
Isolated
One event that occurs with no other stressors; easlily pinpointed

7. Perception Student writing on page 58
If I do not view things the way others do, is it a bad thing?
Must I constantly remind myself that I am perceiving it differently and try to perceive it in the way they do in order to help them?
Or do I just need to know their perceptions in order to fully understand the premise they are coming from?

8. Family Stress
Pressure on the family; disturbance of the family’s steady state (homeostasis)
Lowered performance in the family’s usual routines and tasks
The occurrence of physical or emotional symptoms
May not be perceived as negative by some families

9. Family Crisis
A disturbance in the equilibrium (homeostasis) that is overwhelming
A pressure that is severe
A change that is acute
The family system is blocked, immobilized and incapacitated for a time

10. Recovery Results from Change in the stressor event
Change in the availability of resources for coping
Change in the perception of both factors