Then and Now - my coping journey in the STAR community over two decades: What I have learnt and what I want to learn 

 

Resilience is the magic bullet that everyone wants whilst coping is the process that helps to achieve resilience. In the last two decades there have been significant advances in the theory of coping and its applications to individual lives and professional practice. This presentation, honouring the late Charlie Spieberger, will outline some major developments and research insights into coping, with applications for educational and clinical practice. Measurement of diverse groups across the life span has provided insights with children adolescents and adults. In recent years there has been a growing interest in aspects of coping that are related to neuroscience, epigenetics, mindfulness and the impact of the cyber world. Young people’s anxiety, eating disorders and chronic illness all benefit from our understandings of coping. When it comes to aging, with people living longer, the paradox that people are often happier in their older years despite experiencing more adversity, is explained in some measure by  the use of spiritual coping, mindfulness and positive reminiscing. Key issues that need to be addressed in future research are considered.