Study instruments
We used four instruments in the study. These included the
Revised Ways of Coping Checklist (RWCC), which was
initially developed by Lazarus and Folkman (1984) and later
revised by Vitaliano et al. (1985). This instrument is a 42-
item measure, utilizing a 4-point Likert scale format with
responses ranging from 0 (not appropriate) to 4 (regularly
used). The scale contains five subscales, categorized as
problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Problemfocused
coping is assessed by two subscales: problem-focused
thinking (15 items) and seeking social support (six items);
while emotion-focus coping is assessed by three subscales:
wishful thinking (nine items), blaming self (three items) and
avoidance (10 items).