Monitoring and Blunting in the Face of Threat: Implications for Adaptation and Health 1

The prospect of loss—as in learning that one is at risk for a serious disease such as cancer or AIDS—can be an agonizingly stressful and threatening crisis. Who fares best in the face of such threats and how can individuals be helped to manage their reactions to terrifying prospects? Recent evidence suggests that the process of adapting to threatening events can be dissected along a number of different dimensions, such as problem- versus emotion-focused coping and active vs. passive coping. Another fundamental approach has to do with the extent to which the individual monitors and confronts the threat or, alternatively, psychologically blunts and avoids the threat.