Which of the following clients shows the greatest risk factor for stre

Which of the following clients shows the greatest risk factor for stress coping related to situa-tional stressors?

1. An 18-year-old high school athlete who breaks his leg just before college football tryouts
2. A 75-year-old widow whose only son is severely injured in an automobile acci-dent
3. A 36-year-old who loses his job days after his marriage to his high school sweet-heart
4. A 60-year-old who is diagnosed with prostate cancer after deciding to retire from his job of 26 years

ANSWER

ANS: 2
The timing of stress-inducing events significantly influences older adults’ ability to cope. The fact that older adults have several stressful events (i.e., loss of a spouse and new medical diagno-sis) occur within a short period of time often results in negative effects on coping ability. The re-maining options reflect stressful situations but to lesser degrees.