Abstract: Coping with stress, due to its relation to psychological adaptation and health, has been the most widely studied topic in all fields of contemporary psychology abroad. However, there are more remarkable problems in coping research. In this article, the author reviews and analyses studies on coping over the past 20 years in China, and the following five problems in coping research are discussed: (1) the assessment and roles of defense mechanisms; (2) the assessment of ways of coping; (3) the evaluation of coping outcomes; (4) the designs of coping research; (5) the relationships between coping research and clinical practice. The author analyses and puts forward possible solutions to these problems.

Key words: coping research, positive results, problems, solutions