How might her care be changed if the woman were 25 years old or 45 years old?

A key assumption in Lazarus’ model is that individuals differ in their appraisal of similar events (Kelso, French, & Fernandez, 2005). When treating patients in various developmental stages and ages, the nurse can draw upon common concepts across theories. In the example above, the nurse can still use Lazarus’ coping theory, but the values and beliefs of the patient will be reflective of the patient’s age, as well as their role in their societal and sociological circles. Role theory may be useful in any case as the nurse assesses the patient’s role as mother, sister, daughter, and/or breadwinner, etc. Role theory is borrowed from the sociological sciences (McEwen & Wills, 2014) and in the case of a young woman who is having a mastectomy, role stress or role overload may be an underlying cause of anxiety, stress, or depression.