Results revealed that men and women did differ on their responses to stress consistent with the national findings . Women working on and off the farm tended to have stresses with balancing work and family, commuting and chronic tiredness . Peoples' responses to changes can be reactive or proactive. Reactive people may operate on the basis that change will never occur or that it will but chose to wait until change happens to react. This kind of change may be seen as a loss or threat.
Proactive responses occur when people plan for change and see it as an opportunity.
It is how the individuals within a family and the family as a unit interacts with change that impacts the outcome-the degree to which the individuals and the family survives and thrives. A view of change as loss puts people into a grieving process which generally progresses in stages from shock and denial to anger, depression and detachment, dialogue and bargaining and onto acceptance. The ability to make decisions is impacted by the stage of grief. Depending on the size and seriousness of the change and the depth of grief, individuals and families may need help in managing their grief. The view of change as opportunity still requires adjustments and may include resistance to change even when the respond is proactive.