Stress conceptions in life event research: Towards a person‐centred perspective

1987 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerhard Vossel

The present article focuses on a discussion of the theoretical foundations of life event research. Since critical life events are usually regarded as stressful events, the main question is which concepts of stress are employed in different life event approaches and what is their rationale. The discussion centres on two topics that have to be treated independently: the question of specificity vs nonspecificity and the question of individualized vs normative weightings. It is shown that different life event approaches rely on different concepts of stress. Numerous objections lead to a rejection of the nonspecificity concept and a normative proceeding. However, even when a specificity view of stress is advocated and individual weights are used, life stress measures do not account for a substantial proportion of the variance in the stress‐related dependent variables. Therefore, a reorientation of life event research is required. It is proposed that future life event research should concentrate on the individual meaning of events and adequately consider the time dimension as well CIS processes of coping.

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401882238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Lyons ◽  
Kate Evans ◽  
Samuli Helle

Stressful life events have a major impact on adverse mental health outcomes, although not all individuals are equally affected. According to the buffering hypothesis, there may be personality traits that protect individuals against mental distress in the face of adversity, playing thus a moderating role between life stressors and mental distress. In the present online study ( N = 574), Dark Triad of personality (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) were investigated as moderators between cumulative stressful life events and mental distress (i.e., psychosis, anxiety, and depression). Those who experienced more stressful events during lifetime, and scored higher in Machiavellianism, had higher scores on a psychosis instrument. Narcissism buffered the impact of stressful events on psychosis and depression. The results are discussed in terms of unique profiles associated with each of the traits.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. 36-36
Author(s):  
Courtney Vaughan ◽  
Bethany Stangl ◽  
Rajita Sinha ◽  
Vijay Ramchandani

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: The objective of this analysis was to characterize the impact of stress, both early life and chronic, on intravenous alcohol self-administration (IV-ASA) in healthy non-dependent drinkers using the Computer-Assisted Infusion System (CAIS). Personality measures also have shown to impact drinking behavior, particularly impulsivity. Few studies have assessed the impact of stress and impulsivity on drinking behaviors in a non-dependent population. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Healthy non-dependent drinkers (n=28) completed a CAIS session, where they push a button adlib to self-administer standardized IV alcohol infusions. Participants completed the Cumulative Chronic Stress interview and the Early Life Stress Questionnaire (ELSQ) for stress measures. The Cumulative Chronic Stress interview was broken up into 4 sections: major life events, life traumas, recent life events, and chronic stressors. The number of endorsed events was added up to create 4 separate scores. Subjective response and craving measures were collected serially using the Drug Effects Questionnaire (DEQ) and Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ). The Impaired Control Scale (ICS) assessed failed control over recent drinking in the past 6 months. Impulsivity was assessed using the NEO personality inventory, which included the N-impulsive sub-facet, as well as the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Results showed early life stress events (ELSQ) are related to more chronic stressors in the cumulative chronic stress interview (p=0.005). Participants with higher chronic stress scores showed lower subjective effects, as measured by the DEQ, following the priming exposure (p=0.036) but had more craving for alcohol as measured by the AUQ (p=0.009). A regression analysis showed the number of chronic stressful events predicted ICS failed attempts to control drinking (p=0.034), after covarying for sex. Participants with more chronic stressful events showed more impulsivity on the N-impulsivity measure (p=0.034) and the UPPS-P positive urgency measure (p=0.005). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Non-dependent drinkers with more early life stress tend to have a higher number of chronic stressful events. More chronically stressful events were associated with feeling less effects of alcohol and higher craving for alcohol. Participants with more chronically stressful events also appear to have more failed attempts at controlling their drinking. Future analysis will assess for mediation and moderation of these factors. Chronically stressful events and impulsive behaviors could serve as important areas for intervention for better treatment outcomes for alcohol use disorders.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-185
Author(s):  
S. Cotter ◽  
C. Healy ◽  
D. Ni Cathain ◽  
P. Williams ◽  
M. Clarke ◽  
...  

ObjectivesMigrant youths endure many challenges. Such challenges can be stressful and lead to psychological difficulties. We investigated the relationship between migration, psychopathology and stressful events in children and adolescents. We hypothesised that migrant youths would show higher levels of psychopathology and more stressful life events than non-migrant youths.MethodUsing the Child cohort (Cohort ‘98) of the ‘Growing up in Ireland’ study we investigated psychopathology, as measured by the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) at age 9 and 13 and stressful life events in migrant and non-migrant youths.ResultsThere was no significant difference between the proportion of migrant and non-migrant youths reporting psychopathology in childhood (p>0.05) or adolescence (p>0.05). Analysis of the SDQ subscales revealed that a significantly greater proportion of migrant youths had hyperactivity problems in childhood (p = 0.04) but a greater proportion of non-migrant youths had emotional problems in early adolescence (p = 0.04). We found that migrant youths experienced significantly more stressful life events than their non-migrant counterparts (p<0.01), however, once ‘Moving house/country‘ was removed as a stressor, there was no difference between the groups (p>0.27).ConclusionsContrary to our hypothesis, we observed that there were few differences between migrant and non-migrant youths in the levels of psychopathology. Migrant youths experienced a greater number of stressful life events, however, this was attributable to stressors relating to moving. An increased understanding of the factors promoting resilience, as demonstrated by the migrant youths, could aid health professionals and policy makers to effectively tailor interventions for mental health promotion.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 917-922
Author(s):  
Huda Hadi Jawad ◽  
Dr. Shorouq Kazem Salman

There is no doubt that the stressful events and situations that the individual is exposed to affect his psychological structure in the context of his relationship with the social environment in which he lives, so that it has become the cornerstone of psychosomatic disorders, which leads him to feel distress, frustration, depression, anxiety and other negative emotions, in addition to It leads to inappropriate behavioral responses such as introversion and self-restriction, avoiding social interaction with others, and feeling alienated so that life becomes meaningless for him. stressful life events have negative effects on human mental health, especially on state employees, the researcher resorted to carrying out the current study, which aimed to: 1- The stressful life events of state employees. 2- The significance of the differences in stressful life events for state employees according to the gender variable (males - females). In order to achieve this, the researcher built a measure of stressful life events consisting of (36) items, distributed over three areas based on the theory of cognitive appreciation of the world (Lazarus), and a sample of (400) employees from the Ministry of Education was drawn, and after it extracted The validity and reliability coefficients of the stressful life events scale items, and then analyzing the sample answers, the research results showed the following: A - The research sample does not have a level of stressful life events. B - There is no effect of gender on the high level of stressful life events for the research sample.


2012 ◽  
Vol 201 (6) ◽  
pp. 458-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina M. Hosang ◽  
Ania Korszun ◽  
Lisa Jones ◽  
Ian Jones ◽  
Peter McGuffin ◽  
...  

BackgroundLittle is known about the impact of different types of stressful events (for example divorcev.bereavement) on unipolar depression compared with bipolar disorder. Inconsistencies exist concerning the association between independent events (beyond an individual's control, such as bereavement) and bipolar disorder.AimsTo examine the role of specific, independent and dependent events in mood disorders.MethodLife-event information was collected from 512 people with bipolar disorder, 1448 people with unipolar depression and over 600 controls.ResultsVarious events were associated with unipolar depression and bipolar disorder, but some event specificity was detected. For example, financial crisis was more strongly related to bipolar disorder rather than unipolar depression. Independent events were only related to unipolar depression and not bipolar disorder.ConclusionsThe events that were linked to bipolar disorder and unipolar depression were similar. Independent events were not associated with bipolar episodes, suggesting that life stress may be a consequence of, rather than a trigger for, bipolar episodes.


1979 ◽  
Vol 135 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ambelas

SummaryThe case notes of all 67 manic patients admitted to the psychiatric wing of a District General Hospital over a period of two years were screened for evidence of independent life events during a four week period prior to admission. The nature of such events and of the underlying stresses was examined and the data obtained were compared with data from a control group of acute surgical admissions. Four times as many manic patients had an independent life event closely preceding their admission. It is concluded that stress in the form of loss or threat is a common precipitant of mania. Some surprising findings are focused upon and discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-130
Author(s):  
Virginie Christophe ◽  
Michel Hansenne

Decades of research on affective forecasting have shown a persistent intensity bias—a strong tendency by which people overestimate their future hedonic response for positive events and underestimate it for negatives one. While previous research has provided answers on the isolated impact of various individual or contextual factors, this study is original in that it brings them together to determine which ones most influence the inaccuracy of affective forecasting. Participants were asked to predict their emotional satisfaction for a personal life event, the course (positive or negative) and date of which were already known. First, the results support previous research by showing that affective predictions are highly associated with people’s affective experience. Moreover, multiple regression showed that among the individual and contextual factors previously reported to be in relation with affective forecasting inaccuracy, only the valence of the event could explain inaccuracy of forecasting. According to a growing body of literature, these findings point out a tendency to underestimate the intensity of the affect predicted both for negative and positive, with a stronger underestimation for negative events: the negative valence effect.


1981 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael I. Frydman

The relationships between psychiatric symptoms and life events scaled for the aetiological relevance of Chance, Self and Others were explored in a sample of 220 parents of chronically ill children. Psychiatrically impaired subjects reported a significant excess of life events in each of the three categories, and not just the Self-caused scale. Similar findings occurred when the aetiological contingency scalings were combined with scalings of Distress and Life Change. Impaired subjects reported an excess of Distress and Life Change attributable to Chance and Others, as well as to Self. The correlation between psychiatric symptoms and self-caused events was weaker than the correlation between a) symptoms and Others-caused events, and b) symptoms and the raw number of events. These findings are interpreted as support for the proposition that the relationship between events and symptoms in the present study is not found because of contamination of the former (independent) variable by the measure of the latter (dependent) variables.


Author(s):  
Ольга Борисовна Шредер

В статье освещается опыт пенитенциарной системы Германии. Ее усилия по ресоциализации заключенных интерпретируются как миссия по вмешательству в развитие личности. Отмечается необходимость способствовать расширению традиционных средств воздействия на личность заключенного, в первую очередь в свете образовательных и терапевтических вмешательств. Предполагается, что изменение личности происходит при переходе на каждый из этапов жизни в связи с озабоченностью человека проблемами, возникающими в ходе его биографии в этот период. В связи с этим в первую очередь рассматриваются типичные задачи, с которыми сталкивается человек на протяжении всей его жизни, с учетом всех особенностей преступной личности, так называемые нормативные задачи развития. Кроме того, изучаются чрезвычайные, «критические» жизненные события, способные оказывать кардинальные изменения на личность. При этом отмечается, что специфический клиент в контексте тюремного заключения уже несет в себе повышенный риск таких критических жизненных событий. Проблемы изменения личности заключенного анализируются с точки зрения перспектив развития, в особенности в свете самостоятельно устанавливаемых ими жизненных целей. Таким образом, тюремная система как пространство, в котором должны происходить процессы изменений в личности заключенного, подвергается анализу, основанному на психологии развития. Предполагается, что психологический взгляд на пенитенциарную систему на практике может способствовать расширению возможностей успешной интервенции. Отмечается, что ресоциализированная личность заключенного должна явиться не столько результатом внешнего запроса общества, сколько его собственных личных устремлений и целей. The article highlights the experience of the German penal system. Its efforts to re-socialize prisoners are interpreted as a mission to interfere with personal development. There is a need to promote the expansion of traditional means of influencing the prisoner's personality, primarily in the light of educational and therapeutic interventions. It is assumed that a change in personality occurs during the transition to each of the stages of life in connection with the concern of a person with problems that arise in the course of his biography during this period. In this regard, first of all, we consider the typical tasks that a person faces throughout his life, taking into account all the features of a criminal personality, the so-called normative development tasks. In addition, we study extreme, "critical" life events that can have a dramatic change on the individual. It is noted that a specific client in the context of incarceration already carries an increased risk of such critical life events. The problems of changing the prisoner's personality are analyzed from the point of view of development prospects, especially in the light of their own life goals. Thus, the prison system as a space in which the processes of changes in the prisoner's personality should take place is analyzed based on developmental psychology. It is assumed that a psychological view of the penal system in practice can help to expand the possibilities of successful intervention. It is noted that the resocialized personality of a prisoner should be not so much the result of an external request from society, but rather his own personal aspirations and goals.


2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 727-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Gardiner ◽  
Mark Stuart ◽  
Robert MacKenzie ◽  
Chris Forde ◽  
Ian Greenwood ◽  
...  

This article investigates the process of moving on from redundancy in the Welsh steel industry among individuals seeking new careers. It identifies a spectrum of career change experience, ranging from those who had actively planned their career change, prior to the redundancies, to those ‘at a career crossroads’, for whom there were tensions between future projects, present contingencies and past identities. It suggests that the process of moving on from redundancy can be better understood if we are able to identify, not just structural and cultural enablers and constraints but also the temporal dimensions of agency that facilitate or limit transformative action in the context of critical life events. Where individuals are located on the spectrum of career change experience will depend on the balance of enabling and constraining factors across the four aspects considered, namely temporal dimensions of agency, individuals’ biographical experience, structural and cultural contexts.


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