The Impact of Recent Undesirable Life Events on Psychiatric Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence

1987 ◽  
Vol 151 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. M. Goodyer ◽  
I. Kolvin ◽  
Sonia Gatzanis
Keyword(s):  
Relative Risk ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Behavioural Disorders ◽  
Multiple Events ◽  
The Impact

The timing and number of recent stressful life events occurring in the year before onset of emotional or behavioural disorder was examined in a consecutive sample of children. Overall, events increase the relative risk of psychiatric disorder by 3–6 times. Events occur throughout the 12 months, but tend to cluster in the 16 weeks nearest onset of symptoms. The number of events influences the onset of disorder: cases with multiple events are more likely to have an event within 16 weeks of onset; cases with single events are more likely to have the event 36–52 weeks before onset. Cases whose onset occurs within 4 weeks of an event may have experienced single or multiple events. The results support the concept of additivity of recent stressful events in some cases of emotional and behavioural disorders in childhood.

scholarly journals Do “Dark” Personality Features Buffer Against Adversity? The Associations Between Cumulative Life Stress, the Dark Triad, and Mental Distress

SAGE Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401882238 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Lyons ◽  
Kate Evans ◽  
Samuli Helle
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Mental Distress ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Dark Triad ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Online Study ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Impact

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.

scholarly journals Stressful Life Events Are Related to More Negative Interpretations, but Not Under Acute Stress

2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412110141
Author(s):  
Kathy Bélanger ◽  
Isabelle Blanchette
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Arithmetic Task ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Stressful Task ◽  
The Impact

Studies have identified deleterious effects of stress on multiple cognitive processes such as memory and attention. Little is known about the impact of stress on interpretation. We investigated how an induced acute stress and more long-term stress related to life events were associated with interpretations of ambiguous stimuli. Fifty participants answered a questionnaire indexing the number of stressful life events. A median split was used to compare those reporting few or more events. Half of participants performed an arithmetic task that induced acute stress; they were compared to a control group performing a less stressful task. We measured the interpretation of ambiguous visual stimuli, which participants had to judge as “negative” or “positive”. We found a significant interaction between the number of stressful life events and the induced acute stress on the proportion of positive interpretations. In the control group, participants reporting more stressful events produced less positive interpretations than those reporting few events. In the induced stress condition, no significant difference was found. Life events tend to influence interpretation in the absence of an acute stressor, which seems to be more influent in the short term.

scholarly journals Association of Stress Management Skills and Stressful Life Events With Allergy Risk: a Case-control Study in Southern China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingru Cheng ◽  
Fei Li ◽  
Yigui Lai ◽  
Jieyu Chen ◽  
Xiaomin Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Management ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
Significant Linear Trend ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Psychosocial stress and stressful life events are known to aggravate atopic diseases. Less is known about the impact of stress management skills on allergies. Here we sought to determine whether stress management skills are associated with the allergies and to assess the combined effects of stress management skills and stressful events on allergy risk. Methods: A survey on risk factors for self-reported allergic diseases was carried out among 28,144 southern Chinese people; 14 stressful life events and 8 stress management skills were retrospectively recorded in a case-control setting with multivariate logistic regression analysis. Multiplicative and additive interactions between stressful events and stress management skills were evaluated. Results: Stressful events significantly increased allergy risk. The odds ratio (OR) for allergies was 1.65 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.41–1.93) for those reporting one or two stressful events and 3.10 (95% CI, 2.55–3.79) for those reporting more than two stressful events. Stress management skills were adversely associated with allergic risk for people experiencing stressful events (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53–0.97) when adjusted demographically, particularly “concentrate on pleasant thoughts at bedtime” (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51–0.89), “pace myself to prevent tiredness” (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54–0.83), “get enough sleep” (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32–0.72) and “take some time for relaxation each day” (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37–0.80). There was a significant linear trend for allergy risk from good stress management skills with no stressful events to poor stress management skills with stressful events (P < 0.000), with significant interaction in additive models (P = 0.006). Conclusions: There are independent and antagonistic combined associations of stressful life events and stress management skills with allergy risk. This supports the use of stress management skills in managing allergic disease.

Variations in Stress Responses as a Function of Cognitive and Personality Variables

1986 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 575-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles H. Morgan ◽  
Dean W. Owen ◽  
Arden Miller ◽  
Martha L. Watts
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Stress Responses ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Successful Resolution ◽  
The Impact

Prior research shows wide individual differences in perception of and response to stressful life events. The present study examined the extent to which those differences could be attributable to individual differences in one's feelings of general self-efficacy or to characteristic ways of attributing causality for possible successful resolution of the problem posed. A sample of 273 undergraduate students were surveyed to ascertain their estimates of the stressfulness of four of 16 stressful life events as well as their attributions of the causality of successful resolution and the individuals' scores on the Self-efficacy Scale. Subjects' ratings of stressfulness were quite consistent regardless of the specific definition of stress used, were significantly, but at a low level, related to felt self-efficacy, and were inconsistently related to attributional characteristics. Further directions for research in the situational and individual interaction in assessing the impact of stressful events are suggested.

scholarly journals Relationship Between Stressful Life Events And Anxiety During The Period Of Adolescence

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 332
Author(s):  
Gordana Stankovska ◽  
Fadbi Osmani ◽  
Svetlana Pandilovska Grncarovska ◽  
Slagana Angelkoska
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Psychological Symptoms ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
The Self ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
And Gender

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between stressful life events and anxiety during the period of adolescence. It is known that stressful life events are commonly studied risk and environmental factors in the development of psychopathology in childhood and adolescence. In addition, physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety are often associated with stressful life events. These events are related to the different experiences of conflict and disrupted communication in the family. Subsequently, these events directly or indirectly affect the self-esteem and the self-image of adolescents during the period of adolescence. This research starts with the assumption that stressful life events predicted anxiety during the period of adolescence. Another assumption, in this research, is that females have higher level of anxiety compared with males. This study was conducted on a sample of 160 participants (80 girls and 80 boys) students in the fourth year of secondary school. The instruments used in the research include: scale of stressful life events for children and adolescents – Stress-D, and the Scale for anxiety for children and adolescents – SCAD-62. The results showed that stressful life events were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms (r= .962, p<.01). Also, the symptoms of anxiety are closely associated with medical (F,24,135= .871, p<.05) and family stressful events (F,24,135= 2.017, p<.05). There were significant relationship between medical stressful life events and gender (p= .045), and social stressful life events and gender (p= .001). On the other hand, there was a negative correlation between academic stressful life events and gender (p= .944), and family stressful life events and gender (p= .564). In conclusion, the results of the study show that females have higher level of anxiety compared with males (r= .985, p<.01). The results show that there is a significant relationship between specific types of stressful life events, including those related to physical health and family which discord the anxiety during the period of adolescence.

scholarly journals Association of stress management skills and stressful life events with allergy risk: a case-control study in southern China

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingru Cheng ◽  
Fei Li ◽  
Yigui Lai ◽  
Jieyu Chen ◽  
Xiaomin Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stress Management ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Allergic Diseases ◽  
Case Control ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Management Skills ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Psychosocial stress and stressful life events are known to aggravate allergic diseases. Less is known about the impact of stress management skills on allergies. Here we sought to determine whether stress management skills are associated with the allergies and to assess the combined effects of stress management skills and stressful events on allergy risk. Methods A survey on risk factors for self-reported allergic diseases was carried out among 28,144 southern Chinese people; 14 stressful life events and 8 stress management skills were retrospectively recorded in a case-control setting with multivariate logistic regression analysis. Multiplicative and additive interactions between stressful events and stress management skills were evaluated. Results Stressful events significantly increased allergy risk. The odds ratio (OR) for allergies was 1.65 (95% confidence interval CI, 1.41–1.93) for those reporting one or two stressful events and 3.10 (95% CI, 2.55–3.79) for those reporting more than three stressful events compared to participants without stressful events. Stress management skills were adversely associated with allergic risk for people experiencing stressful events (OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53–0.97) when adjusted demographically, particularly “concentrate on pleasant thoughts at bedtime” (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.51–0.89), “pace myself to prevent tiredness” (OR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54–0.83), “get enough sleep” (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32–0.72) and “take some time for relaxation each day” (OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37–0.80). But in people without stressful events, no association was observed. There was a significant linear trend for allergy risk from good stress management skills with no stressful events to poor stress management skills with stressful events (P < 0.001), with significant interaction in additive models (P = 0.006). Conclusions There are independent and antagonistic combined associations of stressful life events and stress management skills with allergy risk. The data supports the use of stress management skills in managing allergic disease among people with stressful life events.

Stressful life events preceding the onset of neurotic depression

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 369-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Benjaminsen
Keyword(s):  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Multiple Events ◽  
Significant Difference

SynopsisSuccessively admitted neurotic and non-neurotic depressives were compared with respect to stressful life events experienced in the 6 months before the onset of the illness. Almost equal proportions of neurotics and non-neurotics had experienced a single stressful event. Significantly more neurotics than non-neurotics had suffered multiple stressful events. An analysis of the multiple events revealed that many were related and involved a single calamity. For multiple unrelated stressful events no significant difference was found between neurotic and non-neurotic depressions.

scholarly journals Adverse life events and coping skills in panic disorder

2004 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 337-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariângela Gentil Savoia ◽  
Márcio Bernik
Keyword(s):  
Panic Disorder ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Coping Skills ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Panic Attacks ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Life Event ◽  
The Impact

Research literature and clinical experience shows that panic patients are often able to identify stressors that preceded the onset of their first attacks. In this study we investigated the relation between life events, coping skills, and panic disorder. METHODS: Forty-tree panic patients were compared with 29 control subjects regarding the occurrence and the impact of stressful life events in a 1-year period preceding the onset of panic attacks using the Social Readjustment Rating Scale and London Life Event and Difficulty Schedule. Coping skills were measured using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire. RESULTS: No differences were observed between panic patients and controls regarding the number of reported stressful life events in the previous year. Panic patients compared to controls reported loss of social support as the most meaningful class of events significantly more often. In response to stressful situations, panic patients more often used coping skills judged as ineffective. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that the type of life event and the coping skills used in response to them, more than the occurrence of stressful events itself, may be associated with the onset of panic disorder.

The Impact of Stressful Life Events and Social Support on Drinking among Older Adults: A General Population Survey

1992 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. Jennison
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Prolonged Exposure ◽  
Drinking Behavior ◽  
National Sample ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
The Impact

This article is an analysis of stressful life events, the buffering hypothesis, and alcohol use in a national sample of 1,418 respondents 60 years of age and over. The results indicate that older adults who experience stressful losses are significantly more likely to drink excessively than those who have not experienced such losses or who have experienced them to a lesser extent. Increased drinking among older adults may therefore be a reaction to life circumstances in which alcohol represents an attempt to cope with traumatic loss, personal as well as within the kinship network. Supportive resources of spouse, family, friends, and church appear to have a stress-buffering effects that reduces the excessive-drinking response to life crisis. Data suggest, however, that older persons are vulnerable to the magnitude of losses experienced as they grow older and lose more of their family, friends, and peers. These stressors appear to seriously impact their drinking behavior and are not effectively buffered. Respondents report that drinking may increase during periods of prolonged exposure to emotionally depleting life change and loss, when supportive needs may exceed the capacities of personal and social support resources.

scholarly journals Longitudinal investigation of the role of temperament and stressful life events in childhood anxiety

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 437-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne Broeren ◽  
Carol Newall ◽  
Helen F. Dodd ◽  
Ruth Locker ◽  
Jennifer L. Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
Negative Life Events ◽  
Childhood Anxiety ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Positive Behavior ◽  
Stressful Life ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe current study investigated the longitudinal relationships among behavioral inhibition (BI), life events, and anxiety in a sample of 102 BI children and 100 behaviorally uninhibited (BUI) children aged 3 to 4 years. Children's parents completed questionnaires on BI, stressful life events, and anxiety symptoms, and were administered a diagnostic interview three times in a 5-year period. In line with our hypotheses, negative life events, particularly negative behavior-dependent life events (i.e., life events that are related to the children's own behaviors), and the impact of negative life events were predictive of increases in subsequent anxiety symptoms, the likelihood of having an anxiety disorder, and increased number of anxiety diagnoses over the 5-year follow-up period. Experiencing more positive, behavior-independent life events decreased the risk of being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Furthermore, differences were found in life events between BI and BUI children. That is, BI children experienced fewer positive and specifically positive behavior-dependent life events, and the impact of these positive life events was also lower in BI children than in BUI children. However, BI did not interact with life events in the prediction of anxiety problems as hypothesized. Therefore, this study seems to indicate that BI and life events act as additive risk factors in the development of anxiety problems.

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