After Discharge: The Importance of Life Events and Life Hassles for Psychiatric Patients

Abstract

The relationship between life events and symptoms during a six month period following discharge was examined for four diagnostic subgroups of psychiatric patients (N = 505). The significant correlation between total life changes and symptoms disappeared when health related items were deleted. These events should be kept analytically distinct to avoid operational confounding. There was a correlation between undesirable life events and symptoms specific to the diagnostic subgroups characterized by depression. Although the correlations between life event scores and symptoms were weak or non-existent, there are strong correlations between social adjustment scores and symptoms. One explanation is that the most potent stressors are the ongoing difficulties rather than major changes which occur. It is suggested that the ongoing difficulties are, in part, a reflection of inadequate coping skills and a lack of social support: factors which may have a direct negative effect on symptoms and increase vulnerability to minor stressors.