An Investigation of The Relationship Between Stressful Life Events and Psychological, Behavioral And Physiological Outcomes

Abstract

Abstract : Individuals in organizations are subjected to stress from a variety of sources. Problems and uncertainties on and off-the-job can cause stress in the individual. Stress effects have been estimated in 1983 to cost American organizations over 50 billion dollars annually. In an attempt to assess the impact of stress on Department of Defense personnel, the Air Force Institute of Technology administered the Life Events Survey (LES) to 76 individuals, measuring variables associated with 83 potentially stressful life events. Additionally, these participants completed a multi-inventory Stress Assessment Package (SAP-2) and contributed blood samples. This thesis statistically explored the relationship between the major stressful life events as measured in the LES and the following variables measured by the SAP-2: (1) perceived off- the-job stress, (2) perceived on-the-job stress, (3) ratio of total blood cholesterol with high density lipoprotein cholesterol, (4) job satisfaction, (5) intent to remain, and (6) Type A behavior characteristics. Job related stressful life events were found to be significantly related to job satisfaction and Type A behavior, and the life event of Vacations was found to be significantly related to the ratio of total blood cholesterol to HDL cholesterol.