Levels Of Stressful Life Events Research Articles

Effects of stressful life events on suicide risk among orphaned and left-behind adolescents in China: The mediating roles of loneliness and subjective well-being

BackgroundResearch has established a link between stressful life events and suicide risk among adolescents, but limited attention has been directed towards vulnerable groups regarding the impact of such events on suicide risk. ObjectivesThis study aimed to examine the influence of stressful life events on suicide risk among orphaned and left-behind adolescents in China and to explore potential variations in this effect across different types of adolescents. MethodsParticipants were from four schools located in four counties with high HIV/AIDS infection rates in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, China. A sample of 1912 students were recruited, and 1524 responses were retained for analysis. Participants completed questionnaires assessing stressful life events, suicide risk, loneliness, and subjective well-being. Orphaned and left-behind adolescents were identified through demographic questions. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the mediating effects of loneliness and subjective well-being on the relationship between stressful life events and suicide risk, as well as to examine the moderating effect of adolescent type. ResultsStressful life events showed a significant positive association with suicide risk. Loneliness and subjective well-being played mediating roles in the relationship between stressful life events and suicide risk. Double and single orphans exhibited higher levels of loneliness and lower levels of subjective well-being. Moreover, stressful life events had a more pronounced effect on suicide risk among left-behind adolescents. ConclusionsStressful life events exerted a direct positive impact on suicide risk among adolescents, while also indirectly affecting suicide risk by elevating loneliness and diminishing subjective well-being. Adolescents who experienced parental bereavement were more susceptible to feelings of loneliness and unhappiness. However, left-behind adolescents demonstrated elevated suicide risk even when facing similar levels of stressful life events. The stress sensitization theory and the distinct effects of chronic and acute stressors may offer explanatory insights. Implications for practice were discussed.

Behavioral and psychosocial correlates of hope among youth

IntroductionHope plays a crucial role in the well-being of youth, impacting various aspects of their lives. However, less is known about the role of hope in pre-adolescents. This study aims to explore the psychosocial and behavioral correlates of hope in 9–10-year-old pre-youth transitioning into adolescence. MethodsUsing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, 4631 youth entered our study. The investigation follows these individuals for up to 36 months, specifically observing the initiation of marijuana and tobacco use. The methods employed include bivariate correlations. ResultsBaseline high hope offered protection against marijuana and tobacco use over the following 36 months. Elevated levels of hope could be seen in pre-youth with higher family income and those experienced lower levels of stressful life events and financial difficulties. High hope was also linked to lower behavioral problems, improved emotional function, lower impulsivity, lower sensation seeking, and higher cognitive function. Notably, hope was not correlated with parental education, neighborhood income, family conflict, blood pressure, body mass index, grade point average, prosocial behaviors, or puberty. ConclusionIn conclusion, the findings suggest a close interplay between hope and various dimensions of resilience including lower tobacco and marijuana use. Higher levels of hope, influenced by factors such as family income and life events, may be a mechanism that connects hope to enhanced emotional and cognitive functioning and acts as a protective factor against early initiation of substance use. These findings underscore the potential utility of fostering hope as a strategy to promote positive development and reduce tobacco and marijuana use.

Stressful Life Events: Coping Strategies and their Relationship to Psychological Adjustment during the COVID -19 Pandemic

Objectives: The aim of this study is to determine the level of stressful life events during the spread of the COVID-19 virus, as well as the strategies used to deal with these stressful events and the relationship between stressful life events and psychological adjustment. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based observational study. A survey was carried out among Jordanian universities using random sampling. The validity and reliability of the study tools (Psychological Adjustment Scale, Coping Strategies with Stressful Life Events Scale, and Stressful Life Events Scale) were confirmed. 229 participants, with an average age of 36.15 ± 14.05 years were selected to participate in this study. Results: The findings revealed that the overall level of stressful life events was moderate. Political events were ranked first, followed by economic, emotional, health, social, and family events. The findings also indicated that the positive interaction strategy was one of the most widely used approaches to dealing with stressful life events. Most of the correlations between stressful life events and the degree of psychological adjustment were inverse correlations (r = -0.58, p = 0.01). Conclusions: The individual interacts globally using a positive interaction strategy when facing stressful life events to transform it from a source of fear into a source of success.

Stressful Life Events and Patterns of Polysubstance Use Among U.S. Late Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Latent Class Analysis.

The goals of this study were to identify patterns of polysubstance use and their associations with stressful life events among U.S. late middle-aged and older adults and examine whether gender moderates these associations. Adults aged 50 and older (N = 14,738) from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III were included. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify patterns of polysubstance use. Weighted multinomial logistic regression was estimated with a generalized structural equation model. Three different polysubstance use patterns (non-users/low substance users; cannabis and excessive alcohol users; painkiller and sedative/tranquilizer misusers) were identified. Higher levels of stressful life events were associated with patterns of polysubstance use. Gender moderated the association between stressful life events and co-misusing painkillers and sedatives/tranquilizers (p < 0.05). Substance use prevention efforts should consider aging adults' patterns of polysubstance use and associated stressful life events when designing and implementing gender-specific polysubstance use prevention interventions.

Differentiation of self and relationship attachment, quality, and stability: A path analysis of dyadic and longitudinal data from Spanish and U.S. couples.

In the current study, we examined the relationship between differentiation of self (DoS) and key relationship functioning variables among couples. This is the first study to test such relationships using a cross-cultural longitudinal approach (i.e., samples from Spain and the U.S.) while controlling for stressful life events-a key theoretical construct in Bowen Family Systems Theory. A sample of 958 individuals (n = 137 couples from Spain, and n = 342 couples from U.S.) was used in cross sectional and longitudinal models to analyze the effects of a shared reality construct of DoS on anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, relationship stability, and relationship quality while considering gender and culture. Our cross-sectional results indicated that men and women from both cultures experienced an increase in DoS over time. DoS predicted increased relationship quality and stability and decreased anxious and avoidant attachment in U.S. participants. Longitudinally, DoS predicted increased relationship quality and decreased anxious attachment for Spanish women and men, while it predicted greater relationship quality and stability and decreased anxious and avoidant attachment of U.S. couples. Implications of these mixed findings are discussed. Higher levels of DoS are linked with a better couple relationship across time, despite varying levels of stressful life events. Although some cultural differences regarding the links between relationship stability and avoidant attachment exist, this positive link between differentiation and the couple relationship is mostly consistent across the U.S. and Spain. The implications and relevance for integration into research and practice are discussed.

Stressful life events and prescription opioid use during pregnancy: findings from the 2019 pregnancy risk assessment monitoring system.

Prescription opioid use during pregnancy poses risk to maternal and infant health. However, there is limited research on proximate risk factors for prescription opioid use during pregnancy. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between stressful life events experienced in the 12months prior to birth and prescription opioid use during pregnancy. Data from the 2019 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System were analyzed (N = 17,812 women who delivered a live birth in 2019). Logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between levels of stressful life events (0, 1-2, 3-5, or 6+) on (1) prescription opioid use, (2) combined opioid use (mono- or poly-opioid use), and (3) patterns of opioid use (pain management, opioid misuse) during pregnancy while controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, patterns of substance use prior to pregnancy, and pregnancy-related characteristics. Women with a greater accumulation of stressful life events in the 12months prior to birth-especially 6 or more-had increased likelihood of prescription opioid use. Accumulating stressful life events were also associated with a higher risk of poly-opioid use, as well as using prescription opioids for pain management and patterns of opioid misuse. Stressful life events are a risk factor for prescription opioid use during pregnancy. Considering the harms posed by both stressors and opioid use for maternal and infant wellbeing, future research should assess efforts to prevent and manage stressful life events to reduce opioid use during pregnancy.

The relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal behaviour and life events among adolescents

IntroductionNonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is highly prevalent in clinical and non-clinical adolescent populations. Non-clinical studies focus on high school students thus vocational school students are underrepresented in research and prevention programs, despite being exposed to higher levels of stressful life events, a factor associated with NSSI and suicide.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore NSSI, suicidal behavior and life events among adolescents in clinical and non-clinical, i.e. both high school and vocational school settings.MethodsA clinical (n=202) and non-clinical (n=161) sample of 13-18-year-old adolescents were assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Kid, the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory, and the Life Events List. Data were analyzed with R version 3.6.1., using Wilcoxon tests and negative binomial regression models.ResultsThe prevalence of suicidal behavior (W=7.306, p&lt;.001), NSSI (W=9.652, p&lt;.001), and life events (W=10.410 p&lt;.001) were significantly higher in the clinical than in the non-clinical group. The relationship between NSSI and suicidal behaviour was significantly stronger in the clinical group (95% CI: [.56,.72]) than in the nonclinical group (95% CI: [.24,.52]). The interaction between NSSI and life events (Χ2(1)=10.49, p&lt;.01) was associated with suicidal behavior. Interpersonal events were associated with both suicidal behavior and had a moderating effect on the NSSI–suicidal behavior relationship.ConclusionsNSSI is highly prevalent and is strongly associated with suicidal behavior in clinical and non-clinical adolescent populations. Our result call attention to the necessity of including adolescents from various educational settings in NSSI research and prevention projects during which life events, especially interpersonal events, might require special attention.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Role of stressful life events in homelessness in Nicaragua: an intragroup analysis in a low-income country

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study is to analyse the stressful life events (SLEs) suffered by 62 people living homeless (32 men; 30 women) in Nicaragua, and how the different SLEs are related to patterns and trajectories in homelessness. The sample was classified based on SLEs, and the relationship between the resulting subgroups and sociodemographic characteristics, homelessness trajectories, health, substances consumption, social support, and outlook for the future was examined. Results suggest that a three-cluster solution was theoretically and structurally meaningful: (a) Cluster A was mainly characterized by a higher prevalence of SLEs and problems in the family from an early age, consisting of young people consuming substances, primarily drinking alcohol and sniffing glue; (b) Cluster B was characterized by low levels of SLEs, but with alcohol problems; and (c) Cluster C was characterized by a high number of violent SLEs from an early age, made up of people an older age group, who have been living homeless for longer and in suffering from poor health. Increased knowledge about the different subgroups and trajectories of people living homeless in Nicaragua can help with the design of public policy, intervention programs and social care tools that are sensitive to these differences.

Dependent Stress Generation Mediates the Relation Between Poor Cognitive Control and Repetitive Negative Thinking in Emerging Adults

Poor cognitive control has been associated with maladaptive thinking, like rumination and worry, that increase risk for internalizing psychopathology. However, little research has investigated how cognitive control is associated with commonalities between rumination and worry (i.e., repetitive negative thinking; RNT). The current study aimed to investigate how cognitive control predicts engagement in a common component of RNT over time via an indirect mechanism of dependent stress generation in a one-semester longitudinal study of emerging adult college students ( N = 224). Executive functioning task performance and self-reported attentional control (not working memory capacity task performance) prospectively predicted RNT, mediated by dependent stress, but did not predict change in stress or RNT from baseline. These findings suggest that aspects of cognitive control relevant for successful goal pursuit may be involved with maintaining levels of stressful life events and subsequent RNT.

Stressful Life Events for State Employees

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.

Psychological hardness and its role in facing stressful life events among students of the Faculty of Education at the University of Idlib: الصلابة النفسية ودورها في مواجهة أحداث الحياة الضاغطة لدى طلبة كلية التربية في جامعة إدلب

The study aimed to identify the level of psychological toughness among a sample of students of the classroom teacher and psychological counselling departments in the College of Education at the University of Idlib, and to reveal the correlation between stressful life events and psychological toughness among a sample of students of the classroom teacher and psychological counselling departments in the College of Education, University of Idlib. A random sample was drawn from the classroom teacher and psychological counselling departments (first year and third year), where the total number of the sample amounted to (166) male and female students. To achieve the objectives of the study, a measure of psychological hardness and a measure of stressful life events were applied, and the study reached several results: - Level of hardness Psychology among the study sample is high - there are no statistically significant differences in the level of psychological hardness among the study sample according to the variable of gender and academic level - the level of stressful life events in the study sample came to a medium degree, and there are statistically significant differences in the level of stressful life events for the benefit of females, In favour of first year students, there is no correlation between the psychological hardness variables and stressful life events.

Психологические аспекты в проблемах бесплодия среди населения различных стран.

The problem of infertility in the 21st century has become extremely important for public health in various countries, affecting the birth rate of the population and the number of humanity. Infertility, affecting approximately 8–12% of the world’s population, is associated with factors such as unwillingness to conceive, the age of the female partner, the number of diseases that affect fertility, etc. Questions of the influence of psychological problems, often regarded as the causes of idiopathic infertility, such as stress, depression, sleep disturbances, are of particular interest to researchers. A review of works on the potential impact of stress and depression on reproductive function showed not only a definite relationship, but also the difficulty of determining causal relationships due to the lack of a single assessment tool. P u r p o s e o f t h e s t u d y : to review foreign scientific literature containing information on the role of psychological factors in the formation of reproductive health disorders of the population, including infertility. M a t e r i a l s a n d m e t h o d s : bibliographic, information and analytical methods and the method of comparative analysis were used. R e s u l t s . Mental health issues are often viewed as the causes of female and male infertility. To improve the quality of life of patients with infertility, it is necessary to address the issues of a causal relationship between psychological health and infertility, psychological health when using IVF and ways to solve the problem of psychologically induced infertility. The risk of developing depression and the relationship of a higher degree of anxiety with clinical pregnancy after IVF are shown. Due to the inaccurate data on the relationship between psychological stress and a decrease in male reproductive function, psychological stress is considered in studies as a risk factor for erectile function and ejaculation in men against the background of a high level of stressful life events, compared with women. Findings. Research has proven the effectiveness of psychological support and cognitive-behavioral group therapy in fertility treatment programs, including interventions accompanying IVF. Studies of psychological ways of correcting depression and positive IVF results have shown the importance of programs for influencing the mental state of couples undergoing treatment for infertility reasons.

Monoaminergic Multilocus Genetic Variants Interact with Stressful Life Events in Predicting Changes in Adolescent Anxiety Symptoms: A One-year Longitudinal Study

Research suggests that genetic variants linked to monoaminergic neurotransmitter function moderate the association between stress and anxiety symptoms, but examining gene-environment (G × E) interactions with individual genes limits power. As one of polygenetic approaches, the multilocus genetic profile score is derived theoretically from combining the effects of multiple candidate genes based on the "biological plausibility". Using this approach, the current study examined the interaction between monoaminergic multilocus genetic variants and stressful life events on the changes in adolescent anxiety symptoms across a one-year timespan. In a Chinese Han adolescent sample which was derived from three vocational high schools (N = 587; T1: Mage = 16.47 ± 1.53 years; 50.8%, girls), the monoaminergic multilocus genetic profile score was calculated using 5-HTR2C rs6318, TPH2 rs4570625 and DRD2 rs1800497 polymorphisms. Results showed that this monoaminergic multilocus genetic profile score interacted with stressful life events in predicting changes in anxiety symptoms. Consistent with the G×E hypothesis of differential susceptibility, adolescents with more monoaminergic plasticity alleles not only suffered more from high levels of stressful life events, which increased the risk for anxiety symptoms, but also benefited more from low levels of stressful life events, which decreased the risk for anxiety symptoms. There were no significant G × E interactions when individual polymorphisms were examined in isolation. The results highlight the importance of examining aggregated influences of multiple genes in G × E interactions underlying the longitudinal development of adolescent anxiety symptoms.

Relationship between stressful life events and cyberbullying perpetration: Roles of fatalism and self-compassion

Few studies have documented the relationship between stressful life events and cyberbullying perpetration, and the mechanisms connecting this link are unknown. Thus, the current study tested the association of stressful life events with cyberbullying perpetration and explored this influencing mechanism further with fatalism and self-compassion tested as a mediator and a moderator respectively. A sample of 1104 Chinese adolescents (50.72% males; mean age = 13.11) volunteered for this study. The results revealed that exposure to stressful life events was positively related to cyberbullying perpetration, and fatalism played a mediation role in this relationship. The moderated mediation model revealed that stronger self-compassion weakened and even interrupted the direct associations of stressful life events with fatalism and cyberbullying perpetration, and further weakened and even interrupted the indirect relationship between stressful life events and cyberbullying perpetration via fatalism. That is, adolescents low in self-compassion were more likely to build fatalistic beliefs and engage in cyberbullying perpetration when they experienced high levels of stressful life events; whereas, stressful life events were not related to increased risk of cyberbullying perpetration among adolescents high in self-compassion.

The relationship of stressful life events with parent stress and satisfaction with family life among a sample of parents in Irbid city

The aim of the present study is to identify the relationship between stressful life events and parental tension, and life satisfaction according to the heterosexual gender, and the economic level. And disclosure of the effect of stressful life events on these two-family variables in a sample of fathers in Irbid. The study sample consisted of (478) fathers and mothers, and the study used the stressful life events scale and the parental tension scale. The results showed a positive statistically significant relationship between stressful life events and parental tension, and that this relationship among fathers is stronger than that of mothers. And the existence of a statistically significant negative relationship between stressful life events and satisfaction with family life, and that this relationship among mothers is stronger than that of fathers. The results also indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in the level of stressful life events and parental tension. While there were statistically significant differences in the level of satisfaction with family life due to the gender variable in favor of mothers. The results also showed a statistically significant difference between the averages of parents' estimates on the two measures of stressful life events and parental stress in favor of the low economic level. While it came in favor of the high economic level of life satisfaction. With regard to stressful life events that predicted parental stress in both sexes, it was found that all dimensions were positive predictors. As for stressful life events that predicted satisfaction with family life for both sexes, it was found that all dimensions were negative predictors.

Social Support, Social Network Size, Social Strain, Stressful Life Events, and Coronary Heart Disease in Women With Type 2 Diabetes: A Cohort Study Based on the Women's Health Initiative.

We studied associations between social support, social network size, social strain, or stressful life events and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes. From the Women's Health Initiative, 5,262 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes at baseline were included. Cox proportional hazards regression models adjusted for demographics, depressive symptoms, anthropometric variables, and lifestyle factors were used to examine associations between social factors and CHD. A total of 672 case subjects with CHD were observed during an average 12.79 (SD 6.29) years of follow-up. There was a significant linear trend toward higher risk of CHD as the number of stressful life events increased (P for trend = 0.01; hazard ratio [HR] [95% CI] for the third and fourth quartiles compared with first quartile: 1.27 [1.03-1.56] and 1.30 [1.04-1.64]). Being married or in an intimate relationship was related to decreased risk of CHD (HR 0.82 [95% CI 0.69-0.97]). Among postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes, higher levels of stressful life events were associated with higher risk of CHD. Experience of stressful life events might be considered as a risk factor for CHD among women with type 2 diabetes.

Emotional intelligence and cognitive skills protecting mental health from stress and violence among Ghanaian youth

This study investigates the protective mental health function of high emotional intelligence (EI), and cognitive skills (CS) among Ghanaian adolescents when exposed to stressful life-events and violence. It examines, first, how exposure to stressful life-events and violent experiences is associated with mental health, indicated by depressive and psychological distress symptoms, and, second, whether EI and CS could serve as possible moderators between stress, violence and mental health problems. Participants were 415 Ghanaian secondary education students. They reported about their depressive symptoms (Bireleson), psychological distress (Strength and Difficult Questionnaire, SDQ), and emotional intelligence (Trait Emotional Intelligence Question-naire, TEIQue), cognitive skills (The Amsterdam Executive Function Inventory). They also reported their stressful life-events and violent experiences. Statistical analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM). As hypothesized, high level of stressful life events were associated with high levels of depressive symptoms and psychological distress. Yet violent experiences did not associate with mental health problems. Against hypothesis, high levels of EI and CS could not protect adolescents mental health from negative effects of stressful life events or violent experiences. A direct effects were found between low level of EI and CS and high level of mental health problems. The results are discussed in relations to psychological and cultural factors present in EI and CS in adolescence.

Stressful Life Events Moderate the Relationship Between Changes in Symptom Severity and Health-related Quality of Life in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

The relationship between changes in symptom severity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL), which may be impacted by stressful life events, in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the relationship between changes in symptom severity and HRQOL and examined the moderating role of stressful life events in patients with IBS. This study is part of a cohort follow-up study on psychological factors in patients with IBS in tertiary care, and it included 158 patients. In addition to symptom severity and HRQOL, stressful life events were assessed by the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS). The relationship between symptom severity and HRQOL and the moderating role of stressful life events (in the 12 mo before the follow-up assessment) were analyzed. The majority of participants had moderate levels of stressful life events (41.8%), followed by those who had mild levels (39.2%) and severe levels (19.0%) of stressful life events. Symptom severity could predict HRQOL, and the relationship between symptom severity and HRQOL was affected by the level of stressful life events. Compared with mild levels of stressful life events, a severe level of stressful life events significantly affected the relationship between changes in symptom severity and HRQOL (Z=-3.048, P<0.01). A similar result was found when comparing moderate and severe levels of stressful life events (Z=-1.810, P<0.10). The study demonstrated that symptom severity predicted HRQOL during the progression of IBS and that stressful life events moderated the impact of symptom severity on HRQOL. The more stressful life events an IBS patient experiences, the less predictable the relationship is between changes in symptom severity and HRQOL.

Early childhood cumulative risk is associated with decreased global brain measures, cortical thickness, and cognitive functioning in school-age children.

Children exposed to multiple risk factors early in life are increasingly more likely to suffer from a host of cognitive impairments across development. However, little work has identified the neurobiological mechanisms linking early cumulative risk and cognitive functioning. The current study examined the impact of cumulative risk assessed during early childhood on neural and cognitive outcomes measured 3years later when children were school-aged. Participants included 63 children assessed during preschool (age: M=4.23years, SD=0.84) and 3years later (age: M=7.19years, SD=0.89). Early cumulative risk was defined by the presence of low family income, a single parent household, low parental education, child exposure to parental depression, child exposure to high parental hostility, and high levels of stressful life events. Children's exposure to stressors in the past year, cognitive abilities, and brain structure were assessed at follow-up. Early cumulative risk was prospectively associated with reduced total gray matter volume, cortex volume, right superior parietal and inferior parietal thickness, and poorer attention shifting and memory. Right superior parietal thickness mediated associations between early risk and recall memory. Results highlight neural variations associated with early cumulative risk and suggest potential neural pathways from early risk to later childhood cognitive impairments.

Stressful life events moderate the effect of neural reward responsiveness in childhood on depressive symptoms in adolescence.

Reward processing deficits have been implicated in the etiology of depression. A blunted reward positivity (RewP), an event-related potential elicited by feedback to monetary gain relative to loss, predicts new onsets and increases in depression symptoms. Etiological models of depression also highlight stressful life events. However, no studies have examined whether stressful life events moderate the effect of the RewP on subsequent depression symptoms. We examined this question during the key developmental transition from childhood to adolescence. A community sample of 369 children (mean age of 9) completed a self-report measure of depression symptoms. The RewP to winning v. losing was elicited using a monetary reward task. Three years later, we assessed stressful life events occurring in the year prior to the follow-up. Youth depressive symptoms were rated by the children and their parents at baseline and follow-up. Stressful life events moderated the effect of the RewP on depression symptoms at follow-up such that a blunted RewP predicted higher depression symptoms in individuals with higher levels of stressful life events. This effect was also evident when events that were independent of the youth's behavior were examined separately. These results suggest that the RewP reflects a vulnerability for depression that is activated by stress.