Occurrence Of Stressful Life Events Research Articles

Effect of schizophrenia and substance use disorder on depressive symptoms and stressful life events

Aim of the studyThe main aim of this study was to examine the mutual effect of schizophrenia and substance use disorder on depression and stress level.Subject or material and methodsThe sample comprised a total of 184 participants, including 51 patients with schizophrenia (S), 45 with dual diagnosis (DD), 44 with substance use disorder (SUD) and 44 healthy controls (HC). The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale were used to measure depressive symptom severity, while the Social Readjustment Rating Scale was used for the assessment of stressful life events.ResultsWe found a greater main effect of substance use disorder relative to schizophrenia on the severity of depression symptoms and stressful life events. In addition, the observed significant interaction effect for stressful life events suggested that SUD patients experienced their greatest number while HC reported the fewest such incidents. Interestingly, significant links between stressful life events and depressive symptoms emerged in both SUD patients and HC. What is more, disease duration and exacerbations were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in DD and S patients.DiscussionThis study demonstrated the effect of schizophrenia and substance use disorders on depressive symptoms and the severity of stress. The relationship between stressful life events and depressive symptom severity was also investigated.ConclusionsCompared to schizophrenia, substance use disorder has a stronger effect on the presence of depression symptoms and the occurrence of stressful life events. The factors modifying depression symptom severity in both schizophrenia groups differ from those found in SUD patients and HC.

Mental health, stressful life events, and abuse in Nicaraguan women

The objectives of this article were to analyze the occurrence of stressful life events (SLE), to establish profiles based on the said events by means of classification through cluster analysis, to establish the relationship between the groups obtained and the presence of distress, and to analyze which SLE seem to have had a greater impact on the mental health of 136 women victims of gender violence living in a context of extreme poverty in Nicaragua. The results showed the existence of high levels of depression and anxiety, especially within the group that suffered abuse in their childhood, and that economic problems, the death of people in the family environment and suicide attempts seem to be the SLE that have the greatest influence on the levels reached for the identification of such depressive and anxiety symptoms, above the abuse suffered throughout their lives. In conclusion, learning about SLE in contexts where their occurrence is frequent is essential for intervention with women for whom adversity has become chronic.

Associations between depression-relevant genetic risk and youth stress exposure: Evidence of gene-environment correlations.

Familial risk for depression is associated with youth exposure to self-generated dependent stressful life events and independent events that are out of youth's control. Familial risk includes both genetic and environmental influences, raising the question of whether genetic influences, specifically, are associated with youth exposure to both dependent and independent stressful life events. To address this question, this study examined the relation between a genome-wide association study (GWAS)-derived depression-based polygenic risk score (DEP-PRS) and youth experiences of dependent and independent stress. Participants were 180 youth (ages 8 to 14, 52.2% female) of European ancestry and their biological mothers recruited based on the presence versus absence of a history of major depressive disorder (MDD) in the mothers. Youth and mothers were interviewed every 6 months for 2 years regarding the occurrence of stressful life events, which were coded as independent or dependent (self-generated). Results indicated that youth's DEP-PRS and maternal history of MDD were uniquely associated with increased exposure to both dependent and independent events. Similar results were observed when examining major versus minor events separately, with the additional finding of a DEP-PRS × mother MDD interaction for major dependent events such that levels of moderate to severe dependent life stressors were highest among youth with high DEP-PRSs who also had mothers with MDD. These results not only support the presence of depression-relevant gene-environment correlations (rGEs), but also highlight the possibility that rather than only capturing depression-specific genetic liability, GWAS-derived polygenic risk scores may also capture genetic variance contributing to stress exposure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality in Patients With Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy

The last few years have seen an increase in the awareness of a specific heart disease referred to as takotsubo cardiomyopathy. The evidence from the literature demonstrates that psychological variables (especially personality traits) can have a significant impact on the manifestations of different heart diseases. Little is known, however, about the psychological characteristics of takotsubo patients. The primary purpose of this research was to extract the specific personality traits of patients with takotsubo syndrome. Our research covered 76 participants divided into three groups: the clinical group—patients with takotsubo cardiomyopathy (n = 30); Comparison Group 1—individuals with acute myocardial infarction group (n = 21); and Comparison Group 2—heart-healthy persons (n = 25). The study included psychological tests and an MRI examination. The psychological methods used in the research were the NEO Personality Inventory, the Type D Scale, and the assessment of the occurrence of stressful life events. Most takotsubo patients reported stressful life events before the occurrence of takotsubo symptoms. In our studies, it was not typical for takotsubo to be associated type D personality. Takotsubo patients have experienced negative emotions but do not suppress their emotions and participate socially without emotional inhibitions. Moreover, patients are open to experience, have average self-control, and tend to be dutiful and dependable. It is possible that these personality traits could facilitate the healing process.

Stressful Life Events and the Clinical Expression of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): An Exploratory Study.

Background: In obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), symptom content and severity appear to fluctuate over the course of the life cycle in accordance with stressful life events. The objective of this paper was to compare OCD patients with and without reported stressful life events (SLEs) in terms of the sociodemographics of patients and the clinical characteristics of OCD. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 1001 patients with OCD. Data concerning SLEs were collected via the Yale OCD Natural History Questionnaire, while for OCD symptoms, the Dimensional Yale–Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale was used. Results: Of the 1001 OCD patients, 605 (60.5%) reported experiencing at least one SLE in their lifetime. Self-declared nonwhite skin color (odds ratio (OR) = 1.51), the presence of a sensory phenomenon (OR = 1.47), and comorbidity with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (OR = 2.38) were some of the logistic regression variables related to the reported SLEs with relevant statistical significance and risk (i.e., OR) values. Conclusions: Our results indicate that SLEs may make Brazilian OCD patients vulnerable to the onset or exacerbation of obsessive–compulsive symptoms. The positive association of the occurrence of SLEs and sensory phenomena in this population could corroborate that environmental influences impact the neurobiology associated with OCD, and likely with other psychiatric disorders as well.

Stressful life events, parental psychosocial factors, and glycemic management in school-aged children during the 1 year follow-up of new-onset type 1 diabetes.

To monitor occurrence of stressful life events, assess correlations with family functioning and parental psychosocial measures, and examine the impact of stressful life events on diabetes management in the first year after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (T1D) in children using a mixed methods design. In a prospective study of 5- to 9-year-olds with recent-onset T1D (mean age 7.4 ± 1.3 years, T1D duration 4.7 ± 3.3 months), we monitored glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), income, job status, family health, and marital status at baseline and every 3 months up to 1 year. We measured coping, parental depression, and diabetes family conflict at baseline. Of 128 families, 53.9% (n = 69) reported 1+ stressful event, with 25.8% reporting income change (n = 33) during this period, 23.4% additional family health changes (n = 30), 22.7% job changes (n = 29), 21.9% changes in child's school (n = 28), and 3.9% changes in marital status (n = 5). Baseline active avoidance coping, parental depression, and diabetes family conflict correlated with a higher number of stressful life events (r = 0.239, P < .01; r = 0.197, P < .05; r = 0.225, P < .01, respectively). There were also cross-sectional associations between HbA1c and income decrease, school change, and job change at various time points in the study. Families can experience concurrent life stressors during the first year of T1D, which relate to coping, depression, and conflict. Consistent with existing literature, stressful life events relate to glycemic management. Future research should explore the individual's or parent's perception of stress and ways that diabetes centers can effectively assist families of youth with T1D and concurrent life stressors.

Factors associated with the onset of major depressive disorder in adults with type 2 diabetes living in 12 different countries: results from the INTERPRET-DD prospective study.

To examine the factors that are associated with changes in depression in people with type 2 diabetes living in 12 different countries. People with type 2 diabetes treated in out-patient settings aged 18-65 years underwent a psychiatric assessment to diagnose major depressive disorder (MDD) at baseline and follow-up. At both time points, participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the WHO five-item Well-being scale (WHO-5) and the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale which measures diabetes-related distress. A composite stress score (CSS) (the occurrence of stressful life events and their reported degree of 'upset') between baseline and follow-up was calculated. Demographic data and medical record information were collected. Separate regression analyses were conducted with MDD and PHQ-9 scores as the dependent variables. In total, there were 7.4% (120) incident cases of MDD with 81.5% (1317) continuing to remain free of a diagnosis of MDD. Univariate analyses demonstrated that those with MDD were more likely to be female, less likely to be physically active, more likely to have diabetes complications at baseline and have higher CSS. Mean scores for the WHO-5, PAID and PHQ-9 were poorer in those with incident MDD compared with those who had never had a diagnosis of MDD. Regression analyses demonstrated that higher PHQ-9, lower WHO-5 scores and greater CSS were significant predictors of incident MDD. Significant predictors of PHQ-9 were baseline PHQ-9 score, WHO-5, PAID and CSS. This study demonstrates the importance of psychosocial factors in addition to physiological variables in the development of depressive symptoms and incident MDD in people with type 2 diabetes. Stressful life events, depressive symptoms and diabetes-related distress all play a significant role which has implications for practice. A more holistic approach to care, which recognises the interplay of these psychosocial factors, may help to mitigate their impact on diabetes self-management as well as MDD, thus early screening and treatment for symptoms is recommended.

Longitudinal associations of stressful life events and social support deficits with later functioning in patients with acute coronary syndrome: Social factors for functioning in ACS

BackgroundIn this study we investigated associations between stressful life events (SLEs) and social support deficit (SSD), which we evaluated within 2 weeks of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) episode, and changes in functioning, disability, and quality of life (QOL) over a 1-year follow-up period. MethodIn total, 1152 patients were recruited at baseline within 2 weeks of an ACS episode, and 828 were followed up for 1 year thereafter. The occurrence of SLEs was identified at baseline using the “List of Threatening Events”, and the participants were categorized into absent or present SLE groups. The SSD was evaluated using the Social Support Scale and was dichotomatized into low or high SSD groups. We measured social and occupational functioning, disability, and quality of life (QoL) at both examinations. The associations between the baseline SLE and SSD with functional changes over 1 year were estimated using repeated-measures analyses of covariance with relevant covariates. ResultsThe presence of SLEs and high SSD at baseline independently predicted worsening of functional disability and QoL over the 1-year follow-up period, after adjustment. Moreover, the coexistence of both present SLE and high SSD indicates negative effects that are more severe on functional outcomes. ConclusionsSLEs and SSD at an early phase of ACS predicted chronically poorer functioning and QoL outcomes. Preventive and therapeutic efforts should include strategies to identify and manage psychosocial risk factors in ACS patients.

The relation between stressful life events and breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women with high rate of mortality. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the relation between stressful life events and breast cancer. We searched PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Google scholar databases from their inception until June 2018. The keywords and phrases we used in the search were (life events AND stress AND breast cancer OR neoplasm) to identify potentially relevant cohort studies that reported relative risk estimates and confidence intervals of this association. Pooled Risk ratio and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using random effects model. Out of 168 potentially relevant publications, 11 documents met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that history of stressful life events slightly increases the risk of breast cancer [pooled Risk Ratio: 1.11 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.19)]. History of stressful life events could be associated with a moderate increase in the risk of breast cancer. We advise that receiving psychological and counseling services after occurrence of stressful life events of women should be taken seriously.

Stressful life events and alcohol consumption in pregnant women: A cross-sectional survey

BackgroundPsychological stress in pregnancy has been related to different adaptations (physical, emotional and social) of the woman's life during this period. Although maternal stress is a common occurrence in pregnancy, studies indicate that the high levels of stressful life events are a predisposing factor to alcohol consumption in pregnant women. Though postnatal maternal emotional distress has been extensively investigated, little is known about the association between stressful life events and maternal risk behaviors during pregnancy. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study is to verify the association between stressful life events and alcohol consumption in pregnant women. Design and participantsThis is a cross-sectional survey using a convenience sample of 449 women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The participants were recruited in a public maternity hospital in the city located in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. MethodsA semi-structured interview was used to assess alcohol use and stressful life events of the respondent's life. The semi-structured interview included the following instruments: a socio-demographic questionnaire, inventory for the evaluation of the stressful life events (Interview for Recent life events -IRLE), the questionnaire Tolerance, Annoyed, Cut-down, Eye-Opener (T-ACE) for the use of alcohol, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria for alcohol-related disorders, and the evaluation of consumption before and during each gestational trimester. ResultsPregnant women diagnosed with alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence according to ICD-10 and with risk consumption, according to T-ACE screening, had a higher occurrence of stressful life events than the group without this diagnosis (p < 0.001). The following stressful life events were more frequent among women with alcohol problems: “Major financial difficulties,” “Loss or theft of objects”, “Serious argument with non-resident/close family member”, “Serious argument with family members,” and “Marital separation” with the latter about eight times more common in this group. ConclusionThe results suggest an association between stressful life events and dependence or risk consumption of alcohol in pregnant women. The evaluation of stressful life events by the nursing team can help pregnant women to identify or strengthen healthy coping styles in the face of stress, thus intervene, and avoid alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

Gender moderates the relationship between stressful life events and psychopathology: Findings from a national study

BackgroundWhile data suggest a strong relationship between trauma exposure and psychopathology, less research has investigated relationships between psychopathology and stressful life events more broadly, and how these relationships may differ by gender. AimTo examine strengths of associations between stressful life events and psychiatric disorders (i.e., past-year Axis I and lifetime Axis II, per DSM-IV) and how they may differ by gender. MethodsData from Wave 1 of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; n = 43,093) were analyzed using chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression analyses. Participants were categorized according to occurrence of stressful life events (low, moderate, and high). ResultsWomen as compared to men were more likely to report moderate (p < 0.0001) or high occurrence stressful life events (p < 0.0001). Increasing experiences of stressful life events were associated with increasing odds of most past-year Axis I and lifetime Axis II disorders in both gender groups, with the largest odds typically observed in association with more frequent stressful life events. Associations between stressful life events and multiple psychiatric disorders were stronger in women compared to men. ConclusionsStressful life events are associated with multiple Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders in both men and women. This relationship is moderated by gender. Screening female patients who endorse significant stressors for mood, anxiety, and substance-use problems might be particularly important. The stronger associations in women between stressful life events and personality disorders in particular warrant further investigation.

Factors associated with relapse of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric illness with high rate of relapse which is commonly associated with noncompliance of medicine, as well as stress and high expressed emotions. The objective of the study was to determine the factors of relapse among the schizophrenic patients attending in outpatient departments of three tertiary level psychiatric facilities in Bangladesh. This was a cross sectional study conducted from July, 2001 to June, 2002. Two hundred patients including both relapse and nonrelapse cases of schizophrenia and their key relatives were included by purposive sampling. The results showed no statistically significant difference in terms of relapse with age, sex, religion, residence, occupation and level of education (p&gt;0.05), but statistically significant difference was found with marital status and economic status (p&lt;0.01). The proportion of non-compliance was found to be 80% and 14%, of high expressed emotion was 17% and 2% and of the occurrence of stressful life events was 10% and 1% in relapse and non-relapse cases respectively which were statistically significant (p&lt;0.001). The study indicated that stressful life events, high expressed emotion, and noncompliance with medication had a role in schizophrenic patients for its relapse.Bang J Psychiatry December 2015; 29(2): 59-63

Stress-related eating, mindfulness, and obesity.

This study explored how experiences of stress in adulthood, including the occurrence of stressful life events and psychosocial strains in various life domains, might be related to stress-related eating and indicators of obesity, including body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference. Cross-sectional data were examined from 3,708 adults in the Midlife in the U.S. study (MIDUS II). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that experiences of stress were associated with higher BMI and waist circumference, even after controlling for age, annual household income, education level, race, and sex, although the additional variance accounted for was small. A nonparametric bootstrapping approach indicated that stress-related eating mediated the association between experiences of stress and indicators of obesity. Moderated-mediation analyses indicated that the relationship between experiences of stress and stress-related eating was amplified for women and individuals with obesity in comparison to men and individuals without obesity. Mindfulness did not moderate the experiences of stress and stress-related eating association. These results provide further evidence of the contributions of psychosocial factors to chronic disease risk. (PsycINFO Database Record

Stressful Life Events and Depressive Symptomatology Among Basque Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Attachment Representations.

The occurrence of stressful life events is a risk factor for psychopathology in adolescence. Depression is a problem of notable clinical importance that has a negative psychosocial impact on adolescents and which has considerable social, educational, and economic costs. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between stressful life events and depressive symptomatology in adolescence, taking into account the effect that attachment representations may have on this relation. Participants were 1653 adolescents (951 girls) aged between 13 and 18 years. The sample was selected by means of a random sampling procedure based on the availability of schools to participate. Data were collected at two time points: attachment and stressful life events were assessed first, and symptoms of depression were evaluated eight to nine months later. Two time points were used in order to better analyze the mediating role of attachment security. Stressful life events were recorded using the Inventory of Stressful Life Events, attachment was evaluated by the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (mother, father, and peer versions), and depressive symptomatology was assessed through the Children's Depression Scale. In all cases, the Basque version of these scales was used. The results indicated that attachment to parents was a mediating variable in the relationship between stressful life events and depressive symptomatology. Contrary to what we expected, the results indicate that stressful life events did not have a negative effect on peer attachment, and neither did the latter variable act as a mediator of the relationship between stressful life events and depressive symptoms. It can be concluded that attachment-based interventions may be especially useful for reducing depression symptoms among adolescents. The findings also suggest a role for interventions that target parent-child attachment relationships.

Stress-Generative Effects of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Transactional Associations Between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Stressful Life Events in a Longitudinal Sample.

Longitudinal studies have demonstrated transactional associations between psychopathology and stressful life events (SLEs), such that psychopathology predicts the occurrence of new SLEs, and SLEs in turn predict increasing symptom severity. The association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), specifically, and stress generation remains unclear. This study used temporally sequenced data from 116 veterans (87.9% male) to examine whether PTSD symptoms predicted new onset SLEs, and if these SLEs were associated with subsequent PTSD severity. The SLEs were objectively rated, using a clinician-administered interview and consensus-rating approach, to assess the severity, frequency, and personal dependence (i.e., if the event was due to factors that were independent of or dependent on the individual) of new-onset SLEs. A series of mediation models were tested, and results provided evidence for moderated mediation whereby baseline PTSD severity robustly predicted personally dependent SLEs, B = 0.03, p = .006, and dependent SLEs predicted increases in follow-up PTSD symptom severity, B = -0.04, p = .003, among participants with relatively lower baseline PTSD severity. After we controlled for baseline PTSD severity, personality traits marked by low constraint (i.e., high impulsivity) were also associated with an increased number of dependent SLEs. Our results provide evidence for a stress-generative role of PTSD and highlight the importance of developing interventions aimed at reducing the occurrence of personally dependent stressors.

Stress Processes Linking Parent-Child Disconnection to Disease Risk in Young Adulthood: Amplification by Genotype.

Previous studies have documented that early stressful family relationships influence subsequent stressful life circumstances and health outcomes over the life course. Less is known, however, about whether stressful parent-child relationships increase the influence of proximal stressors on youth health operating as a stress-sensitizing life context, and individual genetic variations have effects on these developmental processes. Informed by life course stress process theory, which focuses on the proliferation, accumulation, and interactions of stressors over the life course as health risks, we examined whether (a) parent-child disconnection influences the occurrence of stressful life events in young adulthood, (b) parent-child disconnection potentiates the impact of stressful life events on young adults' health, or (c) potential health impact is intensified further by individual genotype. Using longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of 11,290 adolescents (Mean age 15.5 years, 53% female) over a period of 13 years, we found parent-child disconnection influenced young adults' stressful life events and amplified the impact of stressful life events on cardio-metabolic disease risk. We also found the association between stressful life events and cardio-metabolic disease risk was further intensified by the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism. Our findings demonstrate that stressful family relationships not only initiate stress processes over the early life course, but also sensitize youth to stressors, and that 5-HTTLPR polymorphism interacts with stressful life experiences to predict heightened disease risk.

Association of life events and depressive symptoms among early postmenopausal Chinese women in Hong Kong.

This study examined the occurrence of stressful life events (SLEs) and its association with the risk of developing depressive symptoms in midlife women. A total of 518 Hong Kong Chinese postmenopausal women aged 50 to 64 years were recruited through random telephone dialing. Information on sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle variables was obtained through face-to-face interviews at baseline, and at 3-year (T1) and 5-year (T2) follow-up. A Centre of Epidemiological Study Depression scale (CES-D) score ≥16 was used to indicate high depressive symptoms. At T2, SLEs were assessed by a 21-item life-event scale, adapted from the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Rating Scale for Adults. Potential confounders were controlled for in the multivariable logistic regression analysis on the relation between SLEs and high depressive symptoms among 379 women without CES-D score ≥16 at T1. 87.6% had experienced SLEs since T1 and 11.9% had CES-D score ≥16 at T2. Compared with those without SLEs, women with one to three SLEs had 2.7-fold (95% CI, 0.6-12.1) increased risk of having CES-D score ≥16, whereas those with four to nine SLEs had 5.2-fold (95% CI, 1.1-25.4) increased risk. A dose-response relationship was observed (P for trend = 0.005). Each additional SLEs experienced was associated with a 28% (95% CI, 1.07-1.54) increased risk of high depressive symptoms. Hong Kong Chinese women encounter many SLEs at midlife. Multiple episodes of SLE had a cumulative effect on the onset of depressive symptoms. Our findings have important implications for the identification and management of midlife women with high depressive symptoms.

Suicide risk and psychiatric comorbidity in patients with psoriasis.

ObjectivesTo examine the occurrence of stressful life events, psychological comorbidity and suicide risk in patients with psoriasis or other dermatological conditions.MethodsConsecutive adult outpatients with psoriasis or other dermatological conditions completed a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Hamilton scales for depression and anxiety.ResultsThe study included 157 patients (91 with psoriasis; 66 with other conditions [melanoma; allergy]). Patients with psoriasis were significantly more likely to have experienced major life events in the 12 months before diagnosis, have had a psychiatric diagnosis and to have experienced past suicidal ideation than patients with other dermatological conditions.ConclusionsPatients with psoriasis have an increased risk of psychiatric comorbidities, suicidal ideation, and long-term course of the disease compared with patients who have other dermatological conditions. Psychiatric assessment is highly recommended in patients with psoriasis.

Origins of Early Adolescents’ Hope

Psychology has recently increased attention to identifying psychological qualities in individuals that indicate positive mental health, such as hope. In an effort to understand further the origins of hope, we examined the relations among parental attachment, stressful life events, personality variables, and hope in a sample of 647 middle school students from one middle school in a southeastern U.S. state. The results showed statistically significant correlations between hope and all four predictor variables as well as students’ grade levels and socioeconomic status (SES) levels. The results of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis further revealed that after controlling for grade level and SES, the personality variable of neuroticism contributed significance variance to early adolescents’ hope scores. Furthermore, the quality of parental attachment accounted for significant variance in hope scores over and above the demographic variables of grade and SES as well as extraversion scores. Contrary to expectations, students’ levels of neuroticism did not moderate the relation between stressful life events and hope. The frequency of occurrence of stressful life events was inversely associated with early adolescents’ individual differences in hope regardless of neuroticism levels. Implications for hope interventions are discussed.

Optimism and well-being: a prospective multi-method and multi-dimensional examination of optimism as a resilience factor following the occurrence of stressful life events

ABSTRACTOptimism has been conceptualised variously as positive expectations (PE) for the future , optimistic attributions , illusion of control , and self-enhancing biases. Relatively little research has examined these multiple dimensions of optimism in relation to psychological and physical health. The current study assessed the multi-dimensional nature of optimism within a prospective vulnerability-stress framework. Initial principal component analyses revealed the following dimensions: PEs, Inferential Style (IS), Sense of Invulnerability (SI), and Overconfidence (O). Prospective follow-up analyses demonstrated that PE was associated with fewer depressive episodes and moderated the effect of stressful life events on depressive symptoms. SI also moderated the effect of life stress on anxiety symptoms. Generally, our findings indicated that optimism is a multifaceted construct and not all forms of optimism have the same effects on well-being. Specifically, our findings indicted that PE may be the most relevant to depression, whereas SI may be the most relevant to anxiety.