Schedule Of Recent Events Research Articles

Adaptation of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale for a Prison Population

ABSTRACT Prisons are stressful environments in which individuals experience various life events. Life events research has demonstrated the relationship between stressful life events and physical and psychological health and well-being. This paper provides a schedule of recent events (SRE) specific to prison life, as well as a modified social readjustment rating scale (SRRS) measuring the magnitude of stressful life events for inmates. Life events are divided into three categories (1) non-prison general events from Holmes and Rahe's original SRE (1967); (2) events specific to prison life; and (3) negative events including both general and prison-specific events. This paper presents correlations between these three clusters of life events and indicators of psychological well-being for inmates at a maximum security state institution. The findings are mixed, showing significant positive relationships between these clusters of life events and indicators of psychological well-being for inmates at a maximum security state institution. The findings are mixed, showing significant positive relationships between these clusters of life events and depression while not showing significant inverse relationships with self-esteem.

Measurement of stress in clinical nursing

The Nurse Stress Checklist was developed to measure stress in clinical nursing as a multidimensional construct. The instrument was formulated within a transactional model of stress. The items were derived from five domains thought to contribute to nurse stress in clinical settings and were organized into a questionnaire. Holmes Schedule of Recent Events was included as a validity measure. The instrument was tested on 104 staff nurses working in three institutions in an urban community. Exploratory factor analysis was applied to the 74 items presented to subjects in Likert-type format. Five factors were derived and subjected to psychometric evaluation. Internal consistency reliability for the five factors was good, ranging from 0.80 to 0.91. Means and measures of dispersion supported the potential of the five subscales to discriminate among respondents on the attributes being measured. Intercorrelations of the factors provided evidence of the distinctiveness of the five components of stress, although factor loadings showed some overlap between Personal Reactions and Work Concerns and Work Concerns and Work Completion Concerns. Validity of the factors also was supported by correlations with Holmes' Schedule of Recent Events. Content validity was supported by comparison of these results with findings of other investigators. Limitations of the results are discussed, and recommendations for future work on the instrument are offered.

Loss Items on the Schedule of Recent Events (SRE): Duration of Psychotherapy

High scores on the Schedule of Recent Events (SRE; Holmes & Rahe, 1967) have been correlated with a high number of subsequent visits for medical or psychological intervention. This study examined the relationship between psychotherapy visits and endorsement of loss items on the SRE. Items that correlated significantly with length or duration of psychotherapy were: divorce (p less than .005); death of a close family member (p less than .07); fired at work (p less than .001); and a son or daughter leaving home (p less than .07). Additional variables are predetermined by the therapist and the clinical setting, so that the observed correlation between high SRE scores and subsequent psychotherapy should be validated in other settings.

The relationship among genital herpes simplex virus, stress, and social support.

Despite widespread popular belief in the activation of recurrent lesions in genital herpes simplex virus (HSV) by psychosocial stress, little empirical evidence supports that contention. This study retrospectively examined the role of stress in activation of HSV lesions as mediated by social support. Participants were 59 volunteers who had self-reported culture-positive genital HSV for at least 10 months. Measures of stress proneness (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; STAI-Trait), recent stressful events (Schedule of Recent Events; SRE), and subjective appraisal of stress (global self-rating) were administered along with measures of general social support and herpes-specific social support. When retrospective reports of HSV symptoms were examined using a multiple-regression approach, duration of disease and amount of herpes-specific social support were found to be significant moderators of the relation between stress and number of HSV recurrences in the preceding 12 months. When duration of disease was short (less than 4 years), stress (SRE) and number of recurrences were positively associated; when disease duration was longer, there was no relationship. Similarly, at low levels of herpes-specific social support, a positive relation between stress (SRE) and number of recurrences was found. However, at higher levels of herpes-specific social support, no association was found. No relation was found between stress proneness (STAI-Trait) and HSV symptoms. However, subjective appraisal (global rating) of stress in the preceding 12 months was positively and significantly correlated with reported number of recurrences. Results are discussed in terms of their clinical implications.

Socialization and social context: influence on perimenstrual symptoms, disability, and menstrual attitudes.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of socialization and exposure to a stressful milieu on women's experiences of perimenstrual symptoms, related disability, and menstrual attitudes. Women (N= 179) from 18 to 35 years of age were interviewed using the Index of Sex Role Orientation, Schedule of Recent Events, Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, and Menstrual Attitudes Questionnaire. Path analysis was used to assess models based on Mechanic's concept of illness behavior for negative affect, pain and water retention symptoms during the perimenstruum. Exposure to a stressful milieu was useful in explaining cyclic, recurrent symptoms. Socialization and exposure to a stressful milieu were more useful in explaining negative affect than pain or water retention symptoms. Socialization and exposure to a stressful milieu are not as important in understanding disability as is the severity of symptoms, but socialization influences menstrual attitudes.

Relationship of Socialization and Stress to Perimenstrual Symptoms, Disability, and Menstrual Attitudes

This study examined the influence of socialization and exposure to a stressful milieu on perimenstrual symptoms, related disability, and menstrual attitudes. Women (N = 179) aged 18 to 35 were interviewed using the Index of Sex Role Orientation, Schedule of Recent Events, Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, and Menstrual Attitudes Questionnaire, Path analysis was used to assess a model based on Mechanic's (1962, 1980) concept of illness behavior for negative affect, pain, and water retention symptoms during the perimenstruum. Exposure to a stressful milieu was useful in explaining cyclic, recurrent symptoms of negative affect. Of all the symptom clusters, negative affect was found to be the most important cause of perimenstrual disability. Traditional socialization, intense negative affect symptoms, and related disability all influenced menstrual attitudes.

The impact of psychological distress on the control of hypertension.

Previous research has yielded inconsistent results in the control of essential hypertension. One explanation for response to drug or behavioral therapy may be the patient's psychological status upon entering treatment. Thirty-five borderline hypertensive males entered into a self-management program with biofeedback and cognitive restructuring components. The SCL-90 (Symptom Checklist-90) and the Holmes' Schedule of Recent Events were used to determine if responders and nonresponders could be distinguished prior to treatment on the basis of psychological status. Patients whose hypertension was resistant to treatment (diastolic greater than or equal to 90 mm Hg) reported significantly greater levels of psychological distress and greater life changes than did controlled patients. Pretreatment differences could not be explained by compliance or expectation of success. This study suggests that a relationship exists between psychological distress, life changes and the subsequent control of hypertension; this has implications for treatment selection and design for psychologically distressed individuals.

Stressful life events and perimenstrual symptoms.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the effects of stressful life events on perimenstrual symptoms were due to operational confounding of the instruments used to measure the independent and dependent variables. Women aged 18 to 35 (n = 179) completed the Schedule of Recent Events (SRE) and the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire during a home interview. When variance in PMS scores attributable to age, parity, education, and contraceptive method was controlled using hierarchical multiple regression, total SRE scores were correlated with premenstrual and menstrual negative affect, menstrual water retention, and menstrual performance impairment. When health-related components of the SRE score were controlled in a similar manner, however, the residual SRE scores explain a diminished amount of the variance in premenstrual and menstrual negative affect and menstrual performance impairment. Future investigations are needed to clarify whether the effects of health-related life events on perimenstrual symptoms are simply a matter of operational confounding of measures of the independent and dependent variables, or whether women who recently have experienced personal illness or injury are at greater risk of developing perimenstrual symptoms.

The relationship of stressful life events to intellectual functioning in women over 65.

The relationship of stressful life events to decline in intellectual abilities in 112 women aged 65-92 was assessed. A ratio of crystal/fluid abilities was used to estimate decline. The Vocabulary and Comprehension subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) were used to assess crystalized abilities, and the Block Design and Object Assembly subtests of the WAIS were used to assess fluid abilities. The Holmes and Rahe Schedule of Recent Events (SRE) was used as a measure of stress along with a method for quantifying individual estimates of stress experience. In addition, the relationship of subsets of actual events experienced to intellectual functioning was analyzed. Stress was found to be related to the ratio used to estimate decline. Changes in personal health and changes in health of a family member were positively related and vacations were negatively related to decline in intellectual functioning.

Life events, mental health functioning and the use of health care services by the elderly.

The association of life events and mental health impairment was studied in a community-based population of the elderly (n = 986). A crude estimate of the relative risk for mental health impairment given life events larger than or equal to 150 (as measured by the Schedule of Recent Events) was 2.14. A relative risk of 1.73 (p < .01) was estimated when a binary regression procedure was used, controlling for physical health, economic status, social support, and age. Increased life events were associated with health seeking behavior, even when physical and mental health functioning were controlled. The associations between increased life events and both mental health functioning and health seeking behavior were small, suggesting that life events, as measured by the Schedule of Recent Events may not be important risk factors for elderly living in the community.

Life Events, Psychiatric Screening, and Psychosomatic Illness

The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and the Schedule of Recent Events (SRE) were administered to a consecutive series of referrals to a general hospital psychiatric consultation service. Control groups of psychiatric and medical inpatients matched for age and sex were also evaluated. Significantly greater life change was found in the consultation group as compared to the medical controls, providing further support for the cluster theory of illness. The General Health Questionnaire was found to be an effective screening instrument for nonpsychotic emotional illness in a general hospital inpatient setting. A significant positive correlation between the GHQ scores and the SRE scores suggests a relationship which merits further study in the epidemiology of psychosomatic illness. The implications of the significant correlation of physical and emotional illness to clinical medical practice is briefly discussed.

A psychometric study of life events and social readjustment

An evaluation was made of the Schedule of Recent Events (SRE) and the Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS) based on a clinical sample of 353 individuals. Although differential weights in scaling life events are widely used, psychometric theory would indicate otherwise. That is, the simple counting of events (unit weights) exemplified by the SRE should yield scores that correlate almost perfectly with Life Change Unit (LCU) scores computed using differential weights from the SRRS. Empirically, the SRE had a correlation of 0.97 with the SRRS. Indeed, when random numbers were used as scaling weights, the SRE and SRRS (random weights) still had a correlation of 0.97. Furthermore, the simple counting of events (SRE) gave a higher internal consistency reliability (0.80) than the differential weights (SRRS) where the reliability estimate was 0.72. This trend was evident on six more homogeneous subscales of life events that had been previously identified using factor analysis. Finally, the influence of three response styles (social desirability, denial and carelessness) on the SRE, SRRS and six factor subscales was found to be almost negligible. The findings of this study seriously challenge the use of differential weights in the measurement of life event changes.

The Schedule of Recent Events: A Measure of Stress Due to Life Change Events Translated for the Spanish-Speaking

ABSTRACT Subcultures in the United States have expressed concern about being dealt with through their own culture and language. Organizations of helping professions have responded by suggesting policy addressing this desire. A further response would be to incorporate mental health instruments translated and validated for use in subcultures. The Schedule of Recent Events (SRE) is an instrument which measures stress from life experiences. An increase in stress due to life events is associated with illness onset. The development of this phenomenon and the SRE is presented including cross-culture validation. The English version with the Spanish translation is also provided.

Symptom contamination of the Schedule of Recent Events.

Symptom contamination of the Schedule of Recent Events.

Patterns in the relationship of life events and psychiatric symptoms over time

A prospective study was conducted to investigate the relationship of life-event changes to changes in psychiatric symptoms over time. Eighty-nine male psychiatric outpatients and a comparison group of 107 hospital and university employees completed a Schedule of Recent Events (SRE) and a Symptom Checklist (SCL) every two months for 18 months. Symptoms were significantly ( p < 0.009) correlated with life events at each of the nine measurement periods ( r ranged from 0.38 to 0.58). When event and symptom scores for each subject over time were graphed, 61.7% of the cases could be classified into one of three event-symptom relationship typologies. A concordant relationship (events and symptoms covaried together) appeared in 34.7%; an unresponsive relationship (major changes in events associated with no symptom change) was seen 21.4%; and an antecedent- consequent relationship (build-up in events followed by build-up in symptoms) was identified in 5.4%; 38.3% of the cases could not be classified. Although the study supports previous findings that when large groups are studied, statistically significant events-symptoms correlations can be demonstrated, it also shows that such group data may be obscuring important individual differences. The partitioning of groups according to events-symptom typologies may help identify people whom it would be fruitful to study in greater depth from an adaptational viewpoint. In this way we may come closer to understanding why life events affect the health of some people and not others.