Specific Stressful Events Research Articles

Randomised controlled trial on the effect of video-conference cognitive behavioural therapy for patients with schizophrenia: a study protocol

IntroductionCognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing positive symptoms, improving depression, enhancing coping skills and increasing awareness of illness. However, compared with cognitive behavioural therapy for...

The Impact of Stressful Life Events on Suicidal Ideation in Gender Dysphoria: A Moderator Effect of Perceived Social Support.

Factors associated with suicidal ideation in the gender dysphoria population are not completely understood. This high-risk population is more likely to suffer stressful events such as assault or employment discrimination. This study aimed to determine the association of stressful events and social support on suicidal ideation in gender dysphoria and to analyze the moderator effect of social support in relation to stressful events and suicidal ideation. A cross-sectional design was used in a clinical sample attending a public gender identity unit in Spain that consisted of 204 individuals (51.7% birth-assigned males and 48.3% birth-assigned females), aged between 13 and 59 (M = 27.95years, SD = 9.58). A Structured Clinical Interview, a list of 16 stressful events, and a functional social support questionnaire (Duke-UNC-11) were used during the initial visits to the unit. The data were collected between 2011 and 2012. A total of 50.1% of the sample have had suicidal ideation. The following stressful events were associated with suicidal ideation: homelessness, eviction from home, and having suffered from physical or verbal aggression. Also, there was an inverse relation between perceived social support and suicidal ideation. There was a statistically significant interaction between a specific stressful event (eviction) and perceived social support. The study suggests that the promotion of safer environments could be related to lower suicidal ideation and that networks that provide social support could buffer the association between specific stressful events and suicidal ideation.

Suicidality Prevalence in a Pediatric Psychiatric Clinic: Relation to Social and Environmental Risk Factors.

Suicidality is a growing public health problem in children and adolescents. The aim of this retrospective data analysis study was to estimate the prevalence of suicidality in pediatric patients admitted to an academic Pediatric Psychiatric Clinic (PPC) and to analyze social and environmental risk factors associated with suicide. Suicidal ideation was assessed by the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview. Using established psychometric scales, social and stressful events were analyzed. During the four-year study, 249 episodes of care were experienced by 152 individuals (mean age 15.2 ± 2 years, girls/boys 107/45). Twenty-eight patients (11.2%) were admitted from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Department of Pediatrics, 162 (65.1%) from the Pediatric Emergency Department, and 59 (23.7%) from other Hospitals (p = 0.003). A significant longitudinal increase in admissions to PPC, with increasing trends of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and suicidality, was recorded. Suicidal behavior, bullying, internet addiction, friends quarreling, and family problems were risk factors for suicide attempts and suicidality. Our results have implications for prevention programs, highlighting an increasing need for care for suicide attempts and suicidal ideation, related to specific stressful events and contextual socio-environmental status.

The good, the bad, and the mixed: Experiences during COVID-19 among an online sample of adults.

Studies have outlined the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic to psychological health. However, the potential within-individual diversity of experiences during COVID-19, and how such experiences relate to indices of psychological distress and COVID-19-specific stressors, remains to be explored. A large online sample of American MTurk Workers (N = 3,731; Mage = 39.54 years, SD = 13.12; 51.70% female) completed short assessments of psychological distress, COVID-19-specific stressors (e.g., wage loss, death), and seven items assessing negative and positive COVID-19 experiences. Latent profile analyses were used to identify underlying profiles of COVID-19 experiences. A four-profile solution was retained representing profiles that were: (1) predominantly positive (n = 839; 22.49%), (2) predominantly negative (n = 849; 22.76%), (3) moderately mixed (n = 1,748; 46.85%), and (4) high mixed (n = 295; 7.91%). The predominantly positive profile was associated with lower psychological distress, whereas both the predominantly negative and high mixed profiles were associated with higher psychological distress. Interestingly, specific COVID-19 stressful events were associated with the high mixed profile. The present study challenges the narrative that the impacts of COVID-19 have been unilaterally negative. Future directions for research are proposed.

Psychometric Properties of the Chinese Version of the Brief State Rumination Inventory.

State rumination, unlike trait rumination which is described as a persistent and stable response style, is usually triggered by a specific stressful event and causes negative emotions within a short period of time. The measurement methods of trait rumination, such as the ruminative response scale (RRS), are therefore not fully applicable to state rumination. Recently, researchers have developed the brief state rumination inventory (BSRI) to characterize state rumination, addressing the gap in the field of accurate measurement of state rumination. To develop such an effective tool in the Chinese context, we developed a Chinese version of the BSRI and tested its psychometric properties. Two studies were conducted to address the research goal. In Study 1, we recruited 512 subjects, each of whom completed the Chinese version of the BSRI, RRS, emotional regulation questionnaire (ERQ), depression–anxiety–stress scale (DASS), and positive and negative affect scale (PANAS). Results showed that the scores of the BSRI were positively correlated with all other scale scores (ps < 0.001), and the correlation with the RRS was the highest, indicating that the BSRI showed good convergent validity. Additionally, the Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the Chinese version of the BSRI was 0.93. Study 2 aimed to examine the ecological validity of the Chinese version of the BSRI. We recruited another 54 subjects who were randomly divided into two groups, with 27 in the rumination induction group and 27 in the distraction group, and recorded the BSRI scores of the two groups before and after a specific experiment. We found there was a significant increase in BSRI scores after rumination induction (t = 3.91, p < 0.001), while there was no significant difference in the concrete distraction group before and after the experiment (t = 0.70, p = 0.48). In sum, the Chinese version of the BSRI showed good reliability and validity for assessing state rumination in the general Chinese population.

How Team Emotions Impact Individual Employee Strain Before, During, and After a Stressful Event: A Latent Growth Curve Modeling Approach

Employee strain is a significant and costly issue for hospitality organizations. This study investigated the change trajectory of strain pre, during, and post a discrete stressful event and how cohesion and group emotional variability altered the shape of the trajectory. Using an experience sampling method approach, we gathered 402 daily observations from 84 workers in a period that included a specific stressful event, the opening of a one-night “theme dinner” restaurant that catered to dinner guests from the general public. We used latent growth curve modeling to investigate the change of strain among employees over time. The results showed that indicators of strain displayed inverted U-shaped trajectories (i.e., strain increased before and decreased after the stressful event) and that group cohesion and emotional variability affected the starting value and the change trajectory of strain. By investigating strain on a daily basis and considering group-based influences in response to discrete stressful events, this study provides significant implications to the hospitality literature and suggestions to hospitality managers on how to alleviate the impact of strain among their workforces.

Life stressors, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, and preterm birth

Background Stress-induced pregnancy complications are thought to represent a significant cause of maternal morbidity and mortality; little is known regarding types of stress most predictive of adverse outcomes. Methods We used Utah PRAMs 2012–2014 data to evaluate links between preconception life stressors and prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) and pre-term labor (PTB) (births <37 weeks gestational age, and very PTB <33 weeks). We categorized 12 specific stressful events into 4 groups: partner, traumatic, financial, and emotional. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated controlling for important sociodemographic, lifestyle, and pregnancy history factors. Results 4,378 mothers completed the survey. 26.6%, 12.2%, 32.2%, and 28.4% reported partner, traumatic, financial, and emotional-related stress. Reporting any of the 4-types of life stress was linked with increased prevalence of HDP (aPR: 1.46 [95% CI: 0.96, 2.22]) after adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, BMI, education, prior diagnosis of high blood pressure, and prior history of preterm labor. The strongest association was observed for financial stress (aPR: 1.50 [95% CI: 1.03, 2.18]). Financial stress was also associated with increased prevalence of very PTB (aPR: 1.61 [95% CI: 1.03, 2.51]) after adjustment. Conclusion Women reporting financial stress, including job loss, pay reduction, or difficulty paying bills, had increased prevalence of HDP and very PTB.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Illicit Substance Use: A Temporal-Ordered Test of General Strain Theory

This longitudinal study applied general strain theory to elaborate specific stressful events’ lagged effects on risk of illicit substance use among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic adolescents, and relatedly evaluated the moderating role of race/ethnicity in explaining illicit use. Data were drawn from five waves representing 9 years (2002–2010) of the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), totaling 16,868 person-waves, and we engaged temporal ordering and generalized estimating equations (GEE) for panel data in STATA for data analysis. Results showed specific events affected risk of illicit substance use differentially across racial/ethnic groups. Strains commonly encountered in disorganized spaces affected non-Hispanic White’s risk. Measured strains did not affect non-Hispanic Black respondents and findings for Hispanic respondents point to the family as a possible strain. Results indicated legal drug use and depression increased risk of illicit use greatly. Race/ethnicity’s role in illicit use’s associations with several variables illustrates differential implications for racial/ethnic groups in policy and preventive interventions.

Humor as a coping strategy in spaceflight

Despite physical and mental stressors in space capsule environments, almost all astronauts cope successfully with the demands of their careers (Suedfeld, Brcic, & Legkaia, 2009; Suedfeld, Brcic, Johnson, & Gushin, 2015). This study assessed astronauts' and cosmonauts' use of humor as a strategy for coping with the stressors encountered in training and in space. The Humor Coping Scale (HCS) was devised to assess five categories of humor: Affiliative (designed to enhance interpersonal cohesiveness and liking), Enhancing (expression of a humorous outlook on life), Aggressive (tendency to express critical or sarcastic humor that may have negative impact on others), Self-defeating (excessive use of self-disparaging humor), and Problem-oriented (humor used to cope with specific stressful events). We used thematic content analysis to identify the above-mentioned five categories of humor in retrospective narratives (memoirs, debriefs, interviews, etc.) of two samples of spacefarers. Sample One consisted of an international group of 46 active astronauts and cosmonauts, while Sample Two consisted of 20 retired long-duration male cosmonauts. Results for Sample One showed that astronauts employed Coping humor more in long-duration flights than short-duration flights. Astronauts who flew as members of the national majority in a crew mentioned Aggressive humor more frequently than did national minority astronauts; cosmonauts mentioned less Affiliative humor than astronauts from NASA or other space agencies. Retired cosmonauts when describing their active space career mentioned Positive and Coping humor more than during other career phases. In addition, the use of Self-defeating humor increased significantly throughout their careers with most mentions occurring after retirement. Additional results, implications, and comparisons of both samples will be further discussed.

Stressful events and coping strategies associated with symptoms of depression: A Japanese general population survey

BackgroundThe following question remains open: what has the strongest impact on symptoms of depression, experiencing multiple stressful events, being exposed to a specific stressful event, or having a maladaptive coping style? MethodWe conducted a cross-sectional survey with face-to-face interviews. Data from 2559 randomly-sampled adults living in Japan were analyzed. The participants were asked about stressful events (12 items) experienced in the previous month and their stress-coping strategies (16 items). Presence of symptoms of depression was defined using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associations of stressful events and stress-coping strategies with symptoms of depression. ResultsThe prevalence of symptoms of depression increased with the number of stressful events. Eight stressful events and five stress-coping strategies were positively associated with symptoms of depression. In the multiple logistic regression analysis for the items that showed a significant association with symptoms of depression, two stressful events (“Health/illness of self” and “Trouble with family members”) and two stress-coping strategies (“Smoking” and “Bearing without action”) remained significantly associated with symptoms of depression; however, the “dose effect” of the number of stressful events disappeared, suggesting that these stressful events and stress-coping strategies have a stronger association with symptoms of depression compared with experiencing multiple stressful events. LimitationsSince this study was cross-sectional in design, causal relationships could not be determined. ConclusionOur findings may indicate the importance of focusing on types of stressful events and coping styles in developing preventive strategies for major depression.

Better Support Services for Better Mental Health?—The Case of Depression among Parents on Welfare

The present study aims to investigate independent and interactive impacts of risk and protective factors influencing depression among parents receiving welfare. The study uses panel data from the first two waves of the nationally representative Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The analytic sample included 1204 parents of children aged 4 - 5 years who participated in both of the waves and received government payments as their main income source in Wave 1. At Wave 2, twenty seven percent of all participant parents have income support as their main income source, and one-third of these parents reported having depressive symptoms during the 4 weeks prior to the interview. In hierarchical regression analysis, specific stressful events in the past 12 months (relationship breakdown, financial hardship, substance abuse, and death of a love one) have emerged as significant risk factors of depression. Parenting self-efficacy, timely access to support services and neighborhood belonging were found to be significant protective factors of depression. The most unique and key finding is that parents experiencing stressful events were less likely to report depression if they had adequate access to support services at times of adversity, and these results remain largely unchanged above and beyond the effects of the control variables. These findings have important implications for inculcating resilience in families on welfare in particular, through driving an institutional change that is responsive to ongoing and emergent needs. It is important that policy and health services delivery are designed in conjunction to provide maximum support for disadvantaged families at times of adversity.

Association of recent major psychological stress with cardiac arrest: A case-control study

ObjectiveWe hypothesized that major psychological stress can be a risk factor for cardiac arrest and that effects are modified by elapsed time from specific stressful events. MethodsCase-control study was conducted using database for cardiac arrest and emergency department (ED) visiting. Cases included adult patients with cardiac arrest with presumed cardiac etiology. Controls were matched with sex and age and visiting day from unintentional injured patients in same ED. The occurrence of 9 major life events (MLEs) such as a divorce within 1year was used as a proxy measure of major psychological stress. A multivariable conditional logistic regression conducted to estimate the effect of MLEs on the risk of cardiac arrest according to the elapsed time from the MLEs. ResultsA total of 95 patients with cardiac arrest and 95 controls were assessed. In the case group, a total of 58 MLEs occurred, while 33 MLEs occurred in the control group during the same period. Recent MLEs were associated with a higher risk of sudden cardiac arrest (AOR 2.26 [95% CI:1.01–5.03]). The AORs of cardiac arrest were 4.65 (95% CI, 1.38–15.67) and 7.02 (95% CI, 2.03–24.48) among participants experiencing MLEs within the last 0–3months and those experiencing MLEs within the last 0–6months, respectively. Cardiac arrest and MLEs in participants experiencing MLEs between 7 and 12months prior showed no association (AOR 4.76 [95% CI, 0.97–18.36]). ConclusionsMLEs were associated with cardiac arrest occurrence, and the effect was modified by the elapsed time from the MLEs.

Change in β2-agonist use after severe life events in adults with asthma: A population-based cohort study: Life events and bronchodilator usage among adults with asthma

ObjectiveThis prospective, population-based cohort study of 1102 Finnish adults with asthma, examined whether exposure to stressful life events is associated with the intensity of usage of inhaled short-acting β2-agonists. MethodsSurvey data was collected by two postal questionnaires. Baseline characteristics were obtained in 1998 and data on 19 specific stressful events (e.g. death of a child or spouse or divorce) within the six preceding months in 2003. Exposure to life events was indicated by a sum score weighted by mean severity of the events. Participants were linked to records of filled prescriptions for inhaled short-acting β2-agonists from national registers from 2000 through 2006. The rates of purchases of short-acting β2-agonists before (2000−2001), during (2002−2003) and after (2004–2006) the event exposure were estimated using repeated-measures Poisson regression analyses with the generalized estimating equation. ResultsOf the 1102 participants, 162 (15%) were exposed to highly stressful events, 205 (19%) to less stressful events. During the 7-year observation period, 5955 purchases of filled prescription for inhaled short-acting β2-agonists were recorded. After exposure to highly stressful events, the rate of purchases of β2-agonists was 1.50 times higher (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05, 2.13) than before the stressful event occurred. Among those with low or no exposure to life events, the corresponding rate ratios were not elevated (rate ratio 0.81, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.99 and 0.95, 95% CI: 0.83, 1.09 respectively). ConclusionAn increase in β2-agonist usage after severe life events suggests that stressful experiences may worsen asthma symptoms.

Context and craving during stressful events in the daily lives of drug-dependent patients.

Knowing how stress manifests in the lives of people with substance-use disorders could help inform mobile "just in time" treatment. The purpose of this paper is to examine discrete episodes of stress, as distinct from the fluctuations in background stress assessed in most EMA studies. For up to 16weeks, outpatients on opioid-agonist treatment carried smartphones on which they initiated an entry whenever they experienced a stressful event (SE) and when randomly prompted (RP) three times daily. Participants reported the severity of stress and craving and the context of the report (location, activities, companions). Decomposition of covariance was used to separate within-person from between-person effects; r effect sizes below are within-person. Participants (158 of 182; 87%) made 1787 stress-event entries. Craving for opioids increased with stress severity (r effect=0.50). Stress events tended to occur in social company (with acquaintances, 0.63, friends, 0.17, or on the phone, 0.41) rather than with family (spouse, -0.14; child, -0.18), and in places with more overall activity (bars, 0.32; outside, 0.28; walking, 0.28) and more likelihood of unexpected experiences (with strangers, 0.17). Being on the internet was slightly protective (-0.22). Our prior finding that being at the workplace protects against background stress in our participants was partly supported in these stressful-event data. The contexts of specific stressful events differ from those we have seen in prior studies of ongoing background stress. However, both are associated with drug craving.

Cumulative Impact of Stressful Life Events on the Development of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy.

The role of stressful life events in the onset of Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) is unclear. This study sought to examine associations between type, timing, and number of stressful life events and onset of TC. A case-control study conducted among consecutive incident female TC cases and myocardial infarction (MI) controls admitted to two emergency departments in New England. Healthy female controls (HC) were recruited from a volunteers' registry. Information about the timing, type, and number of triggers during the 6months preceding hospitalization was systematically collected using the PERI Life Events Scale about 1month post-discharge. Group differences were evaluated using ANOVA, chi-square, and Kruskal-Wallis statistics. Generalized linear models were used to adjust for confounding variables. Between March 2013 and October 2015, 107 women were enrolled (45 TC, 32 MI, and 30 HC). Specific stressful events (death of a relative or close friend (p=0.006); illness or injury to a relative or close friend (p=0.001) were more prevalent in TC cases than MI and HC controls. The onset of TC was associated with exposure to multiple stressful life events during the 6months preceding the index hospitalization (p<0.001) but not with exposure to an acute, recent event (p=0.96). TC onset was associated with specific life events (death or illness to close relative or friend) and with the number of stressful life events occurring in the 6months preceding hospitalization. These findings suggest that grief and cumulative stress could play a major role in the onset of TC.

Automatic affective-motivational regulation processes underlying supportive dyadic coping: the role of increased implicit positive attitudes toward communal goals in response to a stressed relationship partner

ABSTRACTBackground and objectives: We examined the implicit affective mechanisms underlying provision of support in intimate dyads. Specifically, we hypothesized that in individuals with high relationship satisfaction, the perception that one’s partner is stressed leads to increased implicit positive attitudes toward communal goals. In turn, this change in implicit attitudes facilitates supportive behavior.Design and methods: In two studies, we induced partner stress by instructing participants to either recall a situation where their partner was highly stressed (Study 1; N = 47 university students) or imagine a specific stressful event (excessive workload; Study 2; N = 85 university students). Subsequently, implicit attitudes toward communal goals were assessed with an Implicit Association Test.Results: In both studies, we found that among participants with high relationship satisfaction partner stress increases preferences for communal goals. In addition, implicit preferences for communal goals predicted stronger inclinations to engage in supportive dyadic coping (Study 2).Conclusions: The current findings provide important insights into the implicit cognitive-affective mechanics of dyadic coping. Moreover, they can explain how people manage to avoid experiencing motivational conflicts between partner-oriented and self-oriented goals in situations characterized by high partner stress.

An Explorative Study on Major Stressors and Its Connection to Depression and Chronic Stress among German Elite Athletes

Although research shows that chronic stress and specific stressful events (e.g. injury, failure) are associated with depressive symptoms in athletes, connections between chronic, major stressors and depressive symptoms are yet unknown. Therefore, the goal of the study was to gain new findings between major stressors and their relations to depressive symptoms and chronic stress. A total of 134 elite athletes provided data in an online survey. In addition to quantitative measurements (current depressive symptoms, and level of chronic stress), possible stressors were assessed qualitatively with an open ended question. By using content analysis to explore stressors, three different types of stressors were categorized: Double burden, sport specific demands, and conditions. Further statistical analysis found these stressors to be associated with dropout intentions, depression and chronic stress. Athletes, who reported sport specific demands (such as high training loads) as major stressors indicated higher levels of chronic stress and depressive symptoms than athletes without major stressors. Further research investigating sources of stress and its association to depressive syndromes in athletes could benefit from considering sport specific factors.

Nurses’ early experiences with patient death: The results of an on-line survey of Registered Nurses in New Zealand

BackgroundDeath has been identified as a known stressor for nurses and has been extensively researched in nursing populations. However, very little is known about the impact of a specific stressful event; that of the novice nurse's first encounter with patient death. Using a sequential quantitative-qualitative mixed methods design, a study was undertaken to explore the clinical circumstances, impact and challenges and rewards of nurses’ early experiences with patient death. This paper reports the findings of the first phase: an exploratory survey of nurses’ responses to this stressor. MethodA convenience sample of New Zealand Registered Nurses was recruited using email invitations; 174 respondents completed an online questionnaire exploring the clinical circumstances, preparedness, support mechanisms and impact of their earliest memorable patient death. ResultsMost nurses reported that their earliest memory of patient death occurred during undergraduate training (61%) or in the first year of qualified practice (23%). Over 80% of these experiences occurred in acute medical, surgical or specialty settings in public hospitals, some involving paediatric or sudden unexpected deaths. Whilst some respondents described a rewarding, ‘learning experience’, others reported acute helplessness, guilt or marked on-going distress. ConclusionsWhilst little can be done to control the clinical circumstances of nurses’ early death encounters, by understanding more about the reactions to death, it may be possible to minimise negative factors such as unexpected elements, feelings of inadequacy, exclusion and role conflicts whilst facilitating coping, sharing of the experience, personal and professional growth, and other positive outcomes. Nurses’ early experiences with patient death appear to have a lasting impact on their professional and personal lives.

Life stressors and 5-HTTLPR interaction in relation to midpregnancy depressive symptoms among African-American women.

In earlier analyses of nonHispanic White women we found a stronger relation between abuse history and midpregnancy elevated depressive symptoms in women with the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) S/S genotype. Here, we focus on African-American women (N=698). Our inquiry is motivated by racial differences in depression diagnosis/treatment, stressors, and frequency of major 5-HTTLPR alleles (S, LA, LG). Stressful life events (lifetime) and depressive symptoms (current) were ascertained at 15-27 weeks gestation. A Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Score of more than or equal to 18 was considered 'elevated'. Life events were scored together and separated into six subconstructs. 5-HTTLPR genotypes were grouped as follows: (i) L and S alleles, (ii) S-LG equivalence ('triallelic to biallelic'), and (iii) LA/LA, all others, S/S ('high/intermediate/low'). Odds ratios (OR) for 'elevated' depressive symptoms-life events (total and subconstructs) relations were calculated for each genotype grouping. The prevalence of 'elevated' depressive symptoms did not vary by genotype. The relation between stressful life events and 'elevated' depressive symptoms was stronger in S/S compared with LA/LA genotype (interaction P=0.11). Of the six subconstructs, only abuse showed a statistically significant gene-environment interaction. The OR for the abuse-'elevated' depressive symptoms association was greater for S/S vs. LA/LA genotype (interaction P=0.03) and in the 'triallelic to biallelic' grouping (interaction P=0.04). In the 'high/intermediate/low' grouping, 'low' (S/S) had a higher OR (5.5) than both 'intermediate' and 'high' (ORs≤2.3) (interaction P=0.10). These results show the importance of examining racial groups, specific stressful events, and different 5-HTTLPR genotype groupings when exploring gene-environment interactions in depression.

Trauma Exposure and Mental Health Characteristics of Incarcerated Females Self-Referred to Specialty PTSD Treatment

Objectives: This study examined the traumatic and stressful event exposure history and psychiatric health characteristics of soon-to-be released female inmates who self-referred to specialty posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment. Methods: The final sample (N=209) included female prison inmates aged 18 or older who were assessed for trauma exposure and axis I disorders with standardized clinical instruments. Results: The rate of serious mental disorders was high. Presence of psychiatric disorders was significantly associated with a history of traumatic event exposure and full or subthreshold PTSD, and high rates of overall traumatic event exposure (88%) and childhood sexual or physical trauma (74%). Descriptive profiles of specific lifetime traumatic and stressful events were associated with psychiatric disorders. Conclusions: Findings suggest strong behavioral effects associated with lifetime traumatic and stressful event histories and indicate major psychiatric health care needs among female prison inmates that are likely unmet by existing services. (Psychiatric Services 62:954–958, 2011)