Stressful life events and symptoms: A longitudinal model.

245 males (mean age 46.8 yrs) and 248 females (mean age 44 yrs) were readministered the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, measures of personal functioning, and a social background index 12–15 mo after their initial assessment. There was some evidence for temporal consistency in the number and type of events Ss experienced as well as for a relationship between initial symptoms of depression (among males) and the more frequent occurrence of later events. After controlling for Ss' initial symptom levels and propensity to experience stressful events, an increase in negative events during the follow-up period was related to an increase in symptoms. Among several gender differences, negative events were found to have more impact on females than males. The confounding of the measurement of discrete stressful events and ongoing life strain is identified as potentially underlying the consistency of "events" as well as contributing to the difficulty in interpreting the relationship between "events" and functioning. (53 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)