Quality of life events in relation to psychiatric symptoms
I. Grant, H. L. Sweetwood, J. Yager and M. Gerst
This prospective study explored the relationship of life changes to
psychiatric symptom changes in psychiatric outpatients (N = 196) and a
comparison group of nonpatients (N = 194). Subjects completed the Schedule
of Recent Experiences and a symptom checklist bimonthly for 18 months. At
all reporting intervals, symptoms and events were strongly correlated.
Undesirable and uncontrollable events related positively and desirable
events negatively to symptoms. Among symptoms, those of a dysphoric and
somatic nature were most strongly associated with event change. Psychiatric
patients also reported more undesirable, more uncontrollable, and fewer
desirable events than the comparison group. We conclude that the
relationship of life events to symptoms depends on the specific qualities
of both events and symptoms. Undesirable and uncontrollable events appear
to have a direct, and desirable events an inverse, association with
dysphoric and somatic symptoms.
