The association of health with stressful life changes, social supports, and coping.
Cross-sectional associations of social stressors, social supports, and coping strategies with health status were explored in a self-selected sample of 157 white adults. Using a mailed questionnaire, stressful life changes were assessed by a 40-item version of the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, social supports were measured by a 13-item index, and health status was assessed by the 63-item Duke-UNC Health Profile (DUHP). Responses to a recent stressful event were categorized by method of coping and by focus of coping. In a multivariate analysis controlling for the effects of age, gender, and education level, higher 12 month life change score was related to lower composite DUHP score. The use of active-cognitive coping was directly associated and the use of avoidance-coping was inversely associated with health status. When interaction terms were included in the multivariate analysis, avoidance-coping potentiated the adverse health effect of stressors and weak social supports potentiated the harmful effect of avoidance-coping on health. The findings suggest that the propensity to engage in avoidant behavior in response to a stressful experience is associated with health impairment, particularly when social supports are weak.
Blake
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Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Missouri- Columbia 65212.
Vandiver
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D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003717:Denial, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011340:Problem Solving; D012944:Social Support