Health of women: associations among life events, social support, and personality for selected patient groups.
This study examined the effects of life events, social support, personality traits, and siblings' birth-order on the health of women. 199 middle-class participants were included. 95 women, randomly assigned from four different patient groups, were compared with a control group of 96 randomly selected women without any special health problems. They completed a questionnaire which included questions regarding family background, health, different life events, social support, and signs of disease and a projective test, the Sivik Psychosomatism Test. Analysis indicated that report of negative life events was associated with more physical symptoms than positive life events and that the patient groups reported more negative life events and less social support than the control group.
Norlander
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Department of Psychology, Karlstad University, Sweden.
Dahlin
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Archer
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001722:Birth Order; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012803:Sick Role; D012944:Social Support