title: The association between cumulative adversity and mental health: considering dose and primary focus of adversity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study addressed the dose-response model in the association of cumulative adversity with mental health.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 1,725 participants aged 50+ were drawn from the Israeli component of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe. Measures included an inventory of potentially traumatic events, distress (lifetime depression, depressive symptoms), and well-being (quality of life, optimism/hope).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The maximal effect of cumulative trauma emerged in the contrast between 0-2 and 3+ events, where the higher number of events related to higher distress but also to higher well-being. While self-oriented adversity revealed no, or negative, association with well-being, other-oriented adversity revealed a positive association.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study suggests an experiential dose of cumulative adversity leading to a co-activation of distress and well-being. The source of this co-activation seems to be other-oriented adversity.
authors: Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel. giora@post.tau.ac.il
authors: Giora
authors: G
authors: Keinan
authors: Amit
authors: A
authors: Shrira
authors: Dov
authors: D
authors: Shmotkin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001290:Attitude; D003625:Data Collection; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology*