OUTCOMES

• STANDARDIZED SCALES LIKE CES-D

• ADD UP SYMPTOMS

• CONTINUOUS – FROM MILD TO SEVERE

• INDICATOR OF DISTRESS

• GENERAL NOT DIAGNOSTIC

CURRENT SOCIAL THEORY

• LEONARD PEARLIN – THE STRESS PROCESS

• DIFFERENCES WITH SRRS

1. STRESSORS (CAUSES)

• 1. EMPHASIZES POSITION IN SOCIAL STRUCTURES - SOCIAL CLASS, ETHNIC, GENDER

• 2. EMPHASIZES SOCIAL ROLES - OVERLOAD, CONFLICT, CAPTIVITY

• 3. CONNECTION OF STRESSORS - STRESS PROLIFERATION (PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STRESSORS)

TYPES OF STRESSORS

• 1. SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS• LOSS OF ATTACHMENTS - DEATH,

DIVORCE, ROMANTIC BREAKUPS• 2. SUBORDINATE SOCIAL STATUS • WORK ROLES, GENDER ROLES, LOW

SOCIAL CLASS• 3. FAILURE TO ACHIEVE SOCIAL GOALS• REJECTION, FAILURE TO ACHIEVE

NEW CATEGORIES OF STRESSORS (WHEATON)

• 1. CHRONIC STRESSORS

• 2. LIFETIME TRAUMAS

• 3. DAILY HASSLES

• 4. DISASTERS

DIMENSIONS OF STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS

• UNEXPECTABLE VS. EXPECTABLE

• POSITIVE VS. NEGATIVE PREEXISTING CONTEXT OF EVENT

• NEGATIVE POST-EVENT CONTEXT– SECONDARY STRESSORS

STRESS PROCESS

• 1. EVENTS NOT ISOLATED BUT EMBEDDED IN SOCIAL POSITIONS

• 2. EVENTS NOT ISOLATED BUT INTERCONNECTED

• 3. MORE DIVERSE CATEGORIES OF EVENTS

• 4. IMPORTANCE OF MEDIATORS

STRESSORS MEDIATORS OUTCOME

THREE ELEMENTS OF STRESS PROCESS

MEDIATORS

• WHY SOME PEOPLE WITH MANY STRESSORS HAVE LOW DISTRESS

• WHY SOME PEOPLE WITH FEW STRESSORS HAVE HIGH DISTRESS

• MAKE PEOPLE MORE OR LESS VULNERABLE OR RESILIENT TO THE STRESSORS THEY FACE

MEDIATORS (TURNER)

• SOCIAL RESOURCES

• 1. SUPPORT - SENSE OF BEING CARED FOR, BELONGING, WANTED

• ONE INTIMATE

• STRONG FAMILY TIES, RELIGION

• 2. MATERIAL SUPPORT

SOCIAL COMPARISON

• STRESSFULNESS DEPENDS ON REFERENCE GROUP

• INCOME

• QUADRIPLEGICS

• DOWNWARD COMPARISONS BETTER THAN UPWARD COMPARISONS

CONTROL

• ACTIVE COPING BETTER THAN PASSIVE COPING (MASTERY VS. FATALISM)

TREATMENT

• ONLY THEORY WITH NO DIRECT TREATMENT ASPECT

• CHANGE ENVIRONMENT - “FRESH STARTS”

• MUCH DISTRESS TRANSIENT (9-11)

• IMPORTANCE OF INFORMAL SUPPORT

CRITICISMS OF SOCIAL

• IGNORES HOW MENTAL SYMPTOMS ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN INDIVIDUALS NOT SITUATIONS

• NOT GOOD FOR EXPLAINING MOST SERIOUS TYPES OF MENTAL ILLNESS

• UNSPECIFIC TREATMENT COMPONENT

STRENGTHS

• BETTER AT EXPLAINING DISTRESS THAN PARTICULAR MENTAL ILLNESSES

• BETTER AT LOOKING AT GROUP, RATHER THAN AT INDIVIDUAL, DIFFERENCES

• EMPHASIS ON EXTERNAL AND CURRENT CAUSES OF DISTRESS