Salient life events in three-generation families

A short, simple procedure for eliciting salient life events is reported in this article. Respondents from three-generation families were asked to list events that had had an impact on them and their families. Responses were examined for content, criterion, and construct validity. The 10 events listed by 10% of at least one generation were major life cycle markers: Six (marriage, childbirth, divorce, retirement, widowhood, and ill health) pertained to the individuals, and four (marriage, birth, divorce, and ill health) pertained to their extended family networks. The expected relationship between events and depression (CES-D) was observed: The importance of low frequency events was reflected in their relationship to depression in the middle-aged and youngest generations. The importance of network events was reflected both in their presence on the lists of all age groups, and in their relationship to depression in the youngest generation.