Life events, vulnerability and illness: a selected review

In this review we examine the links between life stress and illness and the research approaches and methodologies which have been used to study them. Evidence is presented of causal relationships between adverse life events and illness onset and we discuss ways in which these events may be detected and measured. The notion that 'moderating variables' may affect both an individual's vulnerability to the effects of adversity and the coping strategies adopted to deal with life stress is emphasized. Typically, research has focused on the effect of a single psychosocial variable on the correlation between life events and illness. We conclude that research aimed at eliciting factors associated with successful coping is of more importance if primary care physicians are to identify vulnerable patients and make therapeutic interventions to minimize the damaging effect of stress and adversity.