Related Experiment Videos
Triggers or aggravators of symptoms?
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|January 1, 1986
Summary
Negative events and bad mood may not trigger symptom onset, but can influence symptom duration. This study examined event-mood-symptom relationships, finding events predicted symptom days more than mood.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Previous research by Verbrugge suggested associations between negative events, bad mood, and symptom experiences.
- Understanding the interplay between life events, emotional states, and physical symptoms is crucial for health management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To replicate and extend Verbrugge's findings on the relationships between negative events, bad mood, and symptoms.
- To investigate the potential causal role of events and mood in the onset and duration of symptom episodes.
Main Methods:
- Replication of Verbrugge's study using identical symptomatology measures.
- Utilized more comprehensive questionnaires for events and mood.
- Performed analyses focused on symptom episode onset days to assess triggering effects.
Main Results:
- Replicated same-day and lagged relationships between events, mood, and symptoms.
- Undesirable events were stronger predictors of symptom days than negative mood, contrary to Verbrugge's findings.
- Analyses on symptom onset days significantly reduced event-symptom associations and eliminated lagged relationships.
Conclusions:
- The study did not corroborate a triggering effect of events and mood for symptom onset.
- Negative events and mood may play a role in maintaining the duration of symptom episodes rather than initiating them.
- Findings suggest a nuanced relationship where events and mood influence symptom persistence.