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Temporal relationship between life events and two illness measures: a cross-lagged panel analysis
Journal of Human Stress
|January 1, 1985
Summary
Negative life events can increase the risk of actual illness onset, as shown by medical records. However, self-reported symptoms may not accurately reflect this relationship.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Epidemiology
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Stressful life events are frequently linked to health outcomes.
- The reliability of self-reported health symptoms versus objective medical records in reflecting illness onset requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the temporal relationship between stressful life events and subsequent illness.
- To compare the predictive power of negative life events on medical record illnesses versus self-reported symptoms.
Main Methods:
- A cross-lagged panel analysis was employed.
- Naval submarine school students' life events, self-reported symptoms, and medical records were analyzed over two time blocks.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between negative life events (7-12 months prior) and medical record illnesses (0-6 months prior).
- No comparable relationship was observed between negative life events and self-reported symptoms.
Conclusions:
- Negative life events appear to increase susceptibility to actual illness.
- The accuracy of self-report measures for illness onset may be questionable compared to objective medical data.