Stress in Everyday Life

This study investigated stress in everyday life, drawing on identity theory and stress theory. Structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with a stratified sample of 700 married or divorced men and women living in the Indianapolis area. The interview collected data on respondents' current roles; major life events experienced over the past two years; coping responses and social support resources used in handling major life events; current sense of mastery over life; current self-esteem; current levels of perceived social support; symptoms of anxiety, depression, hostility, substance abuse, negative affect and positive affect; and background sociodemographic characteristics. Interviewers prepared for data collection by reviewing literature on the distribution of psychological distress by gender and marital status; stress coping social support approaches to these distress differences; multiple roles approaches to these distress differences; and identity theory and its implications for this distress differences.

This study was supported by funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (RO1 MH43802), the Public Health Service (PHS S07 RR 7031), and the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University-Bloomington.