EFFECTS OF SOME PSYCHOSOCIAL VARIABLES ON DIFFERENT DISEASE MANIFESTATIONS IN 112 CADETS - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

One-hundred and twelve cadets attending the 141st training course for reserve officers of the 'Scuola Trasmissioni' of the Italian Army were administered, 10 days after incorporation, a battery of personality t ests and measures of stressful events in the preceding year. Test scor es were considered both individually and grouped into factors. During the 6 months of the course all disease episodes for each cadet were re corded. Total episodes infections and traumas were considered. A signi ficantly higher number of total episodes and, specifically, of infecti ons was present in subjects reporting a higher number of stressful eve nts, in interaction with attitudes towards parent figures, hardiness, loneliness, and an alienation factor. A younger age of subjects also a ppeared predictive of a higher number of total episodes and infections , as a main effect and in interaction with attitudes to mother, hardin ess, and alienation. Very few effects were obtained for traumas, sugge sting that the effects of variables are mediated through a biological route rather than through behaviour, as would be the case if traumas w ere involved. No effect was shown by measures of stressful events alon e. Results are discussed in the light of a reconsideration of the noti on of stressful events.