WHICH STRESS MATTERS - THE EXAMINATION OF TEMPORAL ASPECTS OF STRESS

In this study, the impact of past experiences, present stressors, and expectations of future stress on psychological distress were explored. Participants were 38 male and 41 female spouses of patients hospitali zed with non-life-threatening diseases. Participants completed questio nnaires on which they appraised past, present, and future stressors an d described their levels of psychological distress. Five models of the relationships between appraisals of past, present, and future stresso rs with psychological distress were examined. Only one model was confi rmed by the data. It suggests that an appraisal of past stressors affe cts the appraisal of present stressors only indirectly, through its ef fect on the appraisal of future stressors. This model also maintains t hat only the appraisal of present stressors affects psychological dist ress directly. The implications of these findings for stress research are discussed.