Adversity, Stress, and Psychopathology / Edition 1

by Bruce P. Dohrenwend

Overview

"Adversity" involves exposure to unpropitious or calamitous circumstances. It occurs in extreme situations such as prolonged combat or natural disasters, both of which affect whole groups or communities of people simultaneously. It is found as well in more individually targeted events such as child abuse, bereavement, rape, physical illness, marital separation or divorce, unemployment, and homelessness. Exposure to adversity is not randomly distributed in society. It varies, for example, with gender, ethnic or racial background, and socioeconomic status. And some types of adversity can be precipitated by an individual's own actions.
In this volume, the leading investigators review research on the nature of adversity and its relationship to major types of psychopathology including schizophrenia, depression, alcoholism and other substance-use disorders, antisocial personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and nonspecific distress. These relationships are examined in terms of theoretical concepts of life stress that describe the characteristics of the ongoing situation in which adverse events occur and the factors of personality and coping ability that also affect psychiatric outcomes. The authors sift through firm and infirm findings and critically evaluate existing theory and research strategies and provide and integrative theoretical framework. No other book offers as comprehensive and authoritative a discussion of the role of psychosocial stress in causing mental disorders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195121926
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	08/20/1998
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	584
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 1.25(d)

About the Author

Bruce P. Dohrenwend, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychiatry and Public Health at Columbia University.

Table of Contents

Introduction, Bruce P. DohrenwendI. Extreme SituationsIntroduction, Morton Beiser1. Individuals Under Conditions of Maximum Adversity: The Holocaust, Itzhak Levav2. Symptoms, Functioning and Health Problems in a Massively Traumatized Population: The Legacy of the Cambodian Tragedy, Richard F. Mollica, Charles Poole, Svang Tor3. Psychological Effects of Military Combat, Terence M. Keane4. Natural and Human-made Disasters, Robert GielII. Individual EventsIntroduction, William W. Eaton and Bruce P. Dohrenwend5. Childhood Victimization: Early Adversity and Subsequent Psychopathology, Cathy Spatz Widom6. Model of Stress: The Bereavement Reaction, Paula J. Clayton7. The Impact of Unemployment on Health and Well-being, Stanislav B. Kasl, Eunice Rodriguez, Kathryn E. Lasch8. Homelessness, Stress and Psychopathology, Daniel B. Herman, Ezra S. Susser, Elmer L. Struening9. The Value and Limitations of Stress Models in HIV/AIDS, Suzanne C. Ouellette10. Rape, Other Violence Against Women, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Dean G. Kilpatrick, Heidi S. Resnick, Benjamin E. Saunders, Connie L. Best11. Psychiatric Disorder in the Context of Physical Illness, Mary Amanda Dew12. Divorce and Psychopathology, Martha L. BruceIII. Epidemiologic StudiesIntroduction, Evelyn Bromet and Bruce P. Dohrenwend13. Psychiatric Disorders in the General Population, Robert Kohn, Bruce P. Dohrenwend, Jerrold Mirotznik14. Ethnic Status, Socioeconomic Status, and Psychiatric Disorders: the Social Causation-Social Selection Issue, Bruce P. Dohrenwend, Itzhak Levav, Patrick E. Shrout, Sharon Schwartz, Guedalia Naveh, Bruce G. Link, Andrew E. Skodol, and Ann Stueve15. PTSD and Comorbid Disorders in the General Population, Naomi Breslau, Glenn Davis, Patricia Andreski, Belle Federman, James C. Anthony16. Exposure to Fateful Events: A Confounder in Assigning Causal Roles to Life Events, Lee M. Robins17. Stressful Life Events and Episodes of Major Depression and Non-Affective Psychotic Disorders, Ann Stueve, Bruce P. Dohrenwend, Andrew E. Skodol18. Loss and Depressive Disorders, George W. BrownIV. Stress Moderating and Amplifying FactorsIntroduction, David Mechanic19. Personality and Coping As Stress Attenuating or Amplifying Factors, Andrew E. Skodol20. Social Support: Its Present Significance for Psychiatric Epidemiology, A.S. Henderson21. Some Characteristics of Occupations as Risk or Productive Factors, Bruce G. Link, Mary Clare Lennon, Bruce P. Dohrenwend22. Domestic Arrangements and Depressive Symptoms: An Examination of Housework Conditions, Mary Clare LennonV. Complementary ApproachesIntroduction, Robert M. Rose23. Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Stress and Adversity, Patrick E. Shrout, Bruce G. Link24. Cognitive Changes Associated with Persisting Behavioral Effects of Early Psychosocial Stress in Rhesus Monkeys: The View From Psychobiology, Gary W. Kraemer, Jocelyne Bachevalier25. Physiological Correlates of Stress, Adversity, and Psychopathology, Ellen Frank, Jordan Karp26. Adversity, Stress and Psychopathology: A Psychiatric Genetic Perspective, Kenneth S. Kendler27. Effects of Improving Achievement on Aggressive Behavior and of Improving Aggressive Behavior on Achievement Through Two Preventive Interventions: An Investigation of Causal Paths, Sheppard G. Kellam, Lawrence S. Mayer, George W. Rebok, Wesley E. Hawkins28. A Perspective on Adversity, Stress and Psychopathology, Alexander H. LeightonVI. Overview and IntegrationIntroduction, Bruce P. Dohrenwend29. Overview of Evidence for the Importance of Adverse Environmental Conditions, Bruce P. Dohrenwend30. Theoretical Integration, Bruce P. Dohrenwend

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Nancy Schell, MD (Rush University Medical Center)
Description: This book provides an overview of the research and theories on the nature of adversity and its relationship to various forms of psychopathology. In a critical evaluation of existing studies, the contributors also point out areas for further research.
Purpose: Its purpose is to examine evidence of whether adverse environmental conditions are important in the etiology of psychiatric diseases and to develop a framework of concepts to stimulate research. This book attempts to bring into balance the environmental and biological perspectives regarding causation of psychiatric disorders and suggests that much more can be learned about the contribution of adversity to the development of psychopathology.
Audience: It is written for psychiatrists, psychologists, public health researchers, and social scientists.
Features: The text covers definitions of adversity and stress, identifying different forms from extreme natural or man-made situations (such as concentration camps), to individual forms (such as divorce, medical illness, and homelessness), and examines the relationship to psychopathology. It concisely summarizes known research in the various areas with assessments of strengths and weaknesses of each study. Factors or amplifying effects of stress are considered. Studies of Rhesus monkeys and physiological and genetic correlates help to elucidate factors. As a whole, this book tries to integrate all of these findings into a theoretical framework of concepts and suggestions that stimulates further research. References are thorough and up-to-date.
Assessment: This is a comprehensive overview of the relationships between stress and mental disorders with critical evaluation of relevant studies that serves as an excellent reference for students and researchers as well as teachers and practitioners.

Doody's Review Service

4 Stars! from Doody

This book provides an overview of the research and theories on the nature of adversity and its relationship to various forms of psychopathology. In a critical evaluation of existing studies, the contributors also point out areas for further research. Its purpose is to examine evidence of whether adverse environmental conditions are important in the etiology of psychiatric diseases and to develop a framework of concepts to stimulate research. This book attempts to bring into balance the environmental and biological perspectives regarding causation of psychiatric disorders and suggests that much more can be learned about the contribution of adversity to the development of psychopathology. It is written for psychiatrists, psychologists, public health researchers, and social scientists. The text covers definitions of adversity and stress, identifying different forms from extreme natural or man-made situations (such as concentration camps), to individual forms (such as divorce, medical illness, and homelessness), and examines the relationship to psychopathology. It concisely summarizes known research in the various areas with assessments of strengths and weaknesses of each study. Factors or amplifying effects of stress are considered. Studies of Rhesus monkeys and physiological and genetic correlates help to elucidate factors. As a whole, this book tries to integrate all of these findings into a theoretical framework of concepts and suggestions that stimulates further research. References are thorough and up-to-date. This is a comprehensive overview of the relationships between stress and mental disorders with critical evaluation of relevant studies that serves as an excellentreference for students and researchers as well as teachers and practitioners.

Nancy P. Schell