A01 - life changes

• life changes - significant and relatively infrequent events in peoples life that causes stress
• Holmes and Rahe suggested experiencing life changes could lead to illness because life changes require a degree of change, which can be stressful
• Rahe et al (1970) aim - investigated whether there was a positive correlation between number of life changes experienced and illness reported in a non-clinical population
• Rahe et al (1970) procedure - gave adapted from of SRRS known as Schedule of Recent Experiences (SRE) to 2664 navy personnel serving aboard 3 US navy cruisers. Men asked to complete SRE for events they've experienced in past 6 months. SRE adapted to be more specific to military experiences and then produced their LCU score. During 6-8 month tour of duty, record kept anytime a man visited sick bay, as well as type and severity of illness, producing illness score. Neither participants nor medical staff aware of purpose of study, making it a prospective study
• prospective study - type of longitudinal study where researchers will follow and observe group of subjects over period of time to gather information and record development of outcome
• Rahe et al (1970) findings - significant positive correlation of 0.118 between LCU and illness score. Those who experienced most stressful experiences in the 6 months prior to departure had most severe illnesses on ship. Positive correlation most evident in married men compared to young single sailors