The main purpose of this study was to replicate previous research, which explored the relationship between hassles, uplifts, life experiences, and somatic health. Significant but low correlations were found between life experience scores and somatic symptoms and energy level. Hassles scores were significant predictors of overall health status when the effects due to life experiences were controlled. Implications of the findings for the field of behavioral health are discussed.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

This study, based on The Conservation of Resources Theory (COR), explores the relationship between social resources and psychological distress, as reported by gay/bisexual men who are at varying degrees of risk for HIV. This study involves theory-based stress research, and adds to the body of literature that addresses social support and gay men. Specific emphasis was placed on the process of social support by significant others in relationship to the devastating impact HIV has on the gay/bisexual community. The investigators employed an ex-post facto design that was guided by past and present theoretical and empirical data, and by specific research hypotheses. The findings suggest that facets of social support appear to be interactively related to the perceived threat of HIV in predicting distress. In general, this study supports COR theory in that resources were related to the experience of psychological distress, yet it emphasizes that the relationship between support and gay men is complex, and thus generalizations from findings based on research with the majority culture may not apply to a population of gay/bisexual men. Implications for future research are also provided.