Social Factors and Affective Disorder: An Investigation of Brown and Harris's Model

Abstract

The aetiological model proposed by Brown and Harris was examined in a sample of 110 working class women with children in Oxford. Using the same methodology as Brown and Harris, the role of provoking agents in the onset of affective disorder was found to be very similar to that which they originally described. Lack of an intimate relationship with a husband or boyfriend was found to act as a vulnerability factor, increasing the risk of psychiatric disorder in the face of a provoking agent. There was a trend for women with three or more children aged 14 or under to have an increased vulnerability. However, unemployment was not found to be a vulnerability factor. These results provide general support for Brown and Harris's causal model.

Dysphoric States in the Course of Manic-Depressive Illness

“…The present study is limited in its means to con tribute to such knowledge. The reason for this is that the definition employed already excluded possible social influences, although such links for manic-depressive phases and also for dysphoric states have been described several times [Campbell et al, 1983;Weissmann and Paykel, 1974;Bidzinska, 1984;Kennedy et ah, 1983]. We must therefore limit ourselves to the presentation of obser vations concerning possible psychopharmacological effects.…”

Verhaltenstherapeutische und psychodynamische Therapieansatze bei Altersdepressionen

“…1982;Mur phy. 1982;Campbell et al" 1983); und c) bestimmte Persön lichkeitseigenschaften. Allerdings lassen sich diese nur schwer von depressionsbedingten Persönlichkeitsakzentu ierungen bzw.…”

Female vulnerability to depression

“…In the third study Campbell et al (1983) studied 110 working-class women with at least one child living at home. The PSE was used to assess psychiatric illness; Brown & Harris' (1978) method was used to determine life stress, and three of their four vulnerability factors ('intimacy', 'three or more children at home' and 'lack of employment') were assessed.…”

“…The alternative and more usual multiplicative model (Everitt & Smith, 1979) was not used. A fourth unpublished study (Cooke, 1981), documented by Campbell et al (1983), assessed a community sample of subjects and found no interaction between life events, assessed by means of Paykel et a/. 's measure (1969), and Brown & Harris' vulnerability factors.…”