Stressful life events during adolescence and risk for externalizing and internalizing psychopathology: a meta-analysis

Abstract

The main objective of the present research was to analyze the relations between stressful life events and the externalizing and internalizing spectra of psychopathology using meta-analytical procedures. After removing the duplicates, a total of 373 papers were found in a literature search using several bibliographic databases, such as the PsycINFO, Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science. Twenty-seven studies were selected for the meta-analytical analysis after applying different inclusion and exclusion criteria in different phases. The statistical procedure was performed using a random/mixed-effects model based on the correlations found in the studies. Significant positive correlations were found in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. A transactional effect was then found in the present study. Stressful life events could be a cause, but also a consequence, of psychopathological spectra. The level of controllability of the life events did not affect the results. Special attention should be given to the usage of stressful life events in gene-environment interaction and correlation studies, and also for clinical purposes.

Impact of life events on symptoms in psychotic disorders: 10-year longitudinal study following first admission

“…This is consistent with the diathesis-stress and vulnerability models of psychosis, both of which posit that life events (LEs) 'activate' a clinical or genetic vulnerability (Lukoff, Snyder, Ventura, & Nuechterlein, 1984;Nuechterlein & Dawson, 1984;Nuechterlein et al, 1994;Walker & Diforio, 1997). This model has been supported by research showing that LEs often occur shortly before the onset of psychosis (Beards et al, 2013;Bebbington et al, 1993;Day et al, 1987;Ira et al, 2014;March-Llanes, Marqués-Feixa, Mezquita, Fañanás, & Moya-Higueras, 2017;Trotman et al, 2014), even when limited to fateful events unrelated to a person's symptoms and behavior (Bebbington et al, 1993;Malla, Cortese, Shaw, & Ginsberg, 1990;Raune, Kuipers, & Bebbington, 2009).…”

“…The stress-generation model holds that the presence of symptoms increases the likelihood of experiencing LE's (Hammen, 1991(Hammen, , 2006, described by Zubin & Spring (1977) as a "stress-prone pattern of living". This pattern is supported by research showing LEs can be predicted by earlier symptoms and illness characteristics (Brown & Birley, 1968;Lukoff et al, 1984;March-Llanes et al, 2017;Shakoor et al, 2016).…”

Why do depression, conduct, and hyperactivity symptoms co-occur across adolescence? The role of stable and dynamic genetic and environmental influences

“…Twin studies cannot provide information about which environmental influences contributed to within-time symptom co-occurrence without directly measuring exposures and experiences, but it is plausible that these could constitute transient factors such as episodic stressful life events, e.g. accidents or conflicts with peers [67,68]. Conversely, some of the long-lasting environmental exposures that maintain depression and hyperactivity symptoms across adolescence could constitute chronic stressors and sociocultural influences, for example a family environment or socio-economic status [68][69][70].…”

“…accidents or conflicts with peers [67,68]. Conversely, some of the long-lasting environmental exposures that maintain depression and hyperactivity symptoms across adolescence could constitute chronic stressors and sociocultural influences, for example a family environment or socio-economic status [68][69][70]. While the effects of stress and trauma are known to be transdiagnostic [27], the current study tentatively suggests that such environmental effects may not contribute beyond cross-sectional co-occurrence, to influence heterotypic continuity across depression, conduct, and hyperactivity.…”

ECAP Editorial

“…As specialists working with children and families with mental health difficulties we have to hold a wide variety of factors in mind, including risks and mechanisms that might include psychological, social as well as biological factors. This complexity is illustrated by the psychosocial focus of March-Llanes and colleagues [1] in exploring the potential impact of stressful life events on psychopathology and Gutiérrez-García and colleagues [2] in exploring the long term mental health outcomes for young people not in education, employment or training in Mexico City on the one hand. In contrast and in search of a more biological understanding of the development of some disorders de la Torre-Luque and colleagues [3] and Rozenman and colleagues [4] both explore the physiological response of young people developing anxiety, through the cardiac profile and autonomic responses of young people respectively.…”