Cited by 601Psychological Testing and AssessmentAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive ProcessesMental Health Research Topics

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Inventorying stressful life events as risk factors for psychopathology: Toward resolution of the problem of intracategory variability.

Dohrenwend, Bruce P.·2006·Psychological Bulletin

DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.477

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Abstract

An explosion of research on life events has occurred since the publication of the Holmes and Rahe checklist in 1967. Despite criticism, especially of their use in research on psychopathology, such economical inventories have remained dominant. Most of the problems of reliability and validity with traditional inventories can be traced to the intracategory variability of actual events reported in their broad checklist categories. The purposes of this review are, first, to examine how this problem has been addressed within the tradition of economical checklist approaches; second, to determine how it has been dealt with by far less widely used and far less economical labor-intensive interview and narrative-rating approaches; and, third, to assess the prospects for relatively economical, as well as reliable and valid, solutions.

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Environmental influences on neuroticism in adulthood: A systematic reviewPreprint
Riese, H., Riese, H., & Ormel, J. (2018) · OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31219/osf.io/73rza · Cited by 2
“, 2009b), health, employment, length of marriage, conflict with ex, number and severity of negative experiences, if you initiated the divorce (Amato, 2000; Betzig, 1989; Buss, 2003; Dohrenwend, 2006; Hetherington et al., 2002; Lorenz et al., 1997; Mastekaasa, 1994; Weisberg et al., 2011), individual variables (Hobson…”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Which Event Matters: Exploring the Relationship between Life Events, Socioeconomic Status and Psychological Distress in Mothers of InfantsPreprint
Nicol, A. R. (2012) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.2012860 · Cited by 2
“Dohrenwend (2006), for example, highlights some of the problems associated with checklists or inventories of life events like those used in LSAC and this study.”
Impact of Intergenerational Patterns on Coaching Effectiveness
Schlüter, J. H. (2021) · Coaching | Theorie & Praxis · doi:10.1365/s40896-021-00059-z · Cited by 2
Resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth after Discriminatory Job Loss: The Case of Academics Dismissed after Turkey’s 2016 Coup
Atay, E., & Bayraktaroğlu, S. (2023) · Relations industrielles · doi:10.7202/1101315ar · Cited by 1
Do you understand what I experienced? Self- and informant-perception of major life events
Fliedner, K., & Horstmann, K. T. (2025) · European Journal of Personality · doi:10.1177/08902070251315190 · Cited by 1
“However, this approach neglects that different individuals very likely experience the same major life event differently (Dohrenwend, 2006; Luhmann et al., 2021; Wrzus et al., 2023), which may lead to varying impact of the same major life event.”
Post-College Social Roles, Stress, and Alcohol Use
Armeli, S., Bragard, E., Feinn, R., & Tennen, H. A. (2025) · Substance Use & Misuse · doi:10.1080/10826084.2025.2478588 · Cited by 1
“This approach is considered superior to other approaches for stress assessment, such as event checklists or brief appraisal measures (Dohrenwend, 2006; Monroe, 2008).”
The differential role of spousal collaboration on pain reactivity to daily stressors in older couples with and without multiple chronic conditions
Pan, Z., Nie, J., Zhou, X., Wang, S., Chen, H., Zhang, M., & Liu, H. (2025) · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · doi:10.1093/abm/kaaf045 · Cited by 1
A qualitative exploration of the influence of high lifetime stressor exposure on sports performers interpretations of daily life stressors
McLoughlin, E., Arnold, R., & Mellalieu, S. D. (2025) · Journal of Applied Sport Psychology · doi:10.1080/10413200.2025.2535994 · Cited by 1
“Although such tools are affordable and easy to implement, they may be prone to memory recall bias and lack the depth of more detailed methods like in-depth interviews (Dohrenwend, 2006).”
Work- and family-related stressors and risk of hazardous alcohol use: the role of social support. A cohort study in Sweden
Amin, R., Goppers, J. S., Möller, J., Engström, K., Sidorchuk, A., Mittendorfer‐Rutz, E., & Gémes, K. (2025) · Alcohol and Alcoholism · doi:10.1093/alcalc/agaf058 · Cited by 1
“Although we were able to include several important stressors in our study, we could not account for intracategory variability, i.e. the lack of specific meaning within broad categories of stressful life events (Dohrenwend 2006).”
Researcher‐Rated “Snapshots” of Stress: Initial Validation of Two Stress Assessment Approaches and Their Relationship to Internalizing Symptoms
Cole, E., Corneau, G. M., Grillo, A. R., & Vrshek‐Schallhorn, S. (2025) · Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.1155/da/5522234 · Cited by 1
“Similarly, self-report perceived stress measures often ask about stress with broad questions that do not differentiate between the life domains of stress or between interpersonal and noninterpersonal strains [15, 17].”
Stressful discrimination: two field experiments on social interaction
Aranguren, M. (2025) · European Sociological Review · doi:10.1093/esr/jcaf047 · Cited by 3
A systematic review and theoretical framework of stress generation in daily life
Haehner, P., Andrae, R., & Bleidorn, W. (2026) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2026.102729 · Cited by 1
Chronic psychosocial stress: a role in breast cancer etiology?
Fosse, R., & Behr, C. (2026) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2026.1790548 · Cited by 1
“…common in studies employing checklists and the LEDS instrument, it poses a signi ﬁ cant challenge: it fails to capture individual variations in distress, which can be considerable for any given adverse event – a limitation known as intracategorical variability (144) or the reality principle (145).”
Tradução e adaptação semântica para versão em português do Stressful Life Events Schedule (SLES)
Zeni, C. P., Coelho, R. P. S., Ferreira, A. A. M., Machado, P. D. O., Tramontina, S., & Grassi-Oliveira, R. (2013) · Psico-USF · doi:10.1590/s1413-82712013000200006 · Cited by 1
“A investigação de EVE em crianças e em adolescentes abarcando um delineamento longitudinal é fundamental para responder a algumas questões sobre fatores relacionados ao surgimento e ao curso de diversas psicopatologias (Dohrenwend, 2006).”
Background
Stemmingsproblemen en depressie
Braet, C., Wante, L., & Timbremont, B. (2014) · Bohn Stafleu van Loghum eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-90-368-0495-0_14 · Cited by 1
Stress: Concepts, Models, and Measures
Moksnes, U. K., & Espnes, G. A. (2015) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-4560-53-5_11-1 · Cited by 1
Adaptación española de la Children’s Hassles Scale: escala de estresores cotidianos en la infancia
Bruguera, M. R., Martínez-Arias, M. D. R., & Isabel, C.-R. (2018) · Revista de Psicología Clínica con Niños y Adolescentes · doi:10.21134/rpcna.2018.05.2.1 · Cited by 1
“Para añadir mayor precisión, puntuaron la ocurrencia de los estresores cotidianos y la valoración subjetiva del malestar, superando la crítica frecuente de que estas escalas miden solamente el malestar psicológico (Dohrenwend, 2006).”
Background
A Meta-Analytic Review of the Relationship Between Interpersonal Trauma and Committed Romantic Relationships
Polser, G. (2020) · Digital Commons - DU (University of Denver) · Cited by 1
Kritische-Lebensereignis-Kategorien-Skala (KLEKS) zur Erfassung bedeutsamer Lebenserfahrungen
Oeltjen, L., Zapko–Willmes, A., Wiechers, Y., & Kandler, C. (2025) · Diagnostica · doi:10.1026/0012-1924/a000347 · Cited by 1
Social Defeat and Psychotic Experiences in the United States: Findings from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiological Surveys
Oh, H. Y. (2015) · doi:10.7916/d8j1028r · Cited by 1
“, Dohrenwend, B. P., Levav, I., Yoffe, R., van Os, J., ... Weiser, M. (2012). Self-reported attenuated psychotic symptoms as forerunners of severe mental disorders later in life.”
Background
Temperament and Character Profiles of Group-Based Suicide Cases
Séguin, M., Robert, M., & Beauchamp, G. (2016) · Crisis · doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000430 · Cited by 1
“Narrative methodology (Brown & Harris, 1978; Dohrenwend, 2006) requires clinical case histories (case vignettes) to be drafted after the interviews.”
Method
Impacto de la impulsividad en el consumo de alcohol adolescente = Impact on impulsivity adolescent alcohol consumption
Gran, B. C., & Nieto, M. Á. P. (2012) · Edupsykhé Revista de Psicología y Educación · doi:10.57087/edupsykhe.v11i1.3857 · Cited by 1
La santé du dirigeant
Torrès, O., & Lechat, T. (2017) · De Boeck Supérieur eBooks · doi:10.3917/dbu.torre.2017.01.0199 · Cited by 1
Stress: Concepts, Models, and Measures
Moksnes, U. K., & Espnes, G. A. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-981-287-206-7_11 · Cited by 1
Taking Inequality's Measure: Poverty, Displacement, Unemployment and Mental Health
Hopper, K. J. (2010) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9780470684214.ch27 · Cited by 1
Anxiety symptoms in South African youths : their assessment and relationship with stressful life events
Hartley, C. G. (2008) · SUNScholar (Stellenbosch University) · Cited by 1
Stress-Generation Processes in Latinos: The Roles of Acculturation, Acculturative Stress, and Intercultural Competence
Driscoll, M. W. (2011) · e-Publications@Marquette (Marquette University) · Cited by 1
Hope within Trauma for Refugee Women: Whispers and Echoes through Shadows and Reflections
Tobin, S. (2015) · The Sydney eScholarship Repository (The University of Sydney) · Cited by 1
Avoidance and intolerance of uncertainty: Precipitants of rumination and depression
Anderson, N. L. (2013) · ProQuest Demo Repository · Cited by 1
A systems framework and modeling approach to predict and manage the mental health effects of a military conflict
Fingerhut, H. (2015) · Cited by 1
Computationally-defined markers of uncertainty aversion predict trajectories of perceived threat and anxiety during a global pandemicPreprint
Wise, T., Zbozinek, T. D., Charpentier, C. J., Michelini, G., Hagan, C. C., & Mobbs, D. (2021) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/zpg69 · Cited by 1
Childhood Stress
Grant, K. E., McMahon, S. D., Carter, J. S., Adam, E., Duffy, S. N., & Taylor, J. J. (2015) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-397045-9.00233-0 · Cited by 1
Life Events
Murray, K. E., & Zautra, A. (2007) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b0-12-370870-2/00109-8 · Cited by 1
Validation of a German Version of the Stress Overload Scale and Comparison of Different Time Frames in the InstructionsPreprint
Haehner, P., Pfeifer, L. S., Jahre, L. M., Luhmann, M., Wolf, O. T., & Frach, L. (2022) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/2nyw4 · Cited by 1
Developing professional identity for engineering undergraduates
Young, A. E. (2024) · Queensland University of Technology · doi:10.5204/thesis.eprints.247837 · Cited by 1
Personality and Clinical Perspectives on Stress Generation: Towards an Integrative Theoretical ModelPreprint
Haehner, P., & Bleidorn, W. (2024) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/yf5gu · Cited by 1
Lifetime Experiences Scale (LIFES): Desenvolvimento e validação em amostras da comunidade
Azevedo, V., Martins, C., & Maia, Â. (2020) · Portuguese National Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology (RCAAP Project by FCT) · doi:10.17575/psicologia.v34i1.1456
Prenatal Stress: A Predictor of Childhood Behavior Disorders
Trasen, R. S. (2013) · CommonKnowledge Research Repository (Pacific University Oregon)

Authors: Dohrenwend, B. P.
Affiliations: Columbia University Irving Medical Center (US)
Corresponding author: Dohrenwend, Bruce P.
ORCID: Dohrenwend, Bruce P.
Venue: Psychological Bulletin
Publisher: American Psychological Association (APA)
Published: 2006
Volume: 132
Issue: 3
Pages: 477-495
ISSN: 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
1939-1455
DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.132.3.477
OpenAlex: W2043830713
Cited by: 601
References: 160
Citations by year: 2026: 19 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 26 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 34 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 34 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 45 · 2013: 39 · 2012: 29
FWCI: 3.15
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Locations: Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders: National Institute of Mental Health (K05MH14663; MH26208; MH59627)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Psychological Testing and Assessment
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Mental Health Research Topics
Keywords: life events, psychopathology, reliability and validity, risk factors
MeSH terms: Mental Disorders, Conflict, Psychological, Humans, Life Change Events, Risk Factors, Narration

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Inventorying stressful life events as risk factors for psychopathology: Toward resolution of the problem of intracategory variability.

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