Negative Life Events and Psychological Distress among Young Adults

This study examines the relationship between college career stage, negative life events, and psychological distress. Young adults enrolled in three universities completed a survey, which included a life events inventory and several psychological distress scales (depression, anxiety, anger/hostility). As expected, negative experiences in affiliative opportunities (peer relationships) were most predictive of distress; younger students were vulnerable to negative life events across domains. Surprisingly, younger students were more likely than older students to be angry/hostile (rather than consistently depressed or anxious) about negative life events. We believe that younger adults either lack the psychological resources of maturity and experience or adopt ineffective coping strategies when faced with stressful situations.